Pregnancy with a healthy outcome is an inherent desire of many women. Yet, some may have to wait a long time before they get this need fulfilled. With our stressful lives, eating habits & fast-paced days, our bodies may be in havoc as a result. Most women can expect to experience pregnancy if they choose to undergo this path, but for those struggling, here are five tips to think about that can help you if you’re trying to get pregnant.
5 Tips To Increase Your Likelihood Of Conception
Many women have no idea how to increase their chances of getting pregnant. Here are a few tips that can increase your chances of conception:
- A woman who wants to have a baby should record her menstrual cycle’s frequency to know whether her periods are regular or irregular. By having this information, a woman can predict whether she is ovulating or not, a process necessary for conception
- If you plan to get pregnant the traditional way, plan sex with your partner around your fertility window, which is a six-day interval. These days will include the five days before the ovulation day and the day of ovulation itself. These are the days a woman is most fertile. Here is a fertility tracking apps that can help you keep close tabs on your window. A woman’s egg remains viable for only 12-24 hours. In comparison, a man’s sperm can live up to five days in a woman’s womb after intercourse. So if the woman has regular periods and knows her ovulating days, intercourse during this fertile window increases the chances of conception.
- A woman must maintain a healthy body weight to conceive a baby. Being overweight and obese reduces the chances of conceiving a baby. On the other hand, being underweight is also a problem if you are trying to conceive, so make sure your weight is at a healthy average
- The use of lubricants may help to make the process of intercourse a little more comfortable. A lot of women do not fully immerse in sex due to possible discomfort. This is why the use lubricants before sex helps. Lubricants allow couples to have sex that is more comfortable. The more often you have comfortable sex, the higher the chance of pregnancy
- Quit smoking and drinking if you want to get pregnant. Chemicals like nicotine and carbon can harm the egg of an ovulating woman. It is observed that smoking and drinking are some of the most significant causes of a couple’s infertility. A healthy body releases a healthy egg and makes pregnancy possible
How Can A Man Help Your Chances Of Pregnancy?
Did you know about 40% of infertility cases are due to causative factors from the male partner? When a couple is trying to conceive, it is the responsibility of both parties to contribute to the cause. A man’s health is as important as that of his partner. A man’s sperm quality and count should be adequate. The chances of conception increases if the sperm is healthy enough to travel and penetrate through the women’s egg and this is possible if the semen levels are adequate to carry the sperm to the egg.
Several factors can affect a man’s sperm count & strength. Such factors include genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures and hormones. Here is how a man can help towards the successful attempt at conception:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Cut back on smoking and alcohol consumption
- Eat healthy
- Adopt a moderate physical activity
- Take supplements to support in the form of vitamin C, E, minerals as zinc & selenium
- Keep protected from environmental toxins and exposure against chemicals
- Skip hot baths and sauna
Medical Interventions To Help
If nothing works, modern medicine has ways to help a couple achieve their chances of conception. Some of the ways your gynecologist may use to help you achieve pregnancy include:
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
In this method, sperm is injected into your womb at the time of ovulation. This method helps if your menstrual cycles are regular. Your doctor can identify the probable dates of ovulation and inseminate you with your partner’s sperm
- In vitro fertilization (IVF)
Your ovaries and your partner’s sperm are collected and combined in a laboratory. They are mixed together and then the embryos are carefully placed inside your womb
- Donated sperm
There are many cases where your partner cannot produce sperm, or if you prefer to get pregnant on your own. There is always an option of using a donor sperm. There are sperm donor banks that help you in this regard.
There are many different options and steps you can take to increase your chance of getting pregnant. With some of the tips mentioned above, your likelihood of pregnancy can go up. Remember it’s important to make sure you tend to your mental health too, as that can not only affect your chance of pregnancy, but also the health of your body when you do get pregnant.