Having one ovary doesn’t significantly affect the chances of conceiving, but it may increase the risk of ectopic or tubal pregnancies and conceiving a child with Down syndrome. Signs of fertility include tracking ovulation, basal body temperature, and cervical mucus. Treatments for infertility include surgery, IVF, and fertility-enhancing drugs. Safe sex should still be practiced to avoid pregnancy and STDs.
You generally have an equal chance of conceiving if you have an ovary or two, as long as the rest is attached to a fallopian tube. Lack of other parts of the reproductive system can also make conception more difficult, but pregnancy is often still possible. There are several signs you can look for to see if you are still fertile and many treatments available if you are having trouble conceiving. However, there are some health risks associated with conceiving with an ovary, so it’s important to discuss fertility with your doctor.
Signs of fertility
The main thing to watch when you want to get pregnant and you only have one ovary is ovulation. In order to conceive, a woman’s body must first release an egg, which then travels down a fallopian tube. If she encounters a sperm and becomes an embryo, it implants itself in the wall of the uterus. Otherwise, she will die and he and the lining of the uterus that builds up every month will be expelled from the body during menstruation.
When a woman has two ovaries, they typically take turns releasing an egg each month. If there is only one, she usually takes the place of the missing one and releases an egg every menstrual cycle, and a period should still occur. You may no longer ovulate if your periods become irregular or stop altogether, which means you may not be able to get pregnant naturally.
You can also track your basal body temperature, which often changes at specific points in your menstrual cycle. When you do this, it’s essential to take your temperature first thing in the morning at the same time each day to ensure accurate readings. When you ovulate, your temperature generally rises by at least 0.2°F (about 0.11°C) for three consecutive days. You can also check the consistency of your cervical mucus; if you’re ovulating, it should be thinner and lighter than normal in the middle of your cycle.
Risks
Women who conceive with only one ovary may be at increased risk of ectopic or tubal pregnancies. This is a situation where the embryo implants itself outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. The fetuses in these pregnancies cannot survive and are either aborted, reabsorbed into the body, or have to be removed. Several studies show that women with only one ovary may also be more likely to conceive children with Down syndrome. Also, you may experience normal age-related fertility loss sooner, as your body only has half as many eggs.
exceptions
There are some situations that can make it more difficult for you to get pregnant naturally if you only have one ovary, such as having one ovary and an opposing fallopian tube. While this makes it less likely that an egg will pass into the uterus during ovulation, it still sometimes happens. Also, if one of your ovaries has a problem, you may not be able to get pregnant if the other one is removed. However, doctors usually evaluate both ovaries before removing one and warn you about any fertility problems. Regardless of how many ovaries you have, if both fallopian tubes are blocked or removed, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to conceive naturally.
treatments
Doctors usually advise all women, regardless of how many ovaries they have, to try to get pregnant naturally for at least 15 months before consulting fertility experts. If you haven’t gotten pregnant in that time, both you and your partner should be tested, as they too may be having fertility issues. When you are showing clear signs of infertility, such as missing a period, it may be best to consult a fertility expert first. Sometimes a remaining ovary may be scarred or the fallopian tube may be blocked, preventing the passage of an egg. Surgery can sometimes remove scars to make ovulation easier.
Another fertility treatment for women in this situation includes in vitro fertilization (IVF), in which a specialist places a fertilized egg directly into the uterus. Some women also try fertility-enhancing drugs, such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Although studies show that pregnancy rates for women with one ovary on IVF or fertility drugs are about the same as those with both ovaries, women with only one need higher dosages of drugs and they take longer to bring the ovary to the same state of stimulation.
Even if none of the treatments work and you’re told you can’t conceive, it’s still best to practice safe sex and use protection to avoid pregnancy. In some cases, the seemingly impossible occurs, and women who were previously thought to be infertile become pregnant unexpectedly. The use of condoms and spermicides not only reduces the risk of pregnancy but also the spread of STDs, and therefore should be used even if pregnancy seems very unlikely.
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