Cut Back On Strenuous Workouts
Being physically active most days of the week can help a woman’s body prepare for the demands of pregnancy and labor, and has been associated with a reduced risk of fertility problems, scientists reported in the March 2020 issue of the journalHuman Reproduction. But getting too much exercise or doing frequent strenuous workouts could interfere with ovulation,Live Science reported.
Doctors see a lot of menstrual disturbances in women who exercise heavily, and a lot of times these women need to cut back on their workouts if they want to become pregnant, Pavone told Live Science.
Related: Can you run while pregnant?
/5the Best Time To Get Pregnant
Women are most likely to get pregnant at the most fertile point of their monthly menstrual cycle. The fertile window is normally six days- five days before ovulation and the day of ovulation. The phase is referred to as most fertile on the basis of the fact that sperm can survive in a woman’s reproductive tract for 5 days and egg can be fertilised only between 12 to 24 hours after it is released from one of the ovaries. During ovulation, your ovary releases a mature egg, which travels way down the fallopian tube to the uterus. On its way to the fallopian tube, the sperm may meet it and fertilize the egg.
When Does Conception Take Place
Conception starts at the moment of fertilisation, when the sperm penetrates the outer shell of the egg, and an embryo is formed. Over the next four to six days the embryo moves down the fallopian tube to the uterus, where it implants in the uterus lining and hopefully continues to grow. To check if you are pregnant, you should wait two weeks after ovulation before undertaking a pregnancy test.
Also Check: Donating Plasma While Breastfeeding
When To Get Pregnant: Check Your Ovulation
Trying to work out your cycle and prime ovulation dates can be a confusing and stressful process especially if your periods arent regular.
Try and alleviate some of the stress by using an ovulation calculator. By tracking each cycle you can work out exactly when youll be most fertile giving you the best chance at conceiving.
During that time try and get as many baby-making sessions in as possible and your chances of conceiving will be a lot higher.
Please be aware ovulation tools are there to give you the best estimate possible but we cant guarantee they will be 100 per cent accurate. Please see your GP or midwife for more information.
Image: Getty
Think You Know When You Ovulate
Many women feel confident that they just know when ovulation is occurring. For some, its because they experience mittelschmerz or they notice other signs such as sore breasts or an increased libido. For others theres just a gut sense that they are ovulating.
While feeling in tune with your body can help you time sex correctly, it isnt a fail proof method. Over the years, Ive met numerous women in my clinic who were confident they knew when they were ovulating, and certain theyd been timing sex correctly. But after learning fertility awareness and charting their fertility , they soon discovered that in fact they werent ovulating when they thought they were and had missed valuable opportunities to conceive.
And research backs this up. One study found that only 12.7% of trying-to-conceive women estimated their day of ovulation correctly and only 27% predicted it for when they were actually most fertile!
Another recent study found similar results, with only 13% of women, being able to correctly identify their fertile window. And this was despite the fact that a THIRD of these women reported that they monitor their ovulation!
So while this method works reliably for some, its easy to get it wrong. And unfortunately this can lead to an unnecessary delay in getting pregnant.
You May Like: Nutraburst Side Effects
The Lh Surge Is The Most Accurate Predictor Of Ovulation
There are a variety of methods that may help women identify their ovulation day, including calendar charting, body basal temperature and tracking ovulation symptoms. However, they vary in their ease of use and accuracy. can help you track your cycle and get to know your body as you plan to get pregnant. However, the calendar method has been found to predict the correct fertile days in only one third of cycles, so they are best used in tandem with a more accurate method like ovulation tests.No matter how your cycle varies month to month, the LH surge is the most accurate predictor of ovulation.
Easiest Time Of The Month To Get Pregnant
September 28, 2010 by ModernMom Staff
Though it may seem like everyone around you gets pregnant the minute they decide to have a baby, theres actually only a small amount of time that you can get pregnant each monthless than 24 hours. If you are trying to get pregnantor want to use natural methods to avoid pregnancyyou need to learn how to pinpoint the time when you are most likely to get pregnant.
Don’t Miss: Vagisil Safe For Pregnancy
When Should You See A Doctor
If youve been trying to get pregnant but are having no luck, see your primary care doctor or a fertility specialist.
How long should you wait before seeing a doctor? That depends on your age.
- Women younger than 35 should try for at least 1 year before seeking medical help.
- Women 35 or older should see a healthcare provider after 6 months of trying.
Make an appointment sooner if you have any of these issues, which could affect fertility:
/5what Positions Are The Best
Each time men ejaculate they release nearly 100 million sperm and unprotected sex before and on the day of ovulation could result in a pregnancy. As far as the position is concerned no particular sex position has been proven to increase the chances of women to conceive. But missionary and doggie-style positions allow for deeper penetration.
