What Do I Need To Get Pregnant

September 26, 2022

Why Cant I Get Pregnant

Getting Pregnant: Everything you need to know (tips from a Fertility Doctor)

When youre ready to start a family and youre not getting pregnant, it can be frustrating and overwhelming. Especially if youve tried the conventional methods to maximize your chances: having frequent intercourse during your fertile window, tracking your temperature every morning and using tools like ovulation tracker apps and predictor kits.

You may start to wonder is this a medical problem or do I simply need to be more patient? Youre not alone. One in 8 couples struggles to conceive. Chantel Cross, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist with the Johns Hopkins Fertility Center at the Johns Hopkins Health Care & Surgery Center Green Spring Station in Lutherville, Maryland, explains what factors might be affecting your ability to get pregnant and when you might consider infertility treatment.

Maintain A Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is an important part of pregnancy. Being overweight reduces your chances of getting pregnant because it may interfere with ovulation.

Being underweight can also hurt fertility body fat levels that are too low interfere with cyclical hormonal changes. So if youre thinking about how to get pregnant quickly and naturally within two months, you might want to start a healthy exercise regimen that meets your weight goals and activity preferences.

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 entirely 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.

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. And alcohol consumption has long been known to cause birth defects.

Drinking alcohol at moderate or heavy levels can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant, according toThe American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists .

Recommended Reading: How Can I Tell How Pregnant I Am

What Is Labor Pain

When your due date comes closer, you will go into labor pain. It is necessary to consult the doctor and understand what going to labor means. It is another must thing to know when pregnant and identifying it will make it easy for you to handle your labor with no difficulty. One quick sign of labor is frequent painful contractions which increase in intensity with time. Many times, walking is recommended during early labor because it makes women feel more comfortable .

Choose A Healthcare Professional

If you have a doctor or midwife in mind already, give them a call as soon as possible. Theyll most likely want to schedule a visit, do some blood work, prescribe prenatal vitamins, and make sure you have everything you need.

If you dont have a preferred healthcare professional, look into getting one ASAP. Ask friends or family for recommendations, or look for a healthcare office near you.

Organizations such as Planned Parenthood also offer affordable access to healthcare, including prenatal care if youre not sure where to start. Check with your local Planned Parenthood health center to see what services they offer, as not all centers offer prenatal care.

Just make sure you pick a doctor or midwife that you feel comfortable with and that you trust. Not only could this person deliver your baby, but youll also be seeing them a lot over the next 9 or so months. Most offices operate as a group, so its also a good idea to get to know as many health professionals there as you can.

During your pregnancy, you should generally expect to see your OB or midwife:

once per month until week 28
twice per month from weeks 28 to 36

weekly from week 36 to birth

If you have a high-risk pregnancy or any complications, you might need additional appointments.

Recommended Reading: When To Try And Get Pregnant After Period

Toolkit For Aspiring Mothers: Makeamom Home Insemination Kit

If youre an aspiring mother whos looking for a way to have a baby without going through traditional methods, then the Makeamom home insemination kit could be a great option for you. This easy-to-use toolkit comes with everything you need to successfully carry out the insemination process at home, and its been designed to make the whole experience as straightforward and stress-free as possible. So, if youre considering home insemination as an option for starting your family, then be sure to check out the Makeamom home insemination kit. It could just be the perfect solution for you. The Makeamom

Do I Need To Be Concerned About My Weight Before And During My Pregnancy

Being underweight or overweight can make it harder to get pregnant. And people who are at a healthy weight are less likely to have problems during their pregnancies. Your nurse or doctor will let you know if you need to gain or lose weight before you try to get pregnant.

If your weight is usually within a normal range and you stick to healthy habits, youll probably gain no more than 35 pounds by the end of your pregnancy. But each persons body is different, so talk to your nurse, doctor, or midwife about what a healthy weight means for you. They can also give you tips on managing your weight during your pregnancy.

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Learn Your Family History

Collecting your familys health history can be important for your childs health. You might not realize that your sisters heart defect or your cousins sickle cell disease could affect your child, but sharing this family history information with your doctor can be important.

Other reasons people go for genetic counseling include having had several miscarriages, infant deaths, trouble getting pregnant , or a genetic condition or birth defect that occurred during a previous pregnancy.

