Take A Prenatal Vitamin
Pavone recommends that women who are attempting to conceive start taking a prenatal vitamin even before becoming pregnant. This way, a woman can find one that’s more agreeable to her system and stay on it during pregnancy, she said.
Another possibility is to take a daily multivitamin, as long as it contains at least 400 micrograms per day of folic acid, a B vitamin that’s important for preventing birth defects in a baby’s brain and spine, Pavone said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges women to take 400 mcg of folic acid every day for at least one month before getting pregnant, to help prevent birth defects.
Getting a head start on folic acid supplementation is a good idea because the neural tube develops into the brain and spine three to four weeks after conception occurs, before many women may realize they’re expecting.
Tracking My Basal Body Temperature
I wrote a lot about this in my post about how I got pregnant with baby number 2, but unless you have sex at least once every 4 to 5 days, I think its absolutely worth doing.
Pick up a good thermometer made specifically for basal body temperature charting. This is the exact one I used.
This next part is key to accurate basal body temperature!
Be diligent about taking your temperature the second you wake up.
Yes, I know you have to pee and really want to get out of bed and then take your temperature. Dont!
Take your temperature as soon as you can.
I kept my thermometer under my pillow to make this easy.
This thermometersaved my most recent reading, so I could take it, wait for it to beep, go to the bathroom, and wait until I could actually see to record my temperature.
When we were trying to conceive baby number 2, I noticed a huge difference in my temperature in October compared to when I had been diligently taking it in July and August.
Sure enough, on October 12th, I got my positive pregnancy test.
I proceeded to strap my son into his carseat, drive to the local dollar store, buy a basket full of pregnancy tests, and came home to take every one.
When you see that dip and spike in your basal temperature, its a good indication youre ovulating and its time to have sex! Lots of it for good measure.
If youve been trying to conceive for a while, you already know to watch for egg white cervical mucus or EWCM. Obviously, if you see this, its time to get busy.
Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle
If youre wondering how to increase your chances of getting pregnant fast, self-care can go a long way. Its no secret that your body goes through some major changes and challenges during pregnancy and delivery, so be sure to start your pregnancy journey in tip-top shape by taking important steps toward living a healthy lifestyle. Here, weve outlined some simple health tips to get pregnant .
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What You Can Do When You’re Not Getting Pregnant
Leyla Bilali, RN is a registered nurse, fertility nurse, and fertility consultant in the New York City area.
Are there things you can do to get pregnant fast? Definitely, but they don’t work for every couple.
People have a variety of different reasons for wanting to conceive quickly. Maybe you want to space your children a certain number of years apart. Maybe you are trying to beat your biological clock. You might want to get pregnant because your partner is in the military, and you’d like to conceive before deployment. Or, you may just be eager to become a parent.
Some couples will get pregnant after trying for a month or two. But, for most, it takes longer. Keep in mind that it may take many months to get pregnantand one in 10 couples will experience infertility. The good news is that there is help out there.
Learn some tips for getting pregnancy faster.
It’s important to remember that these tips will not work for everyone. Unfortunately, pregnancy isn’t something that can be planned exactly. If you can’t get pregnant as quickly as you’d like, don’t blame yourself.
How To Know When Youre Ovulating
There was a time when women were very focused and knew all about their cyclesexactly when they started, when they ended and when they ovulated. Now that a lot more women are using birth control, women arent as in tune with their natural cycles, says Patel, who suggests women start to track the number of days between periods.
Ovulation typically occurs around 14 days before the last day of a womans menstrual cycle . So if you have a regular 28-day cycle, ovulation would likely occur around day 14. You are most fertile in the days leading up to ovulationthe mid-point of your cycle. Use this ovulation predictor to find out your most fertile days.
To help determine exactly when you ovulate, some experts advise charting your basal body temperature over the course of several months. Charting your BBT takes a bit of work: every morning you take your temperature with a special basal thermometer as soon as you wake up. Over the course of a few months youll see a pattern: Your BBT tends to drop the day you ovulate, then it rises the next day and stays elevated until you get your period . Similarly, other doctors recommend analyzing your cervical mucus .
But as Patel says, there are no good studies that show that women measuring their BBT or their cervical mucus is actually helpful. What I find that it does, to be honest, is create more anxiety and more stress. And we know that the more stressed you are, the less fertile you are.
