Does ovarian size affect fertility?

Ovarian size can change several times during a woman's life. But does this change in size affect fertility?

Ovarian size affects the ability to conceive is not a common concern of many women. If you are also one of them, the following sharing of aFamilyToday Health can definitely be of great help to you.

The ovaries are the main organs responsible for egg production, fertilization and reproduction in a woman's body. The ovaries produce eggs, which, when fertilized with sperm, lead to pregnancy. In addition, the ovaries are also responsible for the production of female fertility hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Does ovarian size affect pregnancy?

The answer is yes, ovarian size is related to a woman's fertility. If your ovary is smaller than normal, it means that it will be harder to conceive because your egg reserves are lower than average.

However, large ovaries do not mean that more eggs will be stored. Because the ovaries may increase in size due to disorders or the appearance of a tumor. Under these circumstances, you will not be ovulating normally and thus it will be difficult to conceive. In women with ovarian polycysts , the length of the ovaries can be up to more than 15cm. At this point, you need to see your doctor for advice, do ovarian screening tests to come up with appropriate treatment if you are having trouble conceiving.

You may be ordered to perform tests such as ultrasound and blood tests to determine the size and function of your ovaries. Through the ultrasound method, the doctor can know if the number of follicles as well as your ability to store eggs is normal or low.

Factors that alter the size of the ovaries

A woman's ovary size can change many times in her life for different reasons. Here are some common causes:

1. Age

Ovarian size can vary with age. Before puberty and after menopause, the ovaries will have the smallest size, about less than 20 mm. During the reproductive age, the average size of the ovaries is 3cm in length, 2.5cm in height and 1.5cm in width. The ovaries can also become larger during ovulation and menstruation.

2. Ovarian disorders

Ovarian disorders and cancer can increase the size of the ovaries. In addition, having one of the conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ovarian cysts, and luteum cysts can also cause the ovaries to enlarge, leading to pain and internal bleeding. These disorders cause women to have trouble conceiving.

3. Infertility treatment

Women diagnosed with infertility often have to use fertility methods to get pregnant. In these methods, you may be given hormones to stimulate your ovaries, make the eggs ripen and release, which are then released for fertilization. These treatments can cause the ovaries to become larger during ovulation and return to normal size after the ovulation period ends.

4. Pregnancy

The size of the ovaries increases during pregnancy because the ovaries are forced to produce more of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. However, you should see your gynecologist to be checked and make sure that there are no cysts or fibroids.

How to improve ovarian health?

There are many ways to boost your ovarian health that you can do. However, the simplest thing is to maintain a healthy lifestyle with a nutritious diet, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy body weight and avoid falling under stress. You need:

Weight control: Being overweight or underweight in women can affect egg quality. Therefore, try to maintain your weight at a stable level if you intend to conceive.

Exercise regularly: You can boost the health of your ovaries by exercising regularly. You do not need to practice too much, you can do yoga 1 hour per day or 30 minutes of jogging per day, with a duration of 5 times a week to have a good health.

Managing stress: Stress is unavoidable in this era. However, you can still avoid this by getting enough rest, reading, practicing meditation, yoga, or doing an activity you enjoy to relax. You should not use your phone for at least an hour before going to bed to avoid disturbing sleep.

Nutritional diet: While trying to conceive, you don't need to diet or cut anything. It is important to be in control of what you eat in each day. Maintain a balanced diet full of essential nutrients such as protein, good carbohydrates, good fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. If your body is deficient, consult your doctor about taking supplements.

Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol: Tobacco and alcohol can have dangerous reproductive health consequences. So if you intend to conceive and are using these two harmful things, you should give them up today.

Ovarian size affects a woman's ability to conceive. However, besides this factor, there are still many other potential reasons. If you are having trouble conceiving, see your doctor to find out exactly what your problem is and find ways to best improve your health.