Make her pregnant

7 Easy Tips To Conceive Quickly

Written by Denise Mann

You are ready to get pregnant. Now. Once you are ready to start a family, waiting is the last thing you want to do.

Although Mother Nature has a hand in the timing, there are some things you can do -- or not do -- to help increase your chances of getting pregnant ASAP. Read on for seven expert-approved tips for getting pregnant.

1.Get a preconception checkup.

Before you officially start trying, get a checkup. Ask your doctor about prenatal vitamins that have folic acid, which helps protect against some birth defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid works during the early stages of pregnancy, so that's why it's important to make sure you're getting enough folic acid even before you get pregnant.

"Do this the cycle before you start trying," says Paula Hillard, MD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University. "If you have any underlying medical problems, they need to be under control before you can safely become pregnant. "

2. 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.

What if you've been using birth control? Do you need to wait a while before trying to get pregnant? Not really, says Goldfarb. "Years ago, the conventional wisdom was to wait a certain amount of time after stopping birth control to try to get pregnant but that is no longer true. You can start trying to conceive right after you stop birth control," Goldfarb says. The only thing to keep in mind is that you could get pregnant before you get your period, so tracking ovulation may be difficult, and it might be harder to figure out your due date. For this reason, "some people may feel better waiting until they get one period on their own," he says.

3. Don't worry about the best positions for getting pregnant.

Myths abound about the best positions for getting pregnant, but they are just that -- myths. There is really no scientific evidence saying that the missionary position is better than the woman being on top when it comes to maximizing your chances of making a baby.

"Very rarely, a woman's cervix is in an unusual position where certain positions can make a difference," Goldfarb tells WebMD.

Certain gravity-defying positions, such as sitting or standing during intercourse, however, may discourage sperm from traveling upstream. "It's a matter of gravity [and] you don't want all the semen to run out -- and semen are quick little critters," Hillard says.

4. Stay in bed right after intercourse.

You have probably heard this one -- lie in bed with your feet in the air after having sex to increase your chances of getting pregnant. The verdict? Not (totally) true.

"It's good advice to lay in bed for 10 to 15 minutes after intercourse, but you don't need your feet in the air," Goldfarb says. "Your pelvis does not move when you put your legs in the air." Don't go the bathroom during this time either, he says. "If you wait 10 to 15 minutes, the sperm that is going to get into the cervix will be in the cervix."

5. Don't overdo it.

Having sex every day even during ovulation will not necessarily increase your chances of getting pregnant. "In general, every other night around the time of ovulation helps increase your chance of getting pregnant," Goldfarb says. Sperm can live up to 5 days inside your body. The best suggestion is to have sex regularly -- when you're ovulating, and when you're not.

Speaking of sperm, "wearing tight-fitting clothing can negatively affect sperm count," Piscitelli says. So too can spending time in hot tub or Jacuzzi. Your man's cell phone habits may also also need some work. A study in the journal Fertility and Sterility showed that men who used a hands-free device with a cell phone and kept their phone close to their testicles had poorer sperm quality.

They might need to pass on the edamame and other soy foods for a while, too. Men who eat a lot of soy foods may have a lower sperm concentration than men who don't eat soy foods, according to a study published online in Human Reproduction.

6. De-stress any way you can.

Try not to get stressed out about starting a family. You may roll your eyes if someone says, "Just relax and it will happen," but stress can actually interfere with ovulation. So the more relaxed you are, the better!

Whatever helps you de-stress is fine, as long as it's healthy. "There is some evidence that acupuncture can help reduce stress and increase your chances of becoming pregnant," Goldfarb says. And although drinking too much alcohol when trying to get pregnant isn't smart, a glass of wine won't hurt.

7. Live a healthy life.

Exercising is a healthy habit -- especially if it helps keep you at your ideal weight. Just like anything else, though, you can get too much of a good thing. "Too much exercise can cause you not to ovulate," Goldfarb says.

What's too much? It may be different for different women. If you are a hard-core exerciser and are still getting your period regularly, your exercise regimen is most likely not a problem, he says. But, Goldfarb adds, your menstrual period is not the first thing to go if you are exercising too heavily. "The first thing that happens is that you have a shorter second half of your cycle. You should have a period 14 days after you ovulate, but too much exercise can shorten this phase." This would be the first hint that you need to curtail your fitness regimen. He suggests tracking how long it takes you to get a period after you ovulate as the best way to know for sure.

Goldfarb says the best way to increase your chances of getting pregnant while getting the health benefits of regular exercise is to do moderate exercise -- think brisk walking -- two and a half hours each week (or at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week).

Stop smoking to increase your chances of getting pregnant," Hillard says. Aside from all the other negative health effects of smoking, this nasty habit also decreases fertility. "It affects estrogen levels and ovulation."

