Choose High Fat Dairy
High intakes of low fat dairy foods may increase the risk of infertility, whereas high fat dairy foods may decrease it.
One large study from 2007 looked at the effects of eating high fat dairy more than once a day or less than once a week.
It found that women who consumed one or more servings of high fat dairy per day were 27 percent less likely to be infertile.
To reap these potential benefits, try replacing one low fat dairy serving per day with one high fat dairy serving, such as a glass of whole milk or full fat yogurt.
This buffalo chicken dip made with full-fat Greek yogurt is divine.
If you take multivitamins, you may be less likely to experience ovulatory infertility.
In fact, an estimated
on fertility for women and men, especially those with obesity.
The trick is that moderation is key. Excessive high intensity exercise has actually been associated with decreased fertility in certain women.
Excessive exercise may change the energy balance in the body, and negatively affect your reproductive system. If you plan to increase your activity, add it gradually and make sure your healthcare team is aware.
See if your doctor is in favor of you adding these yoga poses to your routine.
If youre trying to conceive, stress is probably on the menu, too. As your stress levels increase, your chances of getting pregnant decrease. This is likely due to the hormonal changes that occur when you feel stressed.
Check Your Family Tree
Get the scoop on the health history on both sides of the family tree . Its especially important to find out if theres a history of genetic or chromosomal disorders like Down syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy or fragile X syndrome.
Get Your Partner To Make Changes Too
All the healthier lifestyle changes that you’re advised to make are applicable to your partner too. It can help for them to cut down or stop their alcohol intake, to quit smoking, eat healthily and maintain a healthy weight.
Plus, it might sound like a myth, but it’s also advised that men stop their testicles from becoming too warm so as not to impact sperm production or quality.
Even things like not wearing tight fitting underwear are advised by the NHS, as some studies have suggested that this could reduce sperm quality by raising the temperature in their testicles.
Other things like avoiding too hot baths are advised.
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Tips To Increase Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant This Month
Are you a couple trying to conceive? Get strategies, tips, and advice to increase your chances of getting pregnant naturally.
So, you want to get pregnant, and you want it to happen this cycle. Well go through the steps you can take to get there. Remember, it can take a while to conceiveif it doesnt happen instantly, that doesnt mean it isnt going to. About 90% of couples get pregnant within a year of trying. With that said, heres how to maximize your chances of getting pregnant this month.
Chances Of Getting Pregnant On Your Period
In essence, menstruation is the monthly shedding of the endometrium, the inner membrane of the uterus. Menstruation lasts between three and seven days for most women. By the third day, levels of progesterone and estrogen are rising and working to rebuild your endometrium. Around day four, follicle ripening begins to go on the uptick, meaning the ovaries will start preparing eggs for release.
Unless you’re a very early ovulator , there’s little chance your man’s sperm will actually have any eggs to work with during this phase of your cycle.
Your chances of conceiving: Almost zero. It’s not detrimental to have intercourse, though, and some women see menstruation as a breather from the rigors of frequent procreation-oriented sex.
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Don’t Worry About The Best Positions For Getting Pregnant
Myths abound about the best positions for getting pregnant, but they are just that — myths. There is really no scientific evidence saying that the missionary position is better than the woman being on top when it comes to maximizing your chances of making a baby.
“Very rarely, a woman’s cervix is in an unusual position where certain positions can make a difference,” Goldfarb tells WebMD.
Certain gravity-defying positions, such as sitting or standing during intercourse, however, may discourage sperm from traveling upstream. “It’s a matter of gravity you don’t want all the semen to run out — and semen are quick little critters,” Hillard says.
Consider The Lube Youre Using
Theres no concrete evidence to suggest that using lubricants like KY Jelly will lower your chances of getting pregnant.
However, some small studies have suggested that lube can slow sperm swimming speeds down a bit so its worth having a full read of the evidence here.
Our forum mums have told us about some sperm-friendly lubes, like Conceive Plus or Pre-Seed, which one anon reader says worked wonders friends of hers:
A couple of my friends have had success with using Conceive Plus or Pre-Seed they are lubricants designed to simulate the sort of cervical mucus you get naturally at your fertile time of the month, which is needed to transfer sperm.
If youre game to try anything, you may feel like giving it a go heres what you need to know about lubricants and trying to get pregnant.
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Common Tests For Fertility
In addition to checking blood work, your OBGYN will also evaluate your uterus to make sure there isnt anything about your uterine anatomy that makes it difficult to get pregnant.
At Madison Womens Health, we can do a Saline Infusion Sonohysterogram, often called an SIS. After injecting saline fluid in the uterus, we use ultrasound equipment to evaluate the uterine cavity.
Its also important to know if your fallopian tubes are open so a sperm and egg can meet. The hysterosalpingogram, or HSP, is like an SIS but uses an x-ray machine to view your uterus and test if your fallopian tubes are patent .
How To Increase Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant
Even if having a baby is not in your immediate future, it doesnt hurt to implement some healthy lifestyle habits, which will have a positive impact on your fertility. We call on the experts to answer how to increase your chances of getting pregnant, from taking supplements to practicing self care
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Make Sure Youre Using A Fertility
The kind of lubricant you use during sex can actually make conception more difficult, so much so that the Food and Drug Administration now categorizes certain lubricants as fertility friendly.
This is because the ingredients in many lubricants, such as petroleum, silicone, parabens and glycerin, can harm sperm function. A lubricants pH can also have an effect.
Get The Right Dose Of Exercise
We know that exercise makes us feel good and releases a cocktail of happy hormones. It not only reduces feelings of anxiety and depression but it boosts our resilience, confidence and helps with sleep . But we dont have to push ourselves to the brink to get the benefits. Aerobic exercise like walking, running, biking and swimming increases serotonin in the body. You only need about 30 minutes to get the serotonin high.
To increase chances of getting pregnant, men should do at least half an hour of exercise three times a week, which scientists say may boost sperm count. Men who took up running and stuck with it had more healthy swimmers, according to the research. As for women, Nutritionist Gay Godkin says if you want to increase chances of getting pregnant, exercising less intensely is key.
For women, exercise improves blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, and generally improves mood. However problems can arise when it is taken to the extreme. She suggests making adjustments to your fitness routine, such as avoiding overexertion and switching to lower-intensity activities that dont induce inflammation in the body, such as Pilates and yoga. These activities have been shown to be effective for easing stress levels, promoting weight loss and in the case of yoga, even promoting fertility, she says.
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Boost Your Vitamin And Mineral Intake
Nows the time to start taking a multivitamin, if you dont already. Not only do you need folic acid to prevent neural tube, heart and limb defects, which can form in the first few weeks of pregnancy, but studies have also shown that women who are iron deficient may experience poor egg quality and even stop ovulating. A vitamin B12 deficiency can also result in irregular ovulation, and a vitamin D deficiency can interfere with hormone balance. Vitamin C can improve hormone levels, and selenium is also important, as it helps protect the egg and sperm from free-radical damage.
Librach recommends supplementing with 1,000 international units of vitamin D and one milligram of folic acid daily while trying to conceive. A prenatal vitamin, plus an additional vitamin D supplement , will give you everything you need.
Chances Of Getting Pregnant After Ovulation
Also known as the luteal phase, this final portion of your cycle lasts a minimum of 12 days and a maximum of 16 days. Progesterone starts to rise, signaling that the ovaries don’t need to release any more eggs this month. Your cervical mucus will dry up and create a plug to prevent any additional sperm from entering the uterus.
It takes about six days for any fertilized eggs to travel to your uterus. If one implants in your endometrium, you’ll start to see the rise in human chorionic gonadotropin , the hormone measured by home pregnancy tests, within a week.
Your chances of conceiving: Low. Once the egg has been released, there’s not much that can be done until next month. But there’s certainly no harm in having sex if you’re in the mood!
Don’t sweat it if it’s time for your cycle to start over again and you’re still not pregnant. You may not have tracked your most fertile days accurately, in which case your guy’s swimmers never had the chance to work their magic. The vast majority of couples who are trying to conceive do so within a year, with only about half achieving their goal by 6 months. Talk to your doctor or a fertility specialist about any concerns regarding your chances of getting pregnant.
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Problems Conceiving How To Prepare For Your First Obgyn Visit
- Track your menstrual cycle. Cycle length and regularity are important for fertility. Tracking your menstrual cycle will help your doctor know if you are ovulating each month. Use a calendar or a tracking app to mark the first day your period begins . Most apps have other parameters you can input, but your period is most important. Bring your calendar or app!
- Know your medical history and family history of genetic conditions. If you are visiting Madison Womens Health for the first time, be sure to bring your health records and any testing or blood work you might have done previously.
Watch Your Stress Levels
When youre under longterm or severe stress, your body uses energy on essential repair, maintenance and survival. Reproduction isnt deemed essential, so it takes a back seat.
Thats why many fertility experts believe stress can contribute to the time it takes to get pregnant. In women, stress leads to an overproduction of prolactin, a reproductive hormone, interfering with ovulation.
If youre living a hectic life, now might be the time to slowwww things down a bit. If thats not an option, prioritise your mental health and carve out some time just for you, to do something that helps you unwind and de-stress.
Too much stress is also a bit of a mood-killer. Getting pregnant will be easier, and more fun, if you enjoy sex and have time, energy and space for it in your lives.
Your partner should also try and reduce his stress levels as it will help improve sperm quality. So, he needs to take some chill time where he can, too.
Annoyingly, the pressure of trying to conceive can be the stress youre desperate to avoid. It can be tough, especially if youre really struggling to conceive, but be kind to and patient with each other.
Stressed people have additional cortisol and adrenaline in their system, which has been shown to affect ovulation, Zita says.
The great thing about the body is its always trying to get the balance back, so there are many things you can do, such as breathing exercises, meditation, visualisation and yoga.
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Don’t Drastically Increase Your Exercise Routine
While maintaining a healthy weight is important for fertility, there is such a thing as having too little body fat when it comes to getting pregnant.
Moderate exercise is good, but intense training could affect your BMI and body fat, says Masterson. If you dont have enough fat, your body thinks youre in a fight-or-flight stage and will prevent you from ovulating and conceiving since thats not a good time to have a baby.
Have Frequent Sex During Your Fertile Window
One of the most common questions among people trying to conceive is: How often should I have sex if Im trying to get pregnant?
The short answer is that it depends on your preferences as a couple, and whether there are any known fertility issues.
Overall, studies have shown that couples who have sex every day or every other day during the fertile window have the highest rates of pregnancy. Also, doctors often recommend sticking to just once a day during the fertile window.
If having sex every day or every other day isnt possible or enjoyable, set a goal to have sex throughout your cycle. This can get you and your partner into a regular sex routine, which can carry you into the fertile window.
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Using Ovulation Predictor Kits
Ovulation predictor kits are available from chemists and are fairly simple to use. They work by detecting a hormone in your urine that increases when ovulation is about to take place.
The simplest urine kit tests for luteinising hormone , which increases 24-36 hours before ovulation. This will help to identify the best two days for conception, although a woman can be fertile for a day or so before and after this time.
It is best to become familiar with your usual menstrual cycle to help figure out when you should start testing. If you have an irregular cycle then an ovulation predictor kit can help you identify the time of ovulation but expect to use more of the test strips.
What Is A Fertility Diet
A fertility diet comprises foods that support your reproductive system by regulating ovulation and improving your chances of conception. These fertility foods contain the nutrients that are necessary for hormonal balance, and sperm and egg health. A fertility diet plays an important role in providing a healthy start to your future child.
Before you know about the foods to eat for fertility, lets see the nutrients that are essential for a robust reproductive system.
Here is how various nutrients play their part in helping you conceive :
- Beta-carotene, a phytonutrient, regulates the hormones and improves fertility levels in men .
- B vitamins support your ovaries during ovulation and also help avoid miscarriages. Folic acid is necessary to avoid neural birth defects in babies.
- Vitamin C aids in progesterone absorption and helps women with luteal phase defects.
- Vitamin D helps in improving fertility in both the partners. It plays an important part in treating fertility impairments like uterine fibroid and PCOS, and improves semen parameters in men .
- Vitamin E boosts egg and sperm health.
- Iron decreases the chances of ovulatory infertility .
- Omega 3 fatty acids help improve sperm count and mobility as well as increase blood flow in the uterus .
- Antioxidants prevent as well as treat infertility.
- Zinc and selenium improve sperm quality.
- High-fat dairy foods could decrease the risk of anovulatory infertility .
Here are some foods you might want to add to your diet:
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Chances Of Getting Pregnant During Ovulation
Welcome to prime time for conception! No matter the length of menstruation, ovulation generally starts about 14 days before your next scheduled period. When it happens, your body temperature rises about a half a degree but bear in mind that this also takes place after you’re already ovulating, which could be too late for conception.
“That’s where ovulation test kits become so helpful,” Dr. Bayer explains. These kits detect a surge in luteinizing hormone that happens about 36 hours before you ovulate. After the test kit shows this surge, Dr. Bayer recommends having sex in the next 24 to 36 hours. Sperm can survive for some time in the reproductive tract, so it will be ready to meet the egg once it’s released during ovulation.
Another good indication of fertility is a change in the consistency of your cervical mucus. “You’ll see vaginal discharge that increases in amount and has the consistency of egg whites, signaling it’s the perfect time to have intercourse,” Dr. Bayer says. Test yours by sticking your index finger and thumb in your vagina to get a sample, then tapping your finger and thumb together. If the consistency is thin and spreads easily between two fingers, you’re good to go.