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How Do Nutrients Influence Fertility
The place of nutrients in ensuring that you get pregnant cannot be overemphasized. Nutrients play an important role in keeping you healthy. Poor health reduces your chances of fertility.
Did you know that certain nutrients help to improve ovulatory function in women? You must have heard of vitamins to help ovulation. Such nutrients indirectly affect your chances of getting pregnant.
We all know that even though nutrients are very important, they are not all-encompassing. Many other factors affect ovulation and getting pregnant. Most of these stem from leading a healthy lifestyle.
For example, being underweight or overweight may cause menstrual disorders. Such disorders could result in a break in the womans ovulation. As you know, if a woman doesnt ovulate, she cannot get pregnant.
As you continue reading, we will discuss certain things you should be aware of regarding vitamins and other nutrients. These will be instrumental in helping you get pregnant.
Get To Know Your Monthly Cycle
Do you know your menstrual cycle? If not, you must learn more about your menstruation cycle and how your body works around it!
Were most fertile at the time of ovulation , which usually occurs 12 to 14 days before your next period is going to start.
These are the days when you are most likely to get pregnant. So, if you try to conceive on these days of the month, the possibility of getting pregnant is higher than on any other day. Ensure marking these days on your calendar, and having great sex every day.
In addition to your menstrual cycle, ovulation also plays a major role in pregnancy. Just like the menstrual cycle, ovulation is also different for each womans body. By learning about the signs of ovulation, you can better time sex with your spouse and possibly improve the odds of getting pregnant.
Some signs of ovulation include a change in yourcervical mucus, which becomes thin and slippery when youre most fertile. Few women also feel a one-sided twinge of pain when ovulating.
Prediction Kits: Ovulationprediction kits can help you predict the best time to get pregnant. If you are having infrequent intercourse, this kit tells you just when to have sex to increase your chances of getting pregnant super quickly!
What if youve been using birth control?
Do you need to wait a while before trying to get pregnant if you have been using any method of birth control? No, it is not really necessary.
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Figure Out The Best Time To Conceive
Are you wondering, “When is the best time to get pregnant?” No matter how often you have sex, if you skip the most fertile days of the month, you won’t conceive. “The biggest mistake my patients make is not knowing exactly when they ovulate,” says Dr. Williams.
Most doctors recommend using ovulation predictor kits to measure ovulation. These work by detecting a surge in luteinizing hormone in your urine, which occurs about 36 to 48 hours before you ovulate. OPKs let you plan baby-making sex when you’re the most fertile.
Other ways to track ovulation include charting your basal body temperature, monitoring your cervical mucus, and tracking your menstrual cycle. Learn more about ovulation tracking methods here they can help you get pregnant fast and easy.
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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How To Get Pregnant Fast: 12 Tips For Conceiving Quickly
When you are ready to have children, getting pregnant becomes a priority. Fortunately, you can take steps to get pregnant fast. Our tips for getting pregnant fast can help you accomplish your family goals. Read on to learn how to get pregnant quickly and easy.
Before you begin trying to get pregnant, you should see your health care provider. They can help you learn how to get pregnant in a way that is best for your body. While meeting with your health care provider, talk about your medications and supplements as well as how to stay healthy while you are trying to get pregnant.
Eat A Bigger Breakfast
Eating a substantial breakfast may help women with fertility problems.
One study found that eating a larger breakfast may improve the hormonal effects of polycystic ovary syndrome , a major cause of infertility.
For moderate weight women with PCOS, eating most of their calories at breakfast reduced insulin levels by 8 percent and testosterone levels by 50 percent. High levels of either can contribute to infertility.
In addition, by the end of the 12-week study, these women had ovulated more than women who ate a smaller breakfast and larger dinner, suggesting improved fertility.
However, its important to note that increasing the size of your breakfast without reducing the size of your evening meal is likely to lead to weight gain.
Check out these ideas for healthy, delish breakfast options if you need some inspiration.
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What The Science Shows
Heres the myth-busting truth. No particular sex position has been proven to improve the odds of pregnancy. What may help is to put sperm as close to the cervix — the canal that connects the vagina and the womb — as possible.