And don't worry too much about your day planner. "Eighty-five percent of women will become pregnant within one year of trying," Hillard says.

How to get pregnant | Tommy's

For the best chance of getting pregnant, you need to get your eggs and your partner's sperm together as often as possible.

More than 8 out of 10 couples where the woman is aged under 40 will get pregnant within one year if they have regular unprotected sex. More than 9 out of 10 couples will get pregnant within two years.

Regular, unprotected sex means having sex every 2 to 3 days without using contraception.

You don't need to time having sex only around ovulation, though it is helpful to know when you are ovulating. Having vaginal sex every 2 to 3 days will give you the best chance of getting pregnant. Sperm can live for 2 to 3 days and this means there will always be fresh sperm in your system when you ovulate (release an egg).

Remember it’s important for you and your partner to try and keep sex enjoyable by concentrating on each other and your relationship, rather than worrying about conceiving. This will help you limit stress.

Are you ready to conceive? Use our tool to find out.

How does pregnancy start?

Your cycle starts on the first day of your period and continues up to the first day of your next period.

This is what happens during the cycle and the start of a pregnancy.

Eggs mature in your ovaries once a month.
The lining of your womb starts to get thicker to prepare for fertilised eggs.
Once the egg is mature it is released from one of the ovaries – this is called ovulation.
During ovulation your cervical mucus (this is the substance in your cervix, between the vagina and the womb) becomes thinner and clearer to help any sperm to swim to the egg.
If you have sex, millions of sperm will swim up the cervix into the uterus and the fallopian tubes to meet a mature egg.
If sperm is present at the point of ovulation, or during the next 24 hours, the egg may be fertilised (only one sperm has to join with the egg for this to happen).
If the egg is fertilised, it starts to move towards the womb and divide into more cells.
Once it reaches the womb the fertilised egg has to attach the lining of the womb, this is called implantation and is the start of pregnancy. Many fertilised eggs don’t implant and are passed out of the body.
If the egg has not been fertilised, the egg is re-absorbed by the body, the hormone levels drop, and the womb lining is shed – the beginning of your next period.

Now that you know all about how to get pregnant, use our tool to find out if you are ready to conceive.

Best time to have sex to get pregnant

To boost your chances of conceiving, aim to have regular sex (every 2 to 3 days) throughout your cycle so you know that there should hopefully be good-quality sperm waiting when the egg is released. An active sex life is all most people need to conceive.

If you know when you ovulate each month you can give yourself the best chance of getting pregnant by having sex in the days leading up to ovulation. Continue having sex during ovulation. After this your fertile time will be over for that cycle.

Use our ovulation calculator to find out more about ovulation.

Best position to have sex in to get pregnant

The position that you have sex in does not make a difference to conception so long as the man ejaculates sperm into the vagina. Once this happens the sperm can swim up through the cervix and into the womb and fallopian tubes to meet an egg if it is there.

Many people also say that if the woman raises her legs upwards after sex it helps the sperm get to the womb. There is no evidence to say that this is true. The route from the vagina to the womb is not a straight line, so you do not need to worry about all the sperm coming back out when you stand up.

When does ovulation happen?

Ovulation usually happens about 10 to 16 days before the start of your next period, so it helps to know your cycle length before you start trying to get pregnant.

You may have not known when you ovulate within your cycle, and if you have been using a hormone contraceptive such as the Pill, you won’t have had a natural menstrual cycle for a while, because the Pill prevents ovulation (egg release) from happening.

As a first step, mark on your diary the dates that you bleed during a period. You can then count how many days from the first day of your period to your next period to work out the length of your cycle.

Use our ovulation calculator to find out more about ovulation.

The following signs can also help you know when you ovulate:

Cervical mucus changes

The cervix secretes mucus throughout the menstrual cycle, starting off sticky white and gradually becoming thinner and clearer.

Before and during ovulation the mucus increases and becomes much thinner, slippery and stretchy. Women often compare it to raw egg white.

This thinner mucus is designed to help the sperm swim easily through it.

The last day you notice the wetter secretions is sometimes known as ‘peak day’ and for most women this occurs very close to the time of ovulation.

Temperature

You can also find out about your menstrual cycle by keeping a note of your temperature each morning when you wake up. Your temperature rises by about 0.2°C when ovulation has taken place.

As it only shows you when you have ovulated, and doesn’t tell you when your fertile time starts, this is not very useful for most women.

Using ovulation predictor kits (OPK)

Ovulation predictor kits are available from chemists and are fairly simple to use. They work by detecting a hormone in your urine that increases when ovulation is about to take place.

The simplest urine kit tests for luteinising hormone (LH), which increases 24-36 hours before ovulation. This will help to identify the best two days for conception, although a woman can be fertile for a day or so before and after this time.

