Smoking And Alcohol Use
While most people are aware of the risks of using tobacco and alcohol while pregnant, smoking and drinking while trying to get pregnant can also cause problems.
Smoking negatively affects sperm counts, sperm shape, and sperm movementall of which are important factors for conception. IVF treatment success has also been found to be poorer in couples with male smokers, even when IVF with ICSI is used.
Smoking has also been connected to erectile dysfunction. Quitting cigarettes might be able to reverse the effect.
In women, smoking can speed up the process of ovarian aging, bringing on earlier menopause. If you quit early enough, you might be able to reverse some of the damage.
Heavy alcohol use can also lead to fertility problems for men and women. While most studies have found that a few drinks a week don’t typically cause harm to fertility, excessive drinking has been linked to lower sperm counts, poor sperm movements, and irregular sperm shape.
One study found that with every additional drink consumed per week, the IVF success rate decreased.
Quitting smoking and reducing alcohol use may positively impact fertility and will have a positive impact on health, but research has shown that some of the damage to the body caused by smoking might be reversibleparticularly in men.
Can I Be Pregnant And Still Have A Period
Pregnant women can have some light irregular bleeding during pregnancy, but it should not be like a normal period. Some women can confuse this for their period because often it can come right around the time she was expecting her normal period.
The irregular bleeding or spotting that can occur during pregnancy is often a dark brown or a light pinkish color. It should not be enough bleeding to fill pads or tampons over a few days. If you are bleeding enough to fill pads and tampons, then this would be a good indication that you are probably not pregnant. Learn more about getting pregnant while on your period.
How Do You Know If A Cat Mating Is Successful
Mating Position When petted, your cat will assume the mating position, dropping her head, laying her front half low, and raising her hindquarters with her tail pushed aside. Her rear legs will tread up and down as if shes making biscuits. Spraying Watch out for urine spray on vertical surfaces.
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The Most Common Sign Of Early Pregnancy A Missed Period
Your menstrual cycle is your bodys way of preparing for a possible pregnancy each month. Part of that is the thickening of your uterine lining, which is where a fertilized egg would implant to begin a pregnancy.
If youre not pregnant, your period is how your uterus sheds that extra lining. If you are pregnant, that lining stays put and you dont get your normal flow. This is why a missed period is often the earliest sign of pregnancy.
Of course, a delayed or missed period doesnt always mean youre pregnant. If your body is under a lot of stress or you have a hormonal imbalance, you could be experiencing an irregular menstrual cycle.
Early Changes To Breasts: Tingling Aching Growing
Breast changes can occur between weeks 4 and 6. Youre likely to develop tender and swollen breasts due to hormone changes. This is likely to go away after a few weeks when your body has adjusted to the hormones.
Nipple and breast changes can also occur around week 11. Hormones continue to cause your breasts to grow. The areola the area around the nipple may change to a darker color and grow larger.
If youve had bouts with acne before your pregnancy, you may also experience breakouts again.
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How Do I Know I’m Fertile
If you’re planning to have a baby, you might be wondering if your body is ready for conception. Thankfully, the signs of fertility usually aren’t difficult to spot.
About one in eight couples struggle with infertility, or the inability to conceive a child despite having regular unprotected sex. This means a majority of couples are fertile, which indicates they’re able to have babies. So how do you know if you’re fertile? A health care provider can tell you for sure, but these signs are good indicators that you’re able to conceive!
What If I Notice Some Cramping During Pregnancy
Pregnant women may experience some light cramping early in pregnancy. The cramping is often like light menstrual cramps through the lower abdomen or on one side or the other. It is often a result of all the changes that are occurring in the uterus as the implanted egg begins to grow and develop. Also, a cyst, called the corpus luteum cyst, can develop on the ovary at ovulation.
This cyst forms in the spot on the ovary where the egg comes out before making its journey to the uterus. It then produces progesterone until the placenta has formed enough to begin producing its own progesterone. The cyst can cause some discomfort for women in early pregnancy.
