Thinking about a baby? Boost your chances of getting pregnant with the information for conception
1. Understand your menstrual cycle
The most important advice for a woman who wants to get pregnant is to get to know her body, specifically her menstrual cycle. Although the average cycle is 28 days, it is normal to have a cycle that is shorter or longer.
A woman who is trying to conceive should monitor whether the first days of her period tends to come the same number of days apart every month, which is considered being regular.
Conversely, her periods may be irregular, meaning her cycle lengths vary from month to month. By tracking this information on a calendar, a woman can better predict when she might be ovulating, the time when her ovaries will release an egg every month.
2. Know when you ovulate
The ability to know when you are ovulating is essential in order to become pregnant, avoid pregnancy or to understand your body in general.
Women who have regular cycles generally ovulate two weeks before the arrival of their periods. It is usually harder to predict ovulation in women with irregular cycles, but it usually occurs 12 to 16 days before the start of the woman's next period.
Ovulation happens when an ovary expels an egg, which descends down a fallopian tube. This egg is then ready to be fertilized. If fertilization does not happen, the egg is absorbed by the uterus and is expelled during menstruation.
3. Have sex during your fertile window
Your fertile window is made up of the days in your menstrual cycle when pregnancy is possible. To calculate your fertile window, you need to determine what day you ovulate and to do this, you need to know the length of your menstrual cycle.
The fertile window is a six-day interval, the five days prior to ovulation and the day of it, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. These are the days each month when a woman is most fertile.
4. Watch your weight
Your weight can have serious implications on your fertility. Being too heavy can reduce a woman's odds of conceiving, but also being too thin can make it even harder to have a baby.
This is because having too much body fat produces excess estrogen, which can interfere with ovulation. Losing 5 to 10 percent of body weight before a woman starts trying to get pregnant could improve her fertility, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
5. Take prenatal vitamins and fertility supplements
Experts advice that women who are TTC take prenatal vitamins even before becoming pregnant. Pregnant women should take 400 mcg of folic acid every day for at least one month before getting pregnant to help prevent birth defects. This is a good idea because the neural tube develops into the brain and spine three to four weeks after conception occurs, before many women realize they're pregnant.
Vitamins are also known to boost fertility for example increasing vitamin E intake has been found to increase the probability of success with IVF procedures.
Vitamin B6 has been shown to increase fertility in women and B12 helps to improve sperm count in men. Also infertility in women has been linked to a deficiency in iron.
There are a lot of different herbal supplements on the market that can help to boost fertility. For example many women use Evening Primrose Oil to regulate their cycles, and also to improve the quality of their cervical mucus. However, it is very important to never take Evening Primrose Oil if there is a chance that you might be pregnant. This is because Evening Primrose Oil can cause uterine contractions, and it is unsafe for women that might be pregnant.
Vitex or agnus castus, is one of the most common and popular female fertility herbs out there. It is also known as chasteberry. It can be taken throughout the entire cycle, or it can be taken for just the first half. Either way is fine. Vitex is known for it’s ability to regulate the entire female reproductive system.
While there is no conclusive evidence that fertility herbs help increase fertility, some women have achieved success when using certain natural fertility supplements.
However it should be noted that it all depends on the root cause of not being able to conceive. For example if the problem is with your spouses sperm, or your cervical mucus, or some other issue, it might not have any effect.
Caution should be taken when adding fertility herbs to an infertility treatment program. Although these treatments are described as "natural," fertility herbs can cause adverse effects when combined with other herbs, prescription medications, or over-the-counter drugs.
Some serious side effects can occur, such as stroke, heart attack, and seizure. It is important to consult your health care provider before you begin taking herbs for infertility.
When taking these natural infertility treatments, follow package directions exactly and consult your health care provider if you experience any unwanted effects.
6. Note that the older you get the more difficulty you may have
As women get older, their fertility decreases because of age-related changes in the ovaries that cause a decline in the quantity and quality of their eggs.
There's a gradual fertility decline in women beginning in their 30s, a sharper decline after age 37 and a steep decline after age 40. These declines mean it may takes longer to become pregnant.
7. Reduce stress and depression
Infertility is a complicated medical problem that can trigger many different emotions. The experience can cause sudden acute psychological pain and grief following, for example, an unexpected diagnosis or difficult treatment decision.
While pressure from family members and friends can take its toll on a woman trying to conceive, it is important to try to reduce stress and depression as this can decrease a woman's fertility.
8. Know that sometimes the problem may not lie with you
Even though the woman is usually the main focus when a couple is having a baby, male infertility can impede conception just as often as female infertility. The best way to know the root cause of infertility is to seek medical help. This way tests can be conducted on both spouses to know where the problem lies.
9. Know when to seek help
According to the American Association of Reproductive Medicine, if a couple has not achieved pregnancy after one year of unprotected sex, they should seek professional help getting pregnant. However, if the woman is over age 35, she shouldn’t wait so long. In this case, it's recommended that she seek help getting pregnant after just six months of unprotected sex.
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