It is best to become familiar with your usual menstrual cycle to help figure out when you should start testing. If you have an irregular cycle then an ovulation predictor kit can help you identify the time of ovulation but expect to use more of the test strips.

Find out how long it takes to get pregnant.

How to prepare for conception?

Pregnancy planning is really necessary, especially in our time, when a healthy woman is the exception rather than the rule. Not to mention the fact that pregnancy is a serious test for the body of even a perfectly healthy woman.

It can be said that entering into a pregnancy without prior preparation for it is the same as flying on an airplane that has not been checked in advance: maybe it will cost, or maybe not. Of course, aircraft are tested before each flight. So why does a woman, ready to give birth to a new human being, not always conduct a similar check of her body? After all, the price of her neglect of herself and her health can be the life of the unborn child.

The process of preparing for pregnancy is quite complex and includes several stages. It is worth starting planning a few months (at least three) before the time when the couple intends to conceive a baby.

And at the stage of pregnancy planning , it is necessary to understand that the bearing and birth of a baby is not a woman's business, but a married couple's. Therefore, the active participation of the father in planning pregnancy is extremely necessary and important for himself, and for his wife, and for the unborn baby.

Without the help of doctors, it will not be possible to manage even at this stage. A visit to the gynecologist will allow you to identify possible diseases and treat them in a timely manner. After the first appeal, future parents undergo several examinations and pass certain tests in order to find out how ready their bodies are for conceiving a baby, as well as to prevent possible problems when carrying a child. The gynecologist will tell you what to do if, before planning a pregnancy, a woman was protected with hormonal contraceptives. It is necessary to stop taking hormonal contraceptives 3 months before the planned pregnancy.

It is important for a future mother to understand that only a healthy woman can bear and give birth to a healthy baby. In this regard, you need to start taking care of your own health long before conception. Good physical shape, the absence of diseases, proper nutrition and the rejection of bad habits, hygiene and a measured lifestyle - all this has a beneficial effect on the female body and subsequently makes it easier to endure pregnancy. However, not all vitamins can be obtained from food. For example, the body can only obtain folic acid in an artificial form, since its counterpart (folate), found in green vegetables, beans, asparagus, and citrus fruits, is much less absorbed. Folic acid is very important for the development of the baby to take place correctly, and the need for its intake exists throughout pregnancy. If the mother's body during the bearing of the child receives a sufficient amount of this substance, then the risk of pathology from the nervous system is minimized.

What tests should a married couple undergo

before planning a pregnancy?

Gynecological examination, colposcopy for women.
Blood type, Rh factor for both spouses. If a woman has a positive Rh factor, there is no problem. If a woman has a negative Rh factor - antibodies to the Rh factor (even if a man is also negative). If they are positive, pregnancy is not currently possible and needs to be corrected. If negative - repeat this analysis once a month, starting from 8 weeks of pregnancy. If a woman has 1 group, and a man has any other group, incompatibility by blood types is possible. An analysis for group antibodies, as well as an analysis for antibodies to the Rh factor, is carried out once a month, starting from 8 weeks of pregnancy.
Tests for infections: routine smear, PCR for latent infections - both spouses.
Blood test for TORCH-complex. Antibodies to rubella, toxoplasma, herpes, CMV, chlamydia - quantitative analysis (with titer). The presence of IgG antibodies means immunity to these infections, and is not an obstacle to pregnancy. The presence of IgM means an acute stage, planning in this case must be postponed until recovery. If there are no IgG antibodies to rubella, it is necessary to be vaccinated and protected for another 3 months after it.
A trip to the dentist, a therapist, chest x-ray is a must for both spouses. By appointment of the therapist - consultation of narrow specialists (ENT doctor, urologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist).
Spermogram. Desirable, but not required. It is done to determine the quality of spermatozoa and identify a hidden inflammatory process (a much more informative analysis than any smears and PCR).
Ultrasound of the pelvic organs - at least 2 times per cycle: after menstruation and before menstruation. For the first time, the general condition of the pelvic organs is assessed, in the second, the presence of a corpus luteum and endometrial transformation, indicating that ovulation has occurred. Ideally, an intermediate third ultrasound on the eve of the expected ovulation is to detect the dominant follicle.
Blood test for hormones of the reproductive system, thyroid gland, adrenal glands - according to indications.
Ultrasound of the thyroid gland, mammary glands - according to indications.
Hemostasiogram, coagulogram. - according to indications.
General clinical blood test (hemoglobin, erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, ESR, color index, leukocyte formula). Finger blood. Urinalysis (morning portion of urine - completely collected, it is important that the analysis does not include secretions from neighboring organs).
Blood tests for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B and C - for both spouses.
If there was a case of hereditary diseases in the family, miscarriages, spontaneous miscarriages, seek advice from a medical genetic consultation (Krasnoyarsk Regional Consultative and Diagnostic Center for Medical Genetics, Krasnoyarsk, Molokova St. 7, t. 55-99-20).

how and when to plan a pregnancy

Is it necessary to plan a pregnancy in advance? Most often, future parents visit a doctor when it has already come. Well, if they are in good health. But what to do when they do not suspect the presence of disorders in the body or genetic inheritance? In many cases, an elementary examination and treatment before conception could prevent the development of pathologies in the unborn child. Therefore, pregnancy planning is now beginning to be taken quite seriously.

