Irregular Menstrual Cycles in an Infertility Patient
Irregular menstrual cycles in an infertility patient can signal a patient who is not ovulating. Usually, the egg gets released mid-cycle (around day 14) during a normal ovulatory cycle, and if there is no pregnancy, then a menstrual cycle will occur two weeks later ( completing a 28 day cycle that month. ie: the ‘norm’) If the cycle is short (for example only 21 days), or long (more than 35 days), it can mean the patient is having trouble with ovulation.
Ovarian Aging and Infertility
The decrease in female fecundity beginning after the age of 30 and exaggerated after 40 is a well documented finding. This age-related decline in fertility is the result of several factors that contribute to overall reproductive failure. Women over 35 require a longer period to achieve conception than younger women, and a higher percentage of older women will never achieve pregnancy. In addition, the rate of early pregnancy wastage increases substantially during the 30s, and is over 50% after age 40.