How Do We Get Pregnant

Start Taking Prenatal Vitamins

Its never too early to start taking prenatal vitamins. Among other important nutrients, they contain folic acid, which numerous studies have found to be critically important for baby at every stage of developmentplus, it helps promote ovulation, encourages fertilization and supports early embryo survival, says Audrey Gaskins, ScD, an instructor of nutrition and dietetics at Harvard Medical School. Your ob-gyn can prescribe a prenatal vitamin or offer recommendations for some good over-the-counter options. Foods like strawberries, spinach, beans and orange juice are also naturally high in folate.

Its Easy To Check His Sperm Count

According to the Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, up to 40-50% of infertility in couples is linked to the male. One of the most common problems contributing to male infertility is low sperm count. You can check if your sperm count meets the threshold for fertility quickly, easily, and privately at home with SpermCheck Fertility. This FDA-cleared kit is available online or at your local retailer and is a product of DNA Diagnostics Center , a corporate sponsor of the American Pregnancy Association. SpermCheck is simplelike a home pregnancy test and results are ready in minutes. Keep in mind that other fertility factors like sperm mobility and morphology are also important and should be checked by a healthcare professional.

If youre younger than 35 and havent gotten pregnant after trying for a year, or youre older than 35 and youve been trying for six months, it may be time to see a fertility specialist.

If you still have further questions regarding ovulation, we encourage you to talk with your health care provider or contact the American Pregnancy Association for more information. Being informed about how your body works can help you feel more in charge of your health.

Will It Be A Boy Or Girl

Both the man’s sperm and the woman’s egg play a part in determining the gender of a baby.

Every normal human cell contains 46 chromosomes . Chromosomes are tiny threadlike structures made from DNA, which each carry human genes. Genes determine a baby’s inherited characteristics, such as hair and eye colour, blood group, height and build.

When a sperm fertilises an egg, 23 chromosomes from the father pair with 23 from the mother, making 46 in total.

The sex chromosome from a woman’s egg is always the same and is known as the X chromosome. But the sex chromosome from a man’s sperm may be an X or a Y chromosome.

If the egg is fertilised by a sperm containing an X chromosome, the baby will be a girl . If the sperm contains a Y chromosome, the baby will be a boy .

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Cramping And Spotting During Early Pregnancy

From weeks 1 to 4, everything is still happening on a cellular level. The fertilized egg creates a blastocyst that will develop into the fetuss organs and body parts.

About 10 to 14 days after conception, the blastocyst will implant in the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus. This can cause implantation bleeding, which may be mistaken for a light period. It does not occur for everyone. If it does occur, it will usually happen around the time you expect your period.

Here are some signs of implantation bleeding:

• Color. The color of each episode may be pink, red, or brown.
• Bleeding. Implantation bleeding is usually much less than your usual period. Its often described as light bleeding that never turns into a flow or enough to need a tampon.
• Pain. Pain is usually milder than your usual menstrual pain. It may involve some cramping. It can be moderate or severe, but its most often mild.
• Episodes. Implantation bleeding is likely to last less than 3 days and does not require treatment. It can sometimes last only a few hours.

How Safe Is Acupuncture

Acupuncture has fewer side effects than most medications you might take for fibromyalgia, including steroids and pain relievers.

The side effects that do happen are minor. Needles can hurt when they go in your skin, but if this does happen, it won’t last long. You may also bleed a little bit. Rarely, people have nausea and vomiting as well as headaches, but the problems usually don’t last more than a day.

Acupuncture is safe. The FDA regulates the equipment and requires that practitioners use each needle only once. You should be able to see your acupuncturist take each individual needle out of a sterile packet. Clean needles make sure that more serious side effects like infection with HIV or hepatitis B won’t happen.

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Do I Need Infertility Treatment

If youre having trouble conceiving, an infertility specialist may be able to help. The first step after 12 months of trying to conceive is to schedule an infertility evaluation. This multipart assessment includes:

• Physical examination
• Semen analysis
• Evaluation of the uterus and fallopian tubes

If you or your partner have a known medical condition that affects the uterus, fallopian tubes, sperm or ovulation, talk to your doctor to see if you should be evaluated sooner. For example, if you know that both of your fallopian tubes are blocked, youll need to see an infertility specialist even before trying to get pregnant.

The Johns Hopkins Fertility Center

Our fertility specialists will work with you to identify the unique causes of your infertility and help you realize your dream of parenthood.

Prenatal Vitamin Side Effects

Some prenatal vitamins can cause nausea in an already nauseated pregnant woman. If that happens to you, talk to your health care provider. They may be able to prescribe a different kind of prenatal vitamin that you dont have to swallow whole. Options include:

• Chewables
• Liquids

The iron in prenatal vitamins may also make you constipated. If youre constipated it can help to:

• Eat a high-fiber diet
• Exercise if your doctor says its safe for you
• Take a stool softener with your doctors OK

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Be Mindful Of Sperms Temperature When Trying To Get Pregnant Fast

Sperms optimal temperature is 94 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot tubs and extra hot showers may help set the mood, but are no-nos for your partner if youre trying to conceive quickly. Tight-fitting clothing can also raise the temperature of the testicles and affect sperm count, as can eating too much soy foods, according to the Human Reproduction journal.

Weight Gain During Early Pregnancy

Weight gain becomes more common toward the end of your first trimester. You may find yourself gaining about 1 to 4 pounds in the first few months.

Calorie recommendations for early pregnancy wont change much from your usual diet, but they will increase as pregnancy progresses.

In the later stages, pregnancy weight often shows up in the:

• breasts
• uterus

Hormones can cause the valve between your stomach and esophagus to relax. This allows stomach acid to leak, causing heartburn.

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Get A General Health Check

Planning a pregnancy is a good chance for both parents to get a full health check. If your doctor plans to prescribe you new medications or antibiotics, remind them that you are planning a pregnancy.

If there is a family history of medical conditions on either side, such as cystic fibrosis or diabetes, let your doctor know. You may need genetic counselling with a trained specialist or referral for diabetic specialist preparation to pregnancy.

Some sexually transmitted infections can be passed on to your baby during pregnancy, so make sure you have both been treated for any infections before planning to conceive.

If the mother has a medical condition such as diabetes or epilepsy, or is being treated for depression or other mental illness, medications for these will need to be checked before conceiving to make sure they will not affect the baby.

• Your local doctor

Take A Pregnancy Test

The earlier you confirm the pregnancy, the sooner you can see your doctor and start prenatal care. Home pregnancy tests work by detecting levels of human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine. Levels of this hormone, produced by the placenta, continue to rise in early pregnancy.

Tests marketed as “early results” or “early response” may be more sensitive at detecting lower levels of hCG, but you’ll still get the best results if you wait until the day you expect your period. Testing too early is more likely to yield a “false negative” resultwhen the test says you’re not pregnant, but you really are. What’s happening is that your body isn’t producing enough hCG yet to be detected by the test. Waiting and testing again a few days after your missed period will give more accurate results.

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How To Deal With It:

Youll probably want to invest in some different kinds of bras, which could be larger, made out of cotton, and underwire-free. Wearing a bra to bed might help ease the pain as well. Though your larger twins might look enticing to your partner, make sure you let them know that they are welcome to look, but touching should be kept to a minimum.

If you’re pregnant, your body is working hard to make another human, so you’re feeling tired for many reasons!

Wait To Take A Pregnancy Test

Taking pregnancy tests wont change how quickly you get pregnant, but it can affect your perception of time. Especially if you take multiple early tests, peeing on a stick frequently can make the days and weeks feel much longer.

Instead, commit to only taking a pregnancy test when your period is at least one day late. In other words, if you expected your period on Tuesday or Wednesday of a particular week, dont take the test until Thursday. Better yet, wait until Friday.

Its not easy to wait to see if youre pregnant, but remind yourself that when you take an early test, you are more likely to get a false negative anyway.

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What If You Have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic ovarian syndrome , a hormonal disorder, is one of the most common reasons for female infertility. It affects between 6% and 12% of American women of reproductive age.

There is no single test to identify PCOS, but a doctor will determine if a woman fulfills two of the following three criteria,the CDC said:

• Irregular periods or no periods, caused from lack of ovulation
• Higher than normal levels of male hormones that may result in excess hair on the face and body, acne or thinning scalp hair
• Multiple small cysts on the ovaries

It is not clear why some women develop this syndrome, although it is often diagnosed when they struggle to get pregnant.

There is a strong link between PCOS-related infertility and weight. About 40% to 60% of women with PCOS are overweight or obese, and healthy eating and exercise have been shown to improve reproductive problems in women with PCOS, according to a 2019 article in the journal Therapeutic Advcances in Reproductive Health. A number of prescribed medications may also induce ovulation and regulate insulin levels, such asletrozole and metformin. High levels of insulin push thepituitary gland to release large amounts of hormones thatdisrupt ovulation.

Doctors recommend in-vitro fertilization if other interventions have not worked, or as a primary treatment if monitoring, cost and accessibility are not issues.

What Sexual Acts Can Get You Pregnant

For pregnancy to occur, the sperm must have a viable path to the egg, which requires contact with the vagina. The overwhelming majority of women who get pregnant do so from unprotected sexual intercourse. However, it is possible to get pregnant from other forms of contact, such as:

• sexual intercourse where birth control fails
• manual sexual contact , if a person touches the vagina after touching semen
• anal sex, when semen gets near the vagina
• oral sex, if a partner has semen in their mouth and then makes contact with the vagina

While the withdrawal method â pulling out before ejaculation â decreases the risk of pregnancy, it is not very effective and may result in pregnancy.

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Morning Sickness Nausea And Vomiting During Early Pregnancy

Nausea and morning sickness usually develop around weeks 4 to 6 and peak around week 9.

Although its called morning sickness, it can occur anytime during the day or night. Its unclear exactly what causes nausea and morning sickness, but hormones may play a role.

During the first trimester of pregnancy, many women experience mild to severe morning sickness. It may become more intense toward the end of the first trimester, but often becomes less severe as you enter the second trimester.

Things To Consider Before Getting Pregnant On Your Own

If youre planning to get pregnant on your own, there are a few things you should consider:

• Its important to discuss your decision with your health care provider. They can give you some safety tips.
• Never try to insert semen into your cervix or uterus. At-home insemination can only be vaginal. Injecting semen into your cervix or uterus is very risky and can be fatal.
• When using a needleless syringe from an at-home insemination kit, its important to make sure it doesnt have any pockets of air.
• If youre artificially inseminating at home, make sure you protect yourself against sexually transmitted infections and that your donor has been tested. At-home insemination kits do not protect you from STIs.
• If youre using an at-home insemination kit, everything must be new, clean, and dry.
• Make sure you and your donor are in agreement about everything regarding the child. If youre doing this with someone who is not legally your partner, consider consulting with a reproductive lawyer first.

References

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Kick The Smoking And Drinking Habits

Smoking can lead to fertility problems in both women and men. Chemicals found in cigarette smoke, such as nicotine and carbon monoxide, speed up the loss rate of a woman’s eggs, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Smoking ages a woman’s ovaries and depletes her supply of eggs prematurely, according to the Mayo Clinic. In a study published in 2020 in the journalReproductive Biology and Endocrinology, researchers looked at scientific findings around smoking, alcohol, addiction and fertility they found that smoking is linked to decreased fertility.

It’s also a good idea for women to stay away from secondhand smoke, which may affect their chances of becoming pregnant, according to a 2009 study published in BMJ Journals. Taking or attempting to conceive should also be avoided.

It’s safest for a woman to avoid alcohol when she is hoping to become pregnant. A woman should also stop consuming alcohol if she stops using birth control because she wants to get pregnant. That said, a 2019 Danish study of 1,708 women over a five-year period did not find a link between regular alcohol consumption and binge drinking, and fertility, according to the study published in the journalHuman Reproduction.

However, a 2017 study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that in the United States, half of all pregnant women drink alcohol around the time they conceive or during early pregnancy, usually before they know they are expecting.

/6the Best Position To Conceive

Some people believe conception depends on the sex position. The most popular position is missionary used by three-quarters of couples, followed by doggy style, which is used by 36 per cent of the people.

According to many experts, couples should not have sex more than once per day, while trying to conceive. Though they may think more sex means better chances of getting pregnant, but actually having sex too frequently can decrease the number of healthy sperm.

The conception rate has been higher in couples who have sex every one-two days.

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How To Tell If You’re Pregnant Right Away

The only way to tell if youre pregnant right away is by taking a home pregnancy test according to its instructions. Waiting can be difficult, but you can usually take a test three to four days before a missed period though youre more likely to get a false negative if you test too soon. If its negative, wait a couple more days and test again if Aunt Flo doesnt come to visit.

Be sure to test first thing in the morning, when your urine and the hormone that the test is measuring are most concentrated. If you see a line indicating a pregnancy, youre almost certainly pregnant . Pregnancy tests with false positives are rare.

How Often Should Couples Have Intercourse

While there is no standard number of times a couple should have sex, studies have shown that those who have sex at least twice per week increase the probability of pregnancy. There is also research showing that long periods of abstaining from sex can decrease a mans sperm quality.

Previously, there was a belief that there should be a waiting period before trying to get pregnant for women who have been taking birth control. This is no longer the accepted thinking. Now it is believed that there is no reason to delay attempting to conceive.

The timing of intercourse is more likely to impact the chances of pregnancy rather than how often intercourse takes place. Intercourse prior to ovulation is more likely to result in pregnancy.

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