Trying To Get Pregnant
Archive for August, 2008
How To Get Pregnant By Increasing Fertility
Aug 24th
While we may all be familiar with the specifics of how to get pregnant, few of us know all of the extra little things we can do to increase our chances of a healthy pregnancy.
Healthy pregnancy
Some women may have a bit more difficulty than others conceiving, and even those without fertility issues only have a 25% chance of conception with each monthly cycle.
Here are the best ways to increase your chances of becoming pregnant, although if you’ve been trying for more than 12 consecutive months, be sure to start with step number one.
1. See a Doctor
In addition to your family doctor, a reproductive endocrinologist may be able to pinpoint any hormonal problems or imbalances that may be preventing pregnancy.
If you were previously taking oral contraceptives, most doctors recommend waiting at least three menstrual cycles before trying to get pregnant.
2. Avoid Smoking and Alcohol
Besides all of the other numerous health risks associated with alcohol and smoking cigarettes, they may also hinder your chances of becoming pregnant, or if you’re a man, negatively affect your sperm count.
Smoking marijuana may also lower sperm count and reduce fertility rates in both sexes.
3. Exercise
In addition to the overall health benefits of getting regular exercise, it’s also a great stress reliever. Stress has been associated with infertility, and anyone who has looked for helpful ways of how to get pregnant certainly knows the ill effects stress and tension can have on the body.
Exercise also helps the body become stronger to support a pregnancy, and keeps excess weight off, another hindrance when trying to conceive.
4. Eat a Well-balanced, Vitamin-rich Diet
Besides eating a balanced diet, vitamins are crucial for couples who are trying to conceive, and surprisingly enough, vitamin therapy is one form of treatment for infertility. Folic acid is of particular importance for women who are trying to get pregnant, with 400 micrograms being the recommended daily amount.
This form of vitamin B is known to prevent certain types of birth defects referred to as NTD’s, or neural tube defects. After pregnancy occurs, the amount is raised to at least 600 micrograms a day to reduce the risk of birth defects by as much as 70%.
5. Track Ovulation
There are several different ways for women to determine when they ovulate. Use either a home ovulation predictor kit, watch for noticeable chances in cervical mucous, or use a basal body thermometer.
Using the thermometer method, take your basal temperature each morning before rising from bed around the same time each day, and noting a slight spike in temperature. For the majority of women, ovulation generally occurs on or right around the 14th day of their menstrual cycle.
We know that sperm are able to survive within a woman’s reproductive tract for approximately 48 to 36 hours, so having unprotected sex the day of ovulation as well as the days before and after increase the odds of becoming pregnant. If all else fails, there are always other options to try such as fertility drugs, in vitro fertilization, and artificial insemination, among others.
Getting Pregnant and Conception
Aug 23rd
pregnant woman
As much time as most women spend trying to keep from getting pregnant throughout their lives, it sometimes seems that for any woman who is sexually active, pregnancy is the default condition.
Pregnancy sneaks up on millions of women every month: pregnancy has been known to occur during one’s period, while still nursing an infant, when a partner has had a vasectomy, and when women are on the Pill.
Hormones, sponges, creams, foams and various latex and non-latex products have been pressed into use by women who are not at a stage in life where they want children.
It’s only when we start wanting to have children that we learn that pregnancy sometimes takes as much planning as childlessness did before.
It may be that the hectic nature of daily life has changed considerably from the time when, eons ago, all you needed was enough to eat and enough shelter to keep alive.
In fact, the nature of nature is to make us as fertile as possible under a wide variety of circumstances. But our bodies are still trying to adapt to the environment we have built, where things like jet lag, hot tubs and plain old fatigue can affect whether we can become pregnant.
The human body, while amazingly adaptable, is only willing to go so far: getting pregnant is often a matter of helping things along by working in a playful way to bring ovulation, active sperm, and a welcoming environment conducive to implantation together at the same time.
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Study Explains Why Pregnant Women Don´t Fall Over – CAMBRIDGE – A hugely pregnant woman teetering along is actually a sublime feat of evolutionary engineering – ages of adaptations have gone into her backbone to make sure she doesn’t fall on her face, scientists say. …
How and When to Get Pregnant-Why Cant I Get Pregnant?
Aug 15th
- Trying To Get Pregnant
While some women seem to be able to get pregnant without even trying, for others it might seem like an impossible dream to be able to start their own family.
More women than you might think have been saying “I cant get pregnant” or “Why cant I get pregnant”, luckily the ones who ask why may find the reasons for their perceived infertility and be able to enjoy the miracle of birth and find out how and when to get pregnant!
The first thing a couple needs to know about getting pregnant is a woman’s menstruation cycle. It consists of four different phases:
The Menses (The Periods)
Lasting from 3-5 days this is where if the egg has not been fertilized the walls of the womb falls away and is passed out the vagina.
The Follicular Phase
This is where a new egg of formed in the ovaries and takes from day 10 to 14 before it is released and the womb has been repaired.
Ovulation
This is the time when the egg is released and travels down the fallopian tube to the womb; this takes about 5 days from days 10-14
The Luteal Phase
At about day 14 after the start of the menses the body starts to release progesterone which is used to keep the embryo alive and can help with continuing pregnancy. This cycle lasts till the 28th day when it starts to break down and the menses period starts again.
From this we can see that in a 28 day cycle (approximately) there are only some fertile points when the egg is ready and waiting to be fertilized. During the Ovulation period is considered the most fertile times and from day 10-18 is considered the peak fertility period and the best time to get pregnant.
Each woman varies somewhat on these times but after 18 days the womb is degrading and cannot support a pregnancy and before that there is no egg to fertilize. It is also important to notice that Sperm can stay alive in a woman’s womb for up to 5 days giving a period of time similar to the woman’s fertile times.
Now this may be common knowledge to many people but it is important to get these times right if you want to give your pregnancy the best chance it can get! Try to keep a menstrual calendar so you can keep on top of when is the most fertile times. On top of this it is also helpful to make love as many times as you can during this fertile period so that there is as many sperm as possible trying to fertilize the egg at any point in time, however try not to make it a chore!
Another tip is to lie down after making love for at least 5 minutes, do not get up and do things or go to the bathroom, let the body settle and it gives the sperm more chance. Also your diet may make a big difference to your chances such as too much coffee, smoking, possibly even prescription drugs you are taking, try to live as healthily as you can.
Hopefully if you keep to this your cries of “Why cant I get pregnant!” can turn into “Hooray it is baby time!!” now that you know when to get pregnant!
Should Pregnant Women Consume Alcohol
Aug 10th
Many pregnant women question, whether they should consume liquors during the pregnancy. If so, how much of alcoholic beverage is permitted for them. As it bears out, a woman bearing a baby under her heart has to trust her own intuition concerning the alcoholic beverage intake during the expectancy period. Researchers still vary in their views on the topic.
Pregnant Women Should Exclude Alcohol from Their Diet
The specialists at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine state, that women should completely exclude alcohol from their diet during pregnancy, since alcohol consumption can put the life of the child in danger as it facilitates development of the Fetus Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Children with the syndrome are known to have low IQs, disturbed attention and various physical abnormalities.
The American, South African, and Scandinavian scientists support this point of view. In the course of studying the question they concluded that those women who consume alcohol during the pregnancy have increased possibility of bearing diseased fetus.
Drinking Wine Is Healthy for Pregnant Women
The scientist from the British Health Care opposed this point of view. They noted that the results of the above noted studies were publicized by the governments when pursuing the anti-alcohol politics. This fact signifies, that the conclusions made by the scientists at that time are not necessarily valid.
In fact, the British believe that wine is good for pregnant women if reasonably consumed. According to them, a pregnant woman can have no more than two glasses of wine per week. Only the woman and her physician can decide for themselves which of the scientists are correct.
Ask The Doctor These Questions When You’re Preg
Aug 4th
You have a lot to learn the first time you’re pregnant. Prenatal care should be a top priority, here are some basic questions to ask you’re doctor when you’re expecting, print it out and jot down additional questions that you think of.
The American Pregnancy Association offers this list of topics for discussion:
- Is there a phone number or nurse line that I can call when I have questions?
- Who should I call if I start bleeding or cramping?
- What should I consider an emergency?
- Now that I’m pregnant, do I need to make changes to my nutrition, exercise routine and sexual activity?
- How often will I have prenatal visits?
