What is the way to get 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 get pregnant quickly the first time
Is it possible to get pregnant the first time?
The process of fertilization is very complicated, so the chances of successful conception in one menstrual cycle are only 25%. And this despite the fact that both spouses are young and do not have any health problems.
Thus, if you did not succeed in getting pregnant the first time, there is no reason for concern.
nine0004 What should be done to get pregnant sooner?You need to prepare for a future pregnancy in advance. This approach will help increase the likelihood of conception and prevent dangerous complications during the period of bearing a child.
First of all, future parents should visit a doctor and undergo an examination, which the doctor will prescribe after asking the necessary questions and conducting an examination. In particular, both spouses must be tested for STIs and other dangerous infections. A man will need to do a spermogram - a study that will help assess his reproductive health. If any violations are detected, the doctor will prescribe a course of treatment. nine0003
Best time to get pregnant
To get pregnant faster, try to have an active sex life during the period that is most favorable for conception, that is, a few days before, on the day of ovulation and a few days after. It must be borne in mind that the viability of the egg after leaving the ovary is about 1.5-2 days, and the viability of spermatozoa in the female genital tract is about 2-3 days.
Calculate ovulation date for conception
Ovulation Calculator
Length of your cycle
Start date of your period
Planning advice
On various resources on the Internet you can see a lot of advice for those who want to get pregnant quickly. Unfortunately, most of them have no practical value. So, the possibility of pregnancy does not affect whether a woman has reached orgasm during intercourse and whether she then stood in the “birch” position. nine0003
To increase your chances, a few months before the expected date of conception, start to lead a healthy lifestyle, giving up bad habits.
Eat right, including in the menu foods high in various vitamins, trace elements, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Excess weight, as well as sharp fluctuations in body weight, negatively affect reproductive function.
Moderate exercise will be beneficial. Both a sedentary lifestyle and too intense training can prevent you from getting pregnant quickly. nine0003
Both parents-to-be need to take folic acid, which will not only reduce the risk of neural tube defects in the baby, but also increase sperm fertility. Keep in mind that any drugs, including vitamins, are prescribed only by the attending physician after the examination.
Folk remedies for conceiving a child
To increase reproductive function, decoctions from various herbs can be used: upland uterus, sage, St. John's wort. However, it is important to remember that any means (including folk remedies) should be used only after consulting with your doctor. nine0003
Is posture important
There is no scientific evidence that certain positions fundamentally affect the onset of pregnancy, so it makes no sense to waste time choosing the ideal positions for conception.
When to See a Doctor
If pregnancy has not occurred after a year of active sexual activity without using any contraception (or 6 months if you are over 35), you should seek help from a specialized institution that diagnoses and treats infertility. nine0003 Infertility is not always based on serious disorders of the reproductive system. Sometimes a minimal examination and correction is enough. It is important not to postpone a visit to a reproductive specialist, since in this case time is one of the decisive factors.
If the examination revealed any violations, the doctor will develop an effective course of treatment. For example, in the presence of infectious and inflammatory diseases, as a rule, a course of antibiotics and physiotherapy are prescribed. nine0002 If a woman has a menstrual cycle, the doctor may recommend a lifestyle and nutrition correction, as well as taking hormonal drugs.
With excess or, conversely, insufficient body weight, it is necessary to normalize the weight. If you can’t cope with the problem on your own, you should seek help from a nutritionist.
If you're worried about not getting pregnant, try switching things up: spend more time on hobbies, learn something new, take a trip with your spouse. Are you still nervous? Contact a perinatal psychologist and tell him about all the anxieties and doubts. Sometimes only a few sessions of therapy can achieve the onset of a long-awaited pregnancy. nine0003
What if pregnancy still does not occur?
If pregnancy has not occurred after a year of active sexual life without the use of any contraception (or 6 months if you are over 35 years old), you need to seek help from a specialized clinic that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of infertility.
A gynecologist-reproductologist will ask the necessary questions, conduct an examination and prescribe an examination that will identify all the reasons that prevent successful conception. nine0003
The possibilities of modern medicine make it possible to achieve the birth of a child in the most seemingly hopeless situations. With the help of ART methods (assisted reproductive technologies), even women who have had their uterus removed and men who have no sperm in the seminal fluid can become parents. Remember that infertility is not a sentence, but only a temporary state of the body.
It is important not to postpone a visit to a reproductive specialist, since in this case time is one of the decisive factors. The sooner you seek help, the easier and shorter the path to the birth of your baby will be. nine0003
Please note! If pregnancy does not occur within a year of regular intercourse without contraception, the couple should be examined.
Top 10 mistakes when trying to get pregnant
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There are times when doctors did not reveal any abnormalities in you and your partner, but the long-awaited pregnancy still does not occur. And it already seems to you that this is not a natural phenomenon, but the real magic of luck and genetics. For some, pregnancy happens "from the