Lets Begin With Your Physical Health
The first thing you can do to get pregnant and to have a healthy pregnancy is to be physically healthy. It is important to not be over or underweight, both of which have negative effects on fertility and healthy pregnancies.
Make sure you are exercising 3 to 4 times a week. Aerobic exercise is essential because it helps blood circulation and improves lung capacity. Incorporating weight-bearing exercises helps you gain muscle strength and lose weight easier, while yoga exercises help you work on posture and balance. This all contributes to a healthier you, which increase your chances of conception and healthy pregnancy.
Physical health starts with how you treat your body. While exercising during pregnancy is an essential step towards a healthy you, it is more important you are not doing anything counter-productive for fertility and healthy pregnancy. It is imperative you remove any unhealthy habits or practices that limit or decrease your physical health.
For maximum health you should eliminate or reduce the following:
Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about any prescription medication you are taking. Some medications are harmful to take during pregnancy. It is possible that your provider may want to forego or alter the medications you are taking to help increase your chances of conception and having a healthy pregnancy.
Both: Mind Your Medications
Before you get down to baby-making business, review your meds with your doctor to be sure they donât affect your fertility — or wonât cause harm to a future baby. For example, men who take testosterone may need to wean off, Eisenberg says.
Women should be cautious about testosterone, too, as well as any medications that treat thyroid issues, seizures, or psychiatric disorders, or those that have the hormones estrogen or progesterone, McLennan says.
Birth control pills use these hormones to prevent pregnancy. But if youâve recently stopped taking them, thereâs no need to fret about a post-pill waiting period. Your body should be ready to conceive right away, even if you took them for years. âThe length of time you used any form of birth control doesnât affect your ability to get pregnant,â Pollack says.
And if youâre not already taking folic acid, nowâs the time to start. âTaking a daily folic acid supplement not only helps prevent birth defects, it may increase fertility as well,â McLennan says.
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Record Menstrual Cycle Frequency
A woman who wants to have a baby should monitor the intervals between her periodsin other words, whether the first day of her period tends to occur the same number of days apart every month, which is considered 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 , according to research published in The New England Journal of Medicine . This is the time every month when her ovaries will release an egg. There are also some apps that can help with the tracking, such as GlowOvulation period tracker .
A woman’s egg is fertile for only 12 to 24 hours after its release, while a man’s sperm can survive in a woman’s body for up to five days according to the American Pregnancy Association .
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Tips To Help You Stop Obsessing About Becoming Pregnant
For sure, it seems nearly impossible to stop obsessing about pregnancy while dealing with infertility. Babies are all around you. You spend countless hours in the doctors office checking this, assessing that all in the hopes of having the sperm meet the egg. Here are some ideas for how to get pregnancy off your mind, or at least deal with it in a more healthy way.
Keep Bad Habits Under Control
“A lot of men continue to smoke cigarettes or marijuana, and that can seriously affect the motility of sperm,” Dr. Ryley notes. This means that if you have a male partner, they should stop smoking as well as drinking in excess. It’s also helpful for male partners contributing sperm to reach a healthy weight too. Says Dr. Ryley: “The more overweight a man is, the lower testosterone and sperm function.” Obesity can also do a number on sperm production and ejaculatory function.
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Take A Pregnancy Test
If you’re hoping to get pregnant fast, you may wonder how soon you can take a pregnancy test. Tests marketed as “early result” or “early response” may be more sensitive at detecting lower levels of hCG, usually a few days before a missed period. Keep in mind that testing too early can yield a “false negative” resultâwhen the test says you’re not pregnant, but you really are.
In these cases, 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.
The earlier you confirm a pregnancy, the sooner you can see a health care provider 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, rise quickly in early pregnancy.
Stop Worrying About Being Stressed
“The theory that you should just relax and go on vacation to magically get pregnant is an old wives’ tale,” Dr. Copperman says. Worse yet, it makes people feel guilty if they can’t Zen themselves to motherhood and parenthood. Anxiety over fertility is totally normal and it’s not likely to be harmful in the long run. Says Dr. Copperman, “The stress that comes along with fertility challenges has not been shown to affect whether a woman makes a good egg or not.”
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Get A Preconception Checkup
Before you officially start trying, get a checkup. Ask your doctor about prenatal vitamins that have folic acid, which helps protect against some birth defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid works during the early stages of pregnancy, so that’s why it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough folic acid even before you get pregnant.
“Do this the cycle before you start trying,” says Paula Hillard, MD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University. “If you have any underlying medical problems, they need to be under control before you can safely become pregnant.”
We Are Planning To Try For A Baby Are There Any Dietary Supplements That My Partner Should Be Taking
Professor William Ledger, Fertility Specialist
Not unless he has specific health problems or has dietary restrictions. If you’ve been trying for a while its worth asking your doctor to arrange a sperm count for him – if this is normal then dont worry about supplements. Stop smoking, drink moderately on no more than two or three occasions per week, keep your weight in the normal range for your height and enjoy a happy love life.
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Foods To Avoid When Trying Get Pregnant Naturally
Eating healthy directly supports your health and wellness while eating poorly reduces your health and wellness. To maximize your health and wellness and ultimately your fertility wellness, there are nutritional items you should avoid to increase your chances of getting pregnant naturally.Here is a list of things to avoid or at least limit your consumption:
Caffeine Caffeine reduces calcium absorption, and some research shows that it lowers your fertility by approximately 27%.
Processed Foods These contain pesticides, artificial hormones, and preservatives, which collectively have a negative impact on your health and wellness.
Red Meat High consumption of red meat can lead to endometriosis, which can negatively affect your efforts to conceive.
Soy Products Soy consumption by men has been connected to lower sperm counts.
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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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Get In Sync With Your Menstrual Cycle
If you want to know how to conceive fast, know when you ovulate. This may seem like a no-brainer but predicting your ovulation can take much of the guesswork out of conceiving. If you plot your cycle, youll be able to plan sex around your most fertile days. And to be certain that youre ovulating, use our ovulation calculator or take an ovulation test.
Have Sex During Your Fertile Window
The “fertile window” is the 3 to 5 five days before you ovulate, plus the day you actually release an egg. Once you know your window for ovulation, plan to have sex during this time frame.
If you’re not sure when you’ll be most fertile, aim to have sex every other day during the middle two weeks of your cycle. For example, if your whole menstrual cycle lasts four weeks have sex often during the second and third week. That way, you’re likely to have healthy sperm in your fallopian tubes whenever your body releases an egg.
Take our quiz to test your knowledge about timing sex for conception!
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How Does Pregnancy Start
Your cycle starts on the first day of your period and continues up to the first day of your next period.
This is what happens during the cycle and the start of a pregnancy.
- Eggs mature in your ovaries once a month.
- The lining of your womb starts to get thicker to prepare for fertilised eggs.
- Once the egg is mature it is released from one of the ovaries this is called ovulation.
- During ovulation your cervical mucus becomes thinner and clearer to help any sperm to swim to the egg.
- If you have sex, millions of sperm will swim up the cervix into the uterus and the fallopian tubes to meet a mature egg.
- If sperm is present at the point of ovulation, or during the next 24 hours, the egg may be fertilised .
- If the egg is fertilised, it starts to move towards the womb and divide into more cells.
- Once it reaches the womb the fertilised egg has to attach the lining of the womb, this is called implantation and is the start of pregnancy. Many fertilised eggs dont implant and are passed out of the body.
- If the egg has not been fertilised, the egg is re-absorbed by the body, the hormone levels drop, and the womb lining is shed the beginning of your next period.
Now that you know all about how to get pregnant, use our tool to find out if you are ready to conceive.
Learn When Ovulation Happens
Its a good idea to understand the basics of how ovulation works so you can monitor your body for signs and symptoms. Its a common misconception that ovulation always occurs on the 14th day after your period starts, but that only happens if your menstrual cycle is consistent and 28 days long. Every womans cycle is different. The average cycle is anywhere from 24 to 35 days, and it doesnt vary by more than three to four days on any given month, Levens says. Depending on how long your cycle is, ovulation can actually happen between 11 to 21 days after the first day of your last period . But while the timing of ovulation depends on the womans unique cycle, all healthy women will get their periods 12 to 14 days after ovulation.
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Check Those Iron Levels
Its time to start pumping iron. The supplement kind, that is. Consuming iron supplements and non-heme iron, which comes from plant-based foods, may decrease the risk of ovulatory infertility.
A recent 2019 study concluded that heme iron had no effect on fertility and non-heme only had some benefit for women who already had iron deficiency.
More evidence is needed to confirm whether iron supplements should be recommended to all women, especially if iron levels are already healthy. But making sure your iron levels are solid with your doctor is a good step.
Non-heme iron sources are more difficult for your body to absorb, so try taking them with foods or drinks high in vitamin C to increase absorption.
Alcohol consumption can negatively affect fertility. However, its unclear how much alcohol is needed to cause this effect.
One 2016 study found that having more than
involving 7,393 women found that a high alcohol intake was associated with more infertility examinations.
However, the evidence on moderate alcohol consumption is mixed. One older study found no link between moderate consumption and infertility, while other studies report that moderate intake can affect fertility.
Ultimately, avoiding excessive consumption of alcohol is recommended. Talk to you doctor about your own intake to ensure the best outcome for you.
Examples include:
Channel Your Inner Star Power
Find a song that makes you feel empowered and like the most unstoppable person in the world. Put it on every device you have that can play music. Whenever you need it , play it, sing it, and dance to it.
This may sound and look silly, but if you internalize the words and truly enjoy yourself, you really will feel better. Just give it a try.
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Limit The Amount Of Time You Wallow In Sadness
Its inevitable that you will feel really sad and just want to cry. Thats ok. Feel the emotion and be aware of the thoughts that fill your mind. Mourn the fact that your life is not going how you expected it to. Be angry that you dont yet have something you really want. Just dont stay there.
When you have your down moments, give yourself no more than 5 minutes at a time to be sad. When the 5 minutes is up , stop immediately and do something else.
Get Your Blood Pumping With Regular Exercise
“The rule is 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise five to six days per week, both before and during pregnancy,” Dr. Chaudhari says. Some doctors suspect that super high-impact workouts might hinder conception, as very athletic people tend to have irregular periods. But if you’re at a healthy weight and have regular cycles, don’t feel you need to give up that intense Spin class you love.
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The Right Position After Sex May Help You Get Pregnant
Although there is no perfect position that can help you conceive, it is harder for sperm to swim upstream, against gravity. The position you take after sex can improve your chances of getting pregnant faster and easier. Stay horizontal for at least 10 minutes after you do the deed. Dont get up and go to the bathroom or get dressed. Just rest and let the sperm get to where theyre going. This is a perfect excuse to spend a little extra time snuggling with your partner!
Perks Of Waiting For Labor To Start On Its Own
Most pregnant people at 40 weeks are likely ready to have their babies out of their bellies as soon as possible and in their arms.
However, there are plenty of perks to waiting until your body naturally decides to go into labor including recovery.
Women who werent induced typically recover more quickly than those who were. More time in the womb can mean both you and your new baby get to go home from the hospital sooner.
Infants who are born after a full-term pregnancy also experience other benefits. More time in the womb typically means:
- more time to build muscle and strength
- reduced risk of low blood sugar, infection, and jaundice
- improved breathing as infants born even as little as two weeks early can experience twice the number of complications
- better feeding once born
- increased brain development, with the brain growing a third of its size between weeks 35 and 40
Let your body do the work for a few more days and take the time to get as much rest as you possibly can.
We know, thats easier said than done when youre 9 months pregnant. You and your baby will need all your energy soon enough!
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Increasing Your Chance Of Falling Pregnant
There are 2 ways you can increase your chances of falling pregnant:
- Calculate when you will ovulate and have unprotected sex 1 or 2 days before that date.
- Make sure both you and your partner improve your health, diet and lifestyle.
An egg can be fertilised for about 12-24 hours after it’s released. You’re most likely to get pregnant if you have sex within a day or so of ovulation.
Try not to get too stressed about falling pregnant. Having unprotected sex every couple of days around the time of ovulation is the best way to make sure there is always a good supply of sperm to fertilise the egg when it’s released.
Many factors can affect your chances of falling pregnant. These include your age and your partner’s age, your lifestyle, your weight, whether either of you has a chronic illness, and how often you have sex.
If you are under 35 and you are not pregnant after a year of having unprotected sex, see your doctor. If you are over 35, it is a good idea to seek help sooner.