You May Like: Does Donating Plasma Affect Fertility
What To Do If You’re Struggling To Determine The Best Days To Conceive
You’ve been checking for CM and charting your BBT, but for some reason, it seems that you’re not ovulating every month or not at all. If you think you’re not ovulating, check in with your OB/GYN.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
Your Personal Cycle Is Controlled By Your Individual Hormone Levels
The is controlled by hormones which change throughout the menstrual cycle and, amongst other things, control ovulation. Particularly important for understanding when you can get pregnant are:
- Estrogen: this gradually rises in the early stage of the womans cycle in the days leading up to ovulation. This increase also changes the cervical mucus, which creates a favourable environment for sperm.
- Luteinising Hormone surges 24-36 hours before ovulation , making it the best predictor of ovulation.
Read Also: Accidentally Donated Plasma While Pregnant
Try An Ovulation Predictor Kit
OPKs are at-home test kits that detect a surge in luteinizing hormone , which your body releases 24-48 hours before you ovulate.
In the middle of your cycle, you’ll test your urine every day for 5-10 days. When your LH goes up, it’s time to start trying to conceive.
There are two types of OPKs:
Ovulation test strips. These are paper strips you dip into a cup of your urine. A few minutes later, a line shows up. Depending on how dark it is, you’ll know if you’re about to ovulate.
Digital ovulation tests. They’re typically more expensive than test strips. With a digital test, you hold a stick under your morning stream of pee. The digital monitor tells you if you’re likely to start ovulating.
You can get OPKs at many drugstores and supermarkets. Most have clear instructions and a toll-free number for questions.
OPKs are helpful if you have sex less often or you’d like to time it more precisely, Marut says, but they’re not always accurate.
What If You Have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Polycystic ovarian syndrome , a hormonal disorder, is one of the most common reasons for female infertility. It affects between 6% and 12% of American women of reproductive age.
There is no single test to identify PCOS, but a doctor will determine if a woman fulfills two of the following three criteria,the CDC said:
- Irregular periods or no periods, caused from lack of ovulation
- Higher than normal levels of male hormones that may result in excess hair on the face and body, acne or thinning scalp hair
- Multiple small cysts on the ovaries
It is not clear why some women develop this syndrome, although it is often diagnosed when they struggle to get pregnant.
There is a strong link between PCOS-related infertility and weight. About 40% to 60% of women with PCOS are overweight or obese, and healthy eating and exercise have been shown to improve reproductive problems in women with PCOS, according to a 2019 article in the journal Therapeutic Advcances in Reproductive Health. A number of prescribed medications may also induce ovulation and regulate insulin levels, such asletrozole and metformin. High levels of insulin push thepituitary gland to release large amounts of hormones thatdisrupt ovulation.
Doctors recommend in-vitro fertilization if other interventions have not worked, or as a primary treatment if monitoring, cost and accessibility are not issues.
Read Also: Side Effects Of Donating Plasma While Pregnant
Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle
Your menstrual cycle begins on the first day of your period and continues up to the first day of your next period.
You’re most fertile at the time of ovulation , which usually occurs 12 to 14 days before your next period starts. This is the time of the month when you’re most likely to get pregnant.
It’s unlikely that you’ll get pregnant just after your period, although it can happen. It’s important to remember that sperm can sometimes survive in the body for up to 7 days after you have sex.
This means it may be possible to get pregnant soon after your period finishes if you ovulate early, especially if you have a naturally short menstrual cycle.
You should always use contraception when you have sex if you don’t want to become pregnant.
What Is The Safe Days For Not Getting Pregnant
There is no absolutely “safe” time of the month when a woman can have sex without contraception and not risk becoming pregnant. However, there are times in the menstrual cycle when women may be most fertile and are most likely to conceive. The fertile days may last for up to 3-5 days after the end of your period.
You May Like: Donate Plasma While Pregnant
Track Your Basal Body Temperature
This is your temperature when you first wake up in the morning. When you ovulate, it goes up slightly and stays up until your next period.
To track it, you’ll need a basal body thermometer, which measures small changes. You can get one at most drugstores and supermarkets.
Take your temperature before you get out of bed every morning. Note the first day it goes up.
“Once you identify the day you ovulated, you can predict that ovulation will happen on or close to that day in future cycles,” Manglani says.
Continued
Lets Start With The Basics
Before diving into the facts around the best time to get pregnant, lets start off with the basics.
As you undoubtedly already know, in order to get pregnant, a sperm from the male partner needs to meet with an egg from the female partner, so that fertilisation can take place and a new life can begin. But as a species, humans arent particularly fertile and as a result, this pivotal event often ends up being a game of chance.
Your fertile time each month all comes down to the lifespan of both the sperm and the egg.
Men produce sperm continuously. For this reason, as long as a mans sperm are fit and healthy, he is always fertile and able to get a woman pregnant at any time.
In contrast however, women produce an egg only once every menstrual cycle. Even if two eggs are produced , the eggs are released within 24 hours of each other not days or weeks apart. So not surprisingly, its this event that receives so much focus when it comes to trying to get pregnant.
The process of releasing an egg from one of your ovaries is known as ovulation. After the egg is released at ovulation, it doesnt hang around for long. In fact it lives for just 12 24 hours. If it isnt fertilised by a sperm within this short timeframe, the egg will die and be reabsorbed by your body. Once your egg has died, theres no further chance for getting pregnant until the next menstrual cycle.
You May Like: Can You Use Vagisil During Pregnancy
When To See A Fertility Doctor
If youre having intercourse twice a week for a year and you arent getting pregnant, its unlikely that timing is to blame. Something else could be at play and you should see your doctor to tackle the challenge together. If you are 35 or older, see a fertility specialist after 6 months of trying to get pregnant.
You should also seek care if you know you have polycystic ovary syndrome or irregular periods. For example, if youve been taking birth control for years and dont get your period within three months after you stop taking it, make an appointment. Otherwise, you could waste time collecting data with an ovulation kit and be nowhere closer to conceiving.
Other Questions About Getting Pregnant
Can you get pregnant while breastfeeding?
Yes, a woman can get pregnant while breastfeeding. It is possible to become pregnant as soon as three weeks after giving birth, even if the person is exclusively breastfeeding and has yet to begin menstruating again according to the U.K.’s National Health Service .
Can you get pregnant on your period?
Yes, it is possible to get pregnant if a woman has sex during their period, according to theCleveland Clinic. A woman is less likely to get pregnant during menstruation, but it is still possible. Women are most fertile around the time they ovulate, but predicting this window is not an exact science and this is particularly true for women who have irregular periods.
How to get pregnant fast
Many people want to know how to get pregnant as quickly as possible. There is no sure-fire way of ensuring a speedy conception, however by following the science and evidence the above tips can help you find the most optimal times to have sex and get pregnant.
Are pregnancy tests accurate?
When used properly, pregnancy tests are claimed to be up to 99% effective, according to the Mayo Clinic. If your test reads positive, this is rarely an error, however false negatives are more common, according to the NHS.
A pregnancy test works by detecting the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone . Around six days after successful fertilisation, the body produces this hormone.
Don’t Miss: Getting Braces While Pregnant
What Is Ovulation Anyway
Its the word for when your egg, or ovum, leaves your ovary to take a trip down to the fallopian tubes. If the egg meets sperm here it could become fertilised.
Once the egg is released from an ovary its only good for about a day, while sperm can live in the body for up to 7 days.
Its not that easy to know exactly when youre ovulating so thats why our ovulation calendar is worth checking out.
How Fertility Changes With Age
You were born with all of the eggs youll have during your entire reproductive lifetime and the quality of those eggs declines over time. If you start trying for pregnancy at the age of 35 or 40, youre working with eggs that have been housed in the ovaries for decades.
Biologically, we cant expect those eggs to be quite as high-quality as they were years ago, Dr. Mooney explains. Though the same is true for sperm count, people with male reproductive organs dont typically experience diminished quality until later in life in their mid-40s or 50s.
Don’t Miss: Accidentally Donated Blood While Pregnant
The Best Time Of Year To Get Pregnant
The good news? No matter when you give birth, you end up with a baby! The bad news? There’s never a good time to carry around the weight of another human.
May 22, 2018
If you are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant, you might be wondering about the best time of year to have swollen feet, an extra 40 pounds of baby weight, morning sickness and a newborn! Well, wonder no more. Weve figured it all out for you.
Congratulations! You got to drink at holiday parties and probably wore some pretty cute outfits. Youre not going to be ginormous this winter, which means that you can keep the same winter coat and all of your winter clothes. And by the time your feet get really swollen, it will be flip-flop season! As an additional bonus, your baby will arrive in the fallperfect strolling weather before it gets too cold.
But wait! Youre going to be super-pregnant all summer. Imagine carrying a 40-pound heated blanket in your shirt at all times. Actually, you wont have to imagine it youll get to live it. By the time youll want to get out with your new baby, it will be cold and grey and then youll be stuck inside all winter. Great news about the holiday parties, though! I hope they were super-fun because youre unlikely to attend any this year.
If you get pregnant in July or August, youll have a baby when the buds are blooming, spring is in the air and everything feels fresh, amazing and beautiful. I had two of my three kids in early spring and its amazing!
Read more:
