Is It Safe To Take Supplements To Boost Fertility
As numerous over-the-counter herbal fertility supplements are available for both men and women, it is normal to wonder whether these supplements are effective or not. Since these supplements are manufactured using natural products and do not require a prescription, people think that they are safe. Unfortunately, that isnt the case.
As with any external substances that interact with the bodys biological processes, these substances interact too and could result in side effects. They can trigger allergic reactions, and the substances present in them could interact differently with any ongoing medication.
Even though these supplements contain the nutrients that are essential for your health, but if you take them too much, they might affect your health negatively. Elevating the levels of certain vitamins or minerals beyond normal can be harmful to the body as well. At times, taking more than one supplement could also create a bond between them, leading to the formation of chemicals that can damage the body.
How Do You Know If You Are Having Twins
Theres no way to know whether youre having twins until your first ultrasound around nine weeks, though two heartbeats and/or chorion sacs may be detectable as early as six weeks. If you happen to be monitoring your pregnancy early and closely , blood testswhich end up revealing higher amounts of hCG, the pregnancy hormonecould also give an indication.
It just so happens that hCG is the hormone that brings on morning sickness, so women pregnant with twins may be more likely to experience nausea and fatigue. They may also show a little sooner than singleton pregnancies. Still, every pregnancy is such an individual experience, so there are no dependable clues that you have two babies on boardor more!
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How To Have Twins
Having a predisposition for a twin pregnancy is a scientifically valid phenomenon, but intentionally trying to improve your odds of conceiving twins? Not a good idea, experts says. Alice Domar, MD, director of integrative care at Boston IVF, tells me she has a conversation every day with someone who says they want twins, often because they already have fertility issues and because IVF is expensive or because they are older and want an insta-family. But she urges them to look at the risks. A twin pregnancy is a higher-risk pregnancy, she says. This includes increased chances of gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension. In addition, more than half of twin births in the US are preterm, notes the March of Dimes. Stanford Childrens Health also notes that about 10 percent of twins have very low birth weight . So while you might get a 2-for-1 from an IVF standpoint, your copay for the NICU stay may more than make up for it.
Still, I can attest that, with twins, the joy at every stage of parenting is doubled, and, if youre hoping to beat the odds, I get it. However, the smartest tips for how to have twins are those that simply enhance your fertility. So take a look, below, at what might improve your chances of becoming pregnantand who knows, maybe youll have twins.
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Side Effects Of Pregnancy Drugs
Clomiphene and gonadotropins are two types of fertility drugs that have been tested over the years. There have been many successful women get pregnancy with the drug.
However, taking the fertility drug is same to other fertility treatments. As in saying babycenter.com, these drugs can double the chance of getting pregnant but also have side effects such as miscarriage and premature birth.
Consuming fertility drugs like Clomiphene and gonadotropins have a great opportunity for you to have twins. About 10% of women who take pills to help get pregnant gave birth of twins. While they who take gonadotropins get 30% of multiple births.
In addition to the two types of fertility drugs above. There are still other fertility pills that can help you to get pregnant quickly.
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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Find Your Fertile Window
Now that you’ve stopped using birth control, you may be wondering, “When is the best time to try to get pregnant?” The answer is during your “fertile window,” or the days leading up to and just after ovulation.
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.
Some doctors recommend using ovulation predictor kits to detect ovulation. These at-home tests work by detecting a surge in luteinizing hormone in your urine, which occurs about 36 to 48 hours before you ovulate. OPKs help you plan baby-making sex for 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.
What Types Of Twin Pregnancy Are There
There are two types of twin pregnancies:
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Identical twin pregnancy. When you have identical twins, this means you had one fertilized egg that split into two very early on in your pregnancy. They will be the same sex and look very much alike with the same eye color, hair color, and blood type.
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Fraternal twin pregnancy. This is the most common twin type. Fraternal twins can be thought of as two separate pregnancies happening at the same time while sharing the same womb. When two eggs are fertilized, these can develop into fraternal twins. This means genetically your babies are related to each other the same way siblings are related. You can have same sex twins, or a boy and a girl. You can see how fraternal twins are different from identical twins in the image below.
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Vaginal Or Caesarean Birth
Its good to talk with your obstetrician and midwife about whether vaginal birth or caesarean birth will be better for you and your twins.
If youre having twins, youre almost twice as likely to have a caesarean birth.
You can discuss with your obstetrician the most appropriate time and way to give birth to your twins.
Pills To Get Pregnant: 6 Fertility Pills That Work
The information provided by our expert should not constitute a diagnosis of your condition. Always consult a medical practitioner or healthcare provider for a formal diagnosis. By making use of this content, you agree that ConceiveEasy and the expert assume no liability.
Now usually once the novelty of trying to get pregnant on your own wears off, which is usually like after 1 month of trying unsuccessfully, a lot of women want to know if there are other things they can do to help increase their chances and their odds of getting pregnant more quickly. Like are there any pills to get pregnant that really work? Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests Click Here
Many women want to know if theres a magic little fertility pill they can take thats going to guarantee that they get pregnant.
While theres not a pregnant or fertility pill that can guarantee you will get pregnant, there are many options out there that will help set your body up for maximum success and get everything in order so that you have the best possible chances of getting pregnant.
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You Are Taller Than 5 Feet 5 Inches
Just like with genetics, being taller is another theory that may affect the likelihood of conceiving twins.
Researchers believe that an Insulin-like Growth Factor may contribute to the likelihood of conceiving multiples in taller folks.
It is believed that this IGF may affect how sensitive the ovaries are to follicle-stimulating hormone , which may cause hyperovulation.
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How Often To Have Sexual Intercourse
To give yourselves the best chance of success, try to have sex every two to three days. If you are under psychological stress, it can affect your relationship and is likely to reduce your sex drive.
If this means you do not have sex as often as usual, this may also affect you or your partners chances of getting pregnant.
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How Does Cabergoline Work
Cabergoline targets prolactin to reduce too-high levels in the body and comes in a tablet thats taken orally a couple of times a week.
This medication is newer to the market than bromocriptine, but it works as effectively and may be prescribed if you dont respond well to bromocriptine or you experience adverse effects while taking it.
Vitamins: Trying To Conceive
When youre planning to conceive, there are certain things you can do that can benefit the health of your future baby. Its important that you and your partner take care of both your physical health and overall wellbeing, as this can improve your chances of becoming pregnant.
A big part of supporting your health involves eating a healthy, balanced and varied diet to make sure that your body is healthy and ready to conceive. Lifestyle habits like regular exercise and managing everyday stress can also play a key role.
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Lifestyle And Fertility Treatment Options For Pcos
Rachel Gurevich is a fertility advocate, author, and recipient of The Hope Award for Achievement, from Resolve: The National Infertility Association. She is a professional member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and has been writing about womens health since 2001. Rachel uses her own experiences with infertility to write compassionate, practical, and supportive articles.
Meredith Shur, MD, FACOG, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as a certified medical examiner.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is one of the most common causes of female infertility, affecting an estimated 5 million women. But you can get pregnant with PCOS. There are a number of effective fertility treatments available, from Clomid to gonadotropins to IVF.
Most women will be able to conceive with a combination of lifestyle changes and fertility drugs. While some women with PCOS will need IVF, the great majority will get pregnant using lower-tech fertility treatments.
We Are Planning To Try For A Baby Are There Any Dietary Supplements That My Partner Should Be Taking
Monica Moore, founder of Fertile Health, LLC
We always recommend that our patients obtain their nutrients from food, whenever possible, instead of relying on supplements. Although some studies have shown that mens sperm parameters might be improved by supplementing with a combination of certain minerals and anti-oxidants, whether or not this improvement translates into increased pregnancy rates is unclear in the literature at this point. What is known, though, is that lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy weight, stopping smoking or any recreational drugs, and minimizing alcohol intake can improve the quality of sperm.
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How To Get Pregnant With Twins With Natural Herbs
Everyone admire twins and most people will likely do anything to have the blessing of conceiving with twins or multiple babies. While there are higher chance for some people to have twins because of their ethnicity, background, family lineage and history. Others too can take a shot at it by following these steps and the various natural ways, and more options for twin conception. There are also certain herbs which help improve fertility, in particular with the conception of twins or multiples.
However, this is not a fool-proof of getting what you want.
Some People Need A Higher Dose Of Folic Acid
If you have a higher risk of having a pregnancy affected by neural tube defects you will be advised to take a higher dose of 5mg folic acid.
You may have a higher risk if:
- you or your partner have a neural tube defect
- you have had a previous pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect
- you or your partner have a family history of neural tube defects
- you have epilepsy
- you are a heavy drinker.
To get a higher dose talk to your doctor because 5mg tablets arent available without a prescription.
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Drugs To Cause Ovulation
Some women ovulate irregularly or not at all. About 1 in 4 women with infertility have issues with ovulation.
- 2014 study found that 27.5 percent of women with PCOS who took letrozole eventually gave birth, compared to 19.1 percent of those who took clomiphene.
- Gonadotropins: This group of hormones stimulates activity in the ovaries, including ovulation. When other treatments do not work, a doctor may recommend using a follicle-stimulating hormone and a luteinizing hormone in the group. People receive this treatment as an injection or nasal spray.
In about 10 percent of infertility cases, a doctor cannot find a cause. The medical term for this is unexplained infertility.
Drugs that aim to stimulate ovulation may help in cases of unexplained infertility. These drugs can enable a woman to optimize the chances of conceiving by timing intercourse. They can also reduce the effects of unidentified ovulation issues.
How Successful Is Bromocriptine
Success rates for this fertility medication are good among women who have high prolactin levels: According to one study, bromocriptine normalizes prolactin levels in blood serum for 80 percent of women, and there is a subsequent pregnancy rate of 60 to 80 percent, if there are no other fertility issues.
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What Are Some Of The Most Common Fertility Drugs For Women
Wish there was a magic pill that could instantly sprout you an infant? Itâs never that simple, but modern medicine has given us some pretty effective meds that work to help many people conceive.
Which fertility drugs are right for you will depend on a number of things, starting with the results of all those fertility tests your doc does when you start your fertility journey. Knowing the root cause of any trouble conceivingâeven knowing that itâs âunexplainedââwill help you and the doctor make the right choices in fertility drugs.
âSome infertility is treated by medications other conditions are managed surgically and still others require a combination of both,â says David Diaz, MD, reproductive endocrinologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. âNo two patients are exactly alike. Furthermore, pre-existing medical problems like diabetes, hypertension, thyroid problems must also be considered when choosing a treatment protocol.â
Hereâs the lowdown on some of the most common fertility drugs for women.
How Multiple Pregnancy Differs From A Single Pregnancy
Most women with multiple pregnancies have a healthy pregnancy and healthy babies. Your bump will be bigger than women who have single pregnancies.
Complications can be more common with multiple pregnancies. It may be safer to have your babies in hospital. You should opt for consultant-led care. Your medical team may tell you to have your babies in a hospital that has a neonatal intensive care unit. This is because you may go into premature labour.
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If You Still Have A Negative Result
Sometimes, life doesnt go according to plan. You might try to get pregnant for a long time and keep getting disappointing results from pregnancy tests. You might wonder whether youre trying the right sex positions for conception, or if it just isnt meant to be.
Many people have to try for several months before getting a positive pregnancy test result.
If you think your partner may have some fertility issues or health concerns, you still have several options for growing your family.
How Will Doctors Find Out If A Woman And Her Partner Have Fertility Problems
Doctors will do an infertility checkup. This involves a physical exam. The doctor will also ask for both partners health and sexual histories. Sometimes this can find the problem. However, most of the time, the doctor will need to do more tests.
In women, the first step is to find out if she is ovulating each month. There are a few ways to do this. A woman can track her ovulation at home by:
- Writing down changes in her morning body temperature for several months
- Writing down how her cervical mucus looks for several months
- Using a home ovulation test kit
Doctors can also check ovulation with blood tests. Or they can do an ultrasound of the ovaries. If ovulation is normal, there are other fertility tests available.
Some common tests of fertility in women include:
Finding the cause of infertility can be a long and emotional process. It may take time to complete all the needed tests. So dont worry if the problem is not found right away.
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