• Question: Why cant some people have babies?

    Asked by Megan <3 to Carolyn, Peter, Richard, Sara, Siana on 13 Nov 2015.
    • Photo: Richard Unwin

      Richard Unwin answered on 13 Nov 2015:

      Hi Megan,

      Wow this is a really good question, and a really complicated one.
      Getting pregnant and growing a baby is a very complex business with lots of different factors, and problems with any one of those can mean it’s difficult to have babies.
      Men may not make enough sperm, or that sperm many not be strong enough to swim to an egg, women may have problems making enough eggs, or their uterus lining may not respond properly to start supporting a fertilized egg, or when baby starts to grow the placenta the feeds it nutrients from mums blood may not develop properly or work properly.
      Problems with these things can just happen (the same as some people might develop conditions where their body can’t see, or hear, or process sugars, or walk properly) and there’s no single cause. There’s lots of research finding out ways around these though to allow families who can’t easily have babies to get pregnant and have families of their own.

    • Photo: Siana Jones

      Siana Jones answered on 13 Nov 2015:

      Great answer from Richard. I’d add that there are a few lifestyle things which can make it harder to have a baby; being very over or under weight, smoking, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or being very stressed can be bad for both men and women when they are trying for a baby.

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