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When Does Ovulation Happen
If your menstrual cycle lasts 28 days and your period arrives like clockwork, it’s likely that you’ll ovulate on day 14. That’s halfway through your cycle. Your fertile window begins on day 10. You’re more likely to get pregnant if you have sex at least every other day between days 10 and 14 of a 28-day cycle.
How Does Your Stomach Feel In Early Pregnancy
Feeling pain in your lower abdomen or feeling like your stomach is hard, swollen, or heavy are not early signs of pregnancy.
To the touch, a person’s stomach and abdomen will not show any noticeable signs of pregnancy until later on, depending on your specific body type. People who are in their first pregnancy usually don’t start showing until twenty weeks or later.1 Those who have already been pregnant might start showing sooner.
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Early Signs Of Pregnancy Before A Missed Period
Although every woman is different, these early symptoms can first appear before you even miss your period.
Raised basal body temperature
If you’ve been using a special basal body thermometer to track your first morning temperature, you might notice that it rises around 1 degree when you conceive and stays elevated throughout your pregnancy.
Though not a foolproof early pregnancy symptom , it could give you advance notice of the big news.
Smell sensitivity
A heightened sense of smell is an early pregnancy symptom that makes previously mild odors strong and unappealing. Since it’s one of the first symptoms of pregnancy many women report, babies might be in the air if your sniffer’s suddenly more sensitive and easily offended.
Breast changes
Tender, swollen breasts and darkening, bumpy areolas are among the breast changes you might experience early in pregnancy. The hormones estrogen and progesterone deserve most of the credit for this early pregnancy symptom. The breast tenderness is pain with a gain, though, since it’s part of your body’s preparation for the milk-making to come.
Your areolas may get darker and increase in diameter. You’ll also likely start to notice tiny bumps growing in size and number on your areolas. These bumps, called Montgomery’s tubercles, were always there, but now they’re gearing up to produce more oils that lubricate your nipples once baby starts nursing.
Fatigue
Implantation bleeding
Changes in cervical mucus
Frequent urination
Mood swings
Tests To Find Out If You Can Get Pregnant
These tests could help you learn if you are able to get pregnant:
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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. A number of prescribed medications may also induce ovulation and regulate insulin levels, such as letrozoleand metformin. High levels of insulin push the pituitary gland to release large amounts of hormones that disrupt 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.
Ways You Probably Won’t Get Pregnant When Having Sex
How hard is it to get pregnant? The chances of conception depend on various circumstances, ranging from your menstrual cycle to your birth control. Here, experts share the scenarios where you’re least likely to conceive.
Many women spend the better part of their fertile years actively trying not to get pregnant, so it might be a surprise to learn that conception isn’t that easy. Indeed, there’s a relatively short window during a woman’s cycle that’s ideal for conceiving, whether or not she’s on birth control or actively trying, says Anate Brauer, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at the Greenwich Fertility and IVF Centers and assistant professor of OB-GYN at NYU School of Medicine.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, a healthy 30-year-old has a 20 percent chance of pregnancy each month with frequent unprotected sex. Of course, every woman is different, and you should always use protection if you’re not trying to conceive. But if you’re wondering which occasions make for the least likely opportunity, check out these expert-stamped scenarios where your chances of pregnancy are lowest.
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Can I Get Pregnant Just After My Period Has Finished
Yes, although it’s not very likely. If you have sex without using contraception, you can conceive at any time during your menstrual cycle, even during or just after your period.
You can also get pregnant if you have never had a period before, during your first period, or after the first time you have sex.
There’s no “safe” time of the month when you can have sex without contraception and not risk becoming pregnant.
But there are times in your menstrual cycle when you’re at your most fertile, and this is when you’re most likely to conceive.
Are Itchy Boobs Or Nipples A Sign Of Pregnancy
The short answer is no. By themselves, itchiness on the breasts is not a documented sign of pregnancy.
That said, some women report breast itchiness in addition to other symptoms.
There are many changes that happen in the breasts during pregnancy, and some of them happen quite quickly after conception. This includes the enlargement of the breasts, which may lead to the sensation of itchiness in some cases.
What are the early signs and symptoms of pregnancy?
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Tender Breasts And Your Period
The third sign you might be pregnant and not know it is if you have tender breasts and have not missed a period. These two things, when coupled together, generally mean that youre not pregnant. But you could be thats the scary part!
Having tender breasts is a common symptom most females experience when they are menstruating, or just before they start. From past experience, you might notice that your boobs dont get sore each month, but do some months. Some months, your boobs might just ache and ache. However, I was not pregnant. But you may be, if you are feeling the same thing!
What makes things extra scary is that some women dont get regular periods, so its hard for them to tell if they are pregnant or not. Most women assume that theyd know if they were pregnant, but we all know thats not always the case.
Although a regular menstrual cycle is supposed to be about twenty-eight days, this varies for each individual. Some women have a period every two months, some every three, some every six, and some only once a year. The point is this: you cannot rely on your period to tell you if you are pregnant or not.
Plus, you can still have a period and be pregnant. Ouch.
Your period might be a bit lighter, it might be a bit heavier, or it might be normal. Regardless, we all know that getting your period sucks! Your breasts might not feel any different than normal, either. You might, however, only have a bit of spotting, which can also indicate that youre expecting.
Morning Sickness Nausea And Vomiting During Early Pregnancy
Nausea and morning sickness usually develops around weeks 4 to 6. Although its called morning sickness, it can occur any time 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.
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Diet Exercise And Conception
There is no special diet that improves the odds of conception, but a healthy range of foods that includes lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats is recommended.
Vitamins and minerals are essential for the body to function. Read more about the benefits of vitamins and minerals for fertility and pregnancy health, including folic acid, iodine, vitamin D, zinc and selenium supplements.
Regular exercise also improves fertility. Australian and international guidelines recommend you do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity such as brisk walking, gardening or dancing on most but preferably all days of the week. If possible, do some vigorous activity such as running, fast cycling or fast swimming every week as well.
For men and women who are overweight or obese, exercise can help to prevent further weight gain or achieve a modest weight loss that improves general health and fertility. As part of weight management, international guidelines recommend that overweight or obese adults perform 225300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week .
Do You Know What Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant Really Are
It is possible to get pregnant on every day of a womans cycle.
Myth. Womens menstrual cycles have a fertile window of about 6 days, ending in the day of ovulation. However, the fertile window may occur on different days within the cycle.
A woman is likely to get pregnant on the days right after her period.
Myth. In most menstrual cycles, there are some days between the end of the period and the beginning of the fertile window however, in some unusual cycles, the fertile window starts before her period ends. This is more common in women who are nearing menopause.
A woman is likely to get pregnant on the days right before her period.
Myth. In most menstrual cycles, there are at least 10 days after ovulation and before the next period. Intercourse during these days will not result in pregnancy. However, in some unusual cycles, ovulation and the fertile window may be delayed, so you cannot rely on counting days to know for sure when ovulation happens
A woman is likely to get pregnant around the middle of her cycle.
Myth and fact. For many women, ovulation happens around the middle of the cycle. However, in women with regular cycles, ovulation may occur as early as day 9 or as late as day 21. With an irregular cycle, ovulation may occur even earlier than day 9 or much later than day 21.
A woman is less likely to get pregnant on days when vaginal secretions are present.
It is impossible for women to identify the fertile window of the menstrual cycle.
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When Will You Be Able To Confirm That Youre Pregnant
If your period is fairly regular, your first clue that you may be pregnant could be that your period doesnât come on time. If you think you might be pregnant, take a home pregnancy test.
These tests can confirm a pregnancy by checking for a pregnancy hormone called hCG in urine.
Keep in mind, if you take the test too early there may not be enough of the hormone in your urine yet for the test to be accurate. Check the packaging on the test you buy for information on when to take the test. Some require you to wait until at least the first day of your missed period. Others can detect lower levels of hCG, and may be accurate a little earlier on.
If you think you may be pregnant but the test says otherwise, try again after a few more days or speak to your healthcare provider.
You can also ask your healthcare provider to confirm your pregnancy. Your provider will do a blood test.
Think you might be pregnant? Take our Am I Pregnant quiz. It wonât tell you for sure, but itâs all good fun!