One way to do that is to make sure that the penis goes in deep during intercourse. Along with full penetration, two sex styles are ideal for depositing the sperm right at the opening of the cervix:
- Missionary, or guy on top
- From behind, aka doggy style
Tracking With A Calendar
You can track your ovulation with a fertility calendar. Track your fertility levels by recording the first day of your period over the course of several months. Eventually, patterns will emerge and you will see when you should have sex to get pregnant. Women tend to be most fertile within the five days before ovulation and 24 hours after it.
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How Long Should We Try Before Seeing A Fertility Specialist
Its time to contact a fertility specialist if youre under 35 and havent gotten pregnant after a year of trying.
If youre 35 or older and havent had any luck after six months of trying, see a specialist.
Of course, if you suspect you or your spouse may have a fertility problem, you should consult a physician before attempting to conceive.
Swap Out Your Partners Tight Underwear
Time to make the switch to boxers and trade your partners favorite skinny jeans for a less restrictive pair. Tight underwear and pants can have a negative effect on a mans sperm count and quality a study found that men who wear more forgiving options have higher sperm concentration and count than those who prefer bottoms that leave little to the imagination.
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What About Other Nutrients
There are other nutrients that may improve the health of your pregnancy. Your doctor can help you decide if you need to take supplements that include:Omega-3 fatty acids: These fats, which include DHA and EPA , come only from food sources such as fatty fish and nuts. Studies show omega-3s can lower your risk of preterm birth and of having a baby with low birth weight. If you dont eat much food thats rich in omega-3s, ask your health care provider if a supplement is right for you.
Choline: Although your body can make some choline on its own, you get most of it from food. Rich sources include beef, pork, chicken, fish, and eggs. Many pregnant women dont get enough choline, which the baby needs for healthy brain growth.
Tweak Your Habits Now
Now is the ideal time to revisit some of those New Years resolutionsto drink less, lose a couple pounds, exercise regularly. Chances are, you wont need to completely overhaul your life, but ideally you want to be in decent health before you get the positive pregnancy test.
If you are overweight or obese, even a small weight loss can make a huge difference says Patel. If you have a higher BMI, even a 5 to 10 per cent loss of your current weight will help improve your chances of conceiving, says Patel.
If you are currently smoking or taking any recreational drugs, its recommended that you quit as soon as possible. As well its good time to cut down or even start to avoid any alcoholic drinks. A large number of conditions is now linked to fetal alcohol syndrome and as Hamoudi says, There is no safe level of exposure. Also its a good idea to cut down on the amount caffeine you have each day from coffee, soda, tea and chocolate now.
In terms of what you should have, youll want to start taking prenatal vitamins. To cut the risk of neural tube defects for instance, its recommended you have 400 mg of folic acid a day, and to start taking it for at least three months before you conceive.
There is no clear evidence that colouring your hair is unsafe during pregnancy. However we always tell patients for the first few weeks of pregnancy to minimize any exposure to chemicals, says Hamoudi. So if you are planning to get pregnant, get your hair done first.
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Stop Taking Birth Control
It may seem obvious, but if you want to get pregnant fast, youll need to quit your method of birth control. Depending on what form youre using, fertility doesnt necessarily return right away. With barrier methods, like condoms, upping your chance of getting pregnant is as easy as leaving them in your nightstand drawer. If you have a non-hormonal IUD removed, your body will immediately be ready for pregnancy. But for women who have been using hormonal forms of birth control, it can sometimes take a few weeks for your body to regulate and ovulate.
Especially when women have been on birth control for a very long time, cycles may not occur right away. They may be absent or very irregular for a month or so, says Eric D. Levens, MD, medical director at Shady Grove Fertility Clinic. Typically with the pill, after about six to eight weeks, you should start seeing your cycle. If after 8 to 10 weeks youre still not getting a period, its wise to seek help from a doctor to figure out whats going on.
Have Sex During Your Fertile Window
Plan to have intercourse during your most fertile phase, which is two to three days before ovulation to the day you ovulate, if youve determined your ovulation time frame.
If youre not sure when youll be most fertile, try having sex every other day throughout your cycles middle two weeks. When your body releases an egg, youll be more likely to have healthy sperm in your fallopian tubes.
Another suggestion: If you and your spouse are attempting to time intercourse to ovulation, make sure you havent had a long period of infertility. To ensure that he has lots of healthy sperm in his sperm, your spouse should ejaculate at least once in the days leading up to your most fertile period.
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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.
