Single Ovary and Pregnancy – Everything You Should Know

As a female, you are born with two ovaries in your body. Due to reproductive health issues, a doctor at a fertility or IVF centre in Basaveshwara Nagar or your locality removes one of your ovaries. Reproductive health problems could be ovarian cysts, ovarian cancer, abscess, endometriosis, infections, or tumours. Before or after the removal of one of your ovaries, you have a few queries in your mind. Queries could be similar to the ones mentioned below:

Can I get pregnant with only one ovary?
Is it possible to conceive with a single ovary?
Pregnancy chances in women with a single ovary?
How can I become pregnant with a single ovary?

Before getting your queries answered, you should know how you get pregnant or you have a conception. Pregnancy happens when a couple (of the opposite sex) makes love without using any contraceptive methods just around the time of ovulation. During ovulation, one of your ovaries releases an egg that travels to one of the fallopian tubes. You conceive as your released egg meets with your male partner’s sperm (ejaculated through the penis during sex) while travelling to the fallopian tube and reaching your uterus. After fertilisation, there is a uterine lining around your uterus. And after around 2 weeks, you start experiencing pregnancy symptoms.

Can you conceive with a single ovary?

Yes, you can have a conception even if you have only a single ovary. According to Dr Jane Frederick of Saddleback Memorial Medical Centre in California, getting pregnant with a single is possible if your ovary is active and there is no issue in your fallopian tubes. Usually, your pregnancy chances depend on several factors that are as follows:

- Age – You are highly fertile in your 20s. After 30, you have a sharp decrease in your fertility and your natural or assisted pregnancy chances come down to 1-3% after the age of 40. And after 45, perhaps no ART treatment could help you get pregnant, as you have 0 eggs left with you.
- Presence of healthy ovaries – One of the ovaries can produce at least one egg in a menstrual cycle
- No blockage or damage in either of the fallopian tubes – Any damage or blockage can prevent sperm from meeting the egg for fertilisation
No male factor infertility – Your male partner should have enough sperm in his semen ejaculated through his penis into your vagina. Normal sperm count is 15 million in one millilitre of semen

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How can you get pregnant with a single ovary?

If you are under 35, your single ovary is working well, have no tubal issues, and your male partner is fertile, you can conceive. To get pregnant with only one ovary, follow the following steps:

Consult a fertility specialist – Through doctor consultation and an ultrasound on his/her recommendation, you can know whether your single ovary is working well or not. The doctor can suggest other tests to ensure you have no other reproductive health issues.

Track your ovulation – You should keep a calendar ready when you are trying to conceive. You should mention the date of day 1 of your menstrual cycle. If your menstrual cycle lasts for 28 days and you have regular menstrual cycles, your ovulation time could be anything from day 11 to day 21 in a menstrual cycle. Tracking menstrual cycles and ovulation time will be beneficial.

Look for ovulation signs – As you are close to ovulating, there are changes in your cervical mucus and basal body temperature. Your cervical mucus is stretchy, and there is a rise in your basal body temperatures.

Have unprotected physical intimacy on or before ovulation – Sperm can survive for 4-5 days, but eggs survive only for 24 hours. So, you should make unprotected love with your male partner just before or after ovulation. It will increase your pregnancy chances.
Take a pregnancy test – It is hard to wait for good news when you are making an effort to get pregnant. After around two weeks, you can do a Pregnancy test at home with a Home Pregnancy test kit or visit a pathology lab for the same.

Also Read: Why Must You Refer A Gynecologist?

Conclusion

Pregnancy with a single ovary is possible. And for this, your ovary should be active, you should be below 35 years of age, you have no other issues, and your male partner is fertile. Visiting a respective doctor, tracking ovulation time, and physical intimacy at the right time can help you get pregnant with one ovary.