The Menstrual Cycle and Fertility: How It Works
How the menstrual cycle works, when you're actually fertile, how to recognise ovulation, and which irregularities are worth seeing a doctor about.
Read the guideFertility care
Your path to parenthood.
Understanding your cycle, knowing when to seek help, and fertility investigations and treatment for both partners — at Sugabi Clinic Ragama.
Know your body
Understanding your cycle
Conception starts with timing — knowing when you ovulate and when your fertile window falls.
Your Fertile Window: When You're Most Likely to Conceive
Work out your fertile window, understand why it opens before ovulation, and learn why timing sex to a single day isn't necessary.
Read the guideFertile Period Calculator
Estimate your most fertile days from your cycle dates.
Open the toolBefore you start trying
Small preparations before conception make a measurable difference.
Preconception Care: What to Do Before You Try for a Baby
The five things to sort out before trying for a baby — age and timing, folic acid, weight, vaccinations and existing conditions — plus how to…
Read the guidePreconception Care: Getting Ready Before You Try
What to sort out before trying for a baby — folic acid doses used in Sri Lanka, weight, vaccinations, existing conditions, and how to time things…
Read the guideFertility and Lifestyle: What Actually Helps
Which lifestyle changes genuinely improve your chances of conceiving — for both partners — and which popular advice isn't worth the worry.
Read the guideWhen it takes longer
Common causes
Most fertility problems have an identifiable — and often treatable — cause.
Anovulation: A Common and Treatable Cause of Difficulty Conceiving
Anovulation is a common and treatable cause of difficulty conceiving. How it's confirmed, what causes it, and the treatments that restore ovulation.
Read the guidePolycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Symptoms, Diagnosis and Management
What PCOS is, how it is diagnosed, why lifestyle and a healthy weight matter most, and when medicines such as metformin or letrozole are used.
Read the guideEndometriosis and Fertility: Trying to Conceive
How endometriosis affects conception, why hormonal treatment does not help fertility, and how surgery and IVF are weighed against ovarian reserve.
Read the guideTests for both partners
Fertility is a shared journey: investigations look at ovulation, the tubes and the sperm.
Male Factor Infertility: What the Tests Show and What Can Be Done
Male factors account for around half of fertility problems. What semen analysis measures, what the results mean, what can improve them, and the…
Read the guideLaparoscopy and Dye Test: Checking Your Fallopian Tubes
How the laparoscopy and dye test checks whether your tubes are open, when we offer it, how it compares with HSG, and what the day involves.
Read the guideTreatment
Treatment starts with the simplest effective option.
Ovulation Induction: How It Works and What to Expect
How ovulation induction works, which tablets are tried first, what monitoring involves, and when injections or IVF are considered.
Read the guideCommon questions
Frequently asked questions
How long should we try before seeing a doctor?
Twelve months of regular unprotected intercourse — or six months if the female partner is over 35. Come sooner if periods are irregular or absent, or if either partner has a known condition.
Are both partners tested?
Yes. In roughly a third of couples the cause lies with the male partner, so a seminal fluid analysis is part of the standard first-line assessment.
Does lifestyle really affect fertility?
Yes — weight, smoking, alcohol and timing all measurably affect the chance of conception for both partners. These are the first things worth optimising.
What is ovulation induction?
Medication that stimulates the ovary to release an egg, used when ovulation is absent or irregular — one of the simplest and most effective fertility treatments.
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Book a consultation with Dr Chaminda Mathota.
Daily sessions at Sugabi Clinic Ragama with minimal wait times. Book online, call or send us a WhatsApp message.
Medical notice: Information on this page is general and does not replace individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are seriously unwell or experiencing an emergency, seek immediate assistance from the nearest hospital emergency department.