Why should pregnancy be planned? However, according to some statistics, only about 30% of babies are born absolutely healthy. The same number already have a definite diagnosis. The remaining children are at risk. The situation is explained by the fact that as a result of exposure to adverse factors (poor nutrition, radiation, drug use, air pollution, smoking, and others), the cells of the human body continuously mutate. Mutations that have occurred in germ cells can be passed on to subsequent generations.

A person may not be aware of what changes are taking place in his body, especially if he is in excellent health and looks absolutely healthy. The older a person is, the more mutations accumulate in his cells. All this is transmitted as a result of inheritance, so it is very important to undergo a thorough examination before conception.

It is necessary to plan a pregnancy for those couples who have hereditary diseases, problems with bearing a child. The risk group also includes future parents living in environmentally polluted areas or working in hazardous industries. But this does not mean that the rest should not worry, because pregnancy planning, or conscious parenthood, is the key to the health and well-being of the unborn child.

When to plan a baby

In the process of planning pregnancy, it is necessary to carefully analyze the situation at the moment and look a little into the future. Of course, it will not be possible to foresee everything that can happen, but some points can still be thought through. Experts recommend starting preparation for conception six months or at least 3 months before pregnancy. But this is provided that outwardly no signs of illness are observed in both parents. In the case when at least one of them has current or hereditary disorders, the period is extended.

Pregnancy and age

When can I start planning a pregnancy? What age is considered the best for conception and bearing? In fact, each couple decides for themselves when they are ready to become parents. In modern times, more and more often the birth of the first child is postponed for a period after 30 years. And the task of gynecologists is to prepare a woman for pregnancy at any age.

Doctors should warn a woman that with age, the quality of eggs deteriorates, and the number of follicles begins to decrease faster. In addition, the task of the gynecologist is also to talk about the possibility of banking - freezing eggs or embryos.

What else does planning mean

Specialist consultation. At the stage of pregnancy planning, first of all, a woman should visit a gynecologist. The doctor may recommend, in addition to the main examinations, when planning, to do additional examinations if necessary. For example, to determine the presence of antibodies to such viral diseases as measles, rubella and chicken pox. In the absence of antibodies, vaccination is recommended, followed by protection for 1 month.

Correction of medication intake. If a woman is prescribed any drugs for permanent use, then she should definitely tell the doctor that she plans to conceive and become pregnant. The doctor will select a suitable, safer analogue. The drug may have a teratogenic and mutagenic effect, therefore, before using any of them, even at the stage of pregnancy planning, it is best to consult first.

Collection of information. It is worth asking parents and relatives if they have had cases of miscarriage or manifestations of hereditary disorders. If at least one such episode is found, you need to visit a geneticist.

Self-training

Refusal of bad habits. Smoking and drinking alcohol can provoke hypoxia, miscarriage or lead to abnormalities in the development of organs in the fetus, so you should completely abandon these habits.

Power correction. Expectant mother needs to monitor body weight, maintaining it at an optimal level. Obesity, as well as underweight, can cause complications in both the child and the woman. However, it is also not recommended to drastically lose or gain weight, as this entails a restructuring of the hormonal background. A good way out is moderate food intake with a properly designed regimen, which a specialist can advise. It is not recommended to choose a diet on your own.

Caring for a healthy lifestyle. Good rest, hardening and physical activity are factors that contribute to the easy passage of a future pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby.

Vitamins

When planning pregnancy, vitamin complexes are recommended. Mandatory intake:

Vitamin D. It is desirable for all women preparing to conceive to receive vitamin D at a dose of 600-800 IU / day. The decision to prescribe higher doses of vitamin D should be made on the basis of determining its concentration in the blood. Hypovitaminosis D is subject to mandatory correction.
Folic acid (vitamin B9). The need for folic acid in an adult and a child over 11 years of age is 200 mcg / day. During pregnancy, it increases by another 200 micrograms, so women during this period are recommended to take folic acid at a dosage of 400 micrograms / day.
Potassium iodide. Assign according to indications in cases where the intake of iodine with food is less than 150-300 mcg / day. The drug crosses the placenta well and, when taken at a dose of more than 500 mcg / day, can cause the development of hypothyroidism and goiter in the fetus.