Get The Money You Need For Fertility Treatment

3 Things to Do Before Getting Pregnant

HRC Fertility, through our trusted partner CapexMD, is able to offer our patients financing programs for the fertility treatments they will need to get pregnant. CapexMD has financing options to meet almost everyones budget. With their easy loan process and competitive rates, CapexMD ensures the financial aspects of treatment are not an obstacle to achieving your dream of a family. CapexMD offers a wide variety of loan options, allowing you to attain the necessary financing required to make your treatment affordable. Each loan program is designed to fit your individual circumstances and once approved, their fertility loan specialists will work closely with HRC Fertility to ensure the funds are secured prior to the commencement of your treatment.

Get your pre-approval within 24 hours.

Advantages of CapexMD:

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.

Tips For Pregnancy And Childbirth: A Guide To A Safe And Healthy Birthing Experience

Congratulations on your pregnancy! This is an exciting time for you and your family. It is important to prepare for a safe and healthy birthing experience. Here are 5 tips to help you through the process: 1. Make sure you are well-informed about the options available to you during childbirth. There are many different ways to give birth, so do your research and find the option that is best for you. 2. Stay active during your pregnancy. Exercise can help make the birthing process easier and faster. 3. Make sure you have a good support network in place. Friends

Understand Your Menstrual Cycle

Your fertile window is likely five to six days long, typically in the middle of your cycle.

On average, those with a 28-day cycle will ovulate on day 14. But charting your cycle is key to identifying your unique fertile days. In fact, just basing your conception attempts on a calendar can risk you missing your actual fertile daysyour body will often show you that you are ovulating through specific signs of ovulation.

Ready to learn more? Heres how to find your most fertile days.

Once an egg is released from your ovary, it will survive for 12 to 24 hours. That means that it must meet the sperm within that window in order for it to become fertilized. The good news is that healthy sperm survives in your body for up to five days.

This is why knowing when you ovulate is so important.

Say you ovulate on Wednesday at midnight. Having sex or insemination anytime on Wednesday means that the sperm is potentially going to meet the egg during that 12- to 24-hour window. But if you had sex or insemination on Tuesday , the sperm may still be alive and waiting for the egg when its released. So if you are anticipating ovulation within a few days, having sex or insemination ahead of time will increase the chances of having living sperm ready and waiting to fertilize your egg.

How Much Physical Activity Do You Need Each Day

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get 2½ hours a week of moderate-intensity activity, like fast walking, and strength-training 2 days a week. These recommendations change depending on the intensity of your workouts. And you dont have to do all 2½ hours at once. Do a little bit each day to break it up throughout the week.

If youre already physically active, keep it up! If youre starting or re-starting exercise, take it slowly. Talk to your provider before you start any physical activity if:

You have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease.
Youve had a stroke or are at risk for having a stroke.
You have diabetes or are at risk for having diabetes.

Youre obese. If you’re obese, you have an excess amount of body fat and your body mass index is 30 or higher. BMI is a measure of body fat based on your height and weight.
It can help you find out if you need to gain or lose weight..
Youve had surgery or you have an injury or disability.

Youve had eye surgery or laser treatment on your eyes, or you have a bleeding or detached retina. The retina is the nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye.

Physical activity can help reduce your risk of having certain health conditions that can cause problems for you and your baby during pregnancy, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart conditions. It also can help you manage stress, sleep better and quit smoking.

Also Check: How To Help With Heartburn While Pregnant

Pop A Prenatal Supplement

“Any woman thinking about getting pregnant in the next three to six months should start taking a daily multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid,” says Dr. Wider. According to the March of Dimes, getting enough of this B vitamin in prepregnancy and early pregnancy can reduce brain and spine birth defects by up to 70%. And the multivitamin itself is packed with other nutrients crucial for a healthy pregnancy, like iron to prevent anemia and calcium for strong teeth and bones. Pop the pill after you brush your teeth in the morning or stash a jar at work and set an e-mail reminder to take it. If you hate swallowing pills, they come in chewable form, too. Starting the habit now will make it easier to remember once you’re expecting.

Watching What You Eat

If you and your partner are preparing for pregnancy, you should look at your diet and see where you may be able to make healthier food choices. Eating a well-balanced diet including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables will help with your chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy.

Learn more about preconception health for women and men.

Tips On How To Get Pregnant With A Girl

Want a baby girl? Huggies shares tips on what you can do to improve your chances of conceiving a girl.

How to conceive a girl?

Are you longing for a girl? Do you already have a one boy or more and now want to see if you can tip the gender balance in your household? There are lots of theories and claims made about influencing the chances of having either a boy or a girl baby, but the scientific facts are absolutely clear. The chances of having conceiving a boy or a girl are almost exactly equal for each and every pregnancy. Even though some couples only seem to make boys, or girls, this patterning owes more to luck than management.

Top tips for conceiving a girl

have sex 2.5-4 days before you ovulate

keep an ovulation chart so you know when you are ovulating
have sex every day from the day when you finish your period

avoid having sex which involves deep penetration missionary position is best
purchase an alkaline testing kit from the pharmacy to find out your vaginal ph
eat foods that support a more acidic vaginal ph, like green leafy vegetables, wholegrains, meat, sweets, corn and blueberries

Whats a fact and whats fallacy?

Timing of intercourse

If you are keen to have a girl, then you need to think about, plan for and execute your strategy to include exactly how and when you are going to have sex. Forget just waiting to see what happens or being relaxed about it.

According to Shettles, to conceive a girl you need to:

How do I know when Ive ovulated?

Couples Research Led To Makeamom Cryobaby And Now Theyre Expecting

8 Ways To Get Pregnant Faster | Getting Pregnant | Parents

Couples Research Led to MakeAmom CryoBaby and Now Theyre Expecting! After doing some research, the couple decided to go ahead with the cryobaby procedure. They are now pregnant and expecting their first child. This would not have been possible without the help of science and technology. Thank you for making our dream come true! We cannot wait to meet our little one! If youre considering having a baby, but are unsure about the traditional methods, then why not look into cryobaby? You may be surprised at what you find! Thanks for reading and good luck on your journey to parenthood!

Take A Folic Acid Supplement

It’s recommended that you should take a daily supplement of folic acid when you’re pregnant, or there’s a chance you might get pregnant.

You should take a 400 microgram supplement of folic acid every day before you get pregnant, and every day afterwards, up until you’re 12 weeks pregnant.

A microgram is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram . The word microgram is sometimes written with the Greek symbol followed by the letter g .

Folic acid reduces the risk of your baby having a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida.

A neural tube defect is when the foetus’s spinal cord does not form normally.

You might be advised to take a higher dose supplement of 5 milligram every day.

You may need to take a 5mg supplement of folic acid if:

you or the baby’s other biological parent have a neural tube defect

you previously had a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect
you or the baby’s other biological parent have a family history of neural tube defects
you have diabetes

you take anti-epilepsy medicine

Talk to a GP if you think you need a 5mg dose of folic acid, as they can prescribe a higher dose.

You can get folic acid tablets at pharmacies, or talk to a GP about getting a prescription.

Do not worry if you get pregnant unexpectedly and were not taking a folic acid supplement at the time. Start taking them as soon as you find out, until you’re past the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Start Saving Before You Get Pregnant

Soon, you’ll start socking money away for college, diapers, and all that baby stuff. “But even pregnancy itself can be more costly than you’d anticipate,” says Katina Z. Jones, author of The Everything Get Ready for Baby Book “Even if you do a little at a time, just $20 a paycheck, you’ll feel better knowing you have some type of nest egg set up before you begin trying to conceive. And if you have money left over, you can always spend it on nursery furniture or other baby expenses.”

Read Also: How And When To Get Pregnant

Get To Know Your Cycle

How much do you know about your menstrual cycle? Really understanding helps you know when you’re most fertile, says Hillard. Ovulation is the best time to get pregnant. “This is the time to focus on having sex,” Hillard says.

It helps to become aware of the signs of ovulation, such as a change in your cervical mucus. It usually becomes thin and slippery when you are most fertile. Some women may also feel a one-sided twinge of pain.

Ovulation prediction kits can also help you predict the best time to get pregnant, says James Goldfarb, MD, director of the infertility service at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. Not only can they help assure you that you are ovulating, “if you are having infrequent intercourse, this tells you when to have it to increase your chances of getting pregnant,” he says.

Here’s how it works: The first day of your menstrual period is considered day one. “Start testing on day nine and keep going until you get a positive,” advises Joanne Piscitelli, MD, an associate professor of gynecology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Women with a 28-day cycle tend to ovulate on day 14. But many women have longer or shorter cycles, so casting a wide net can help you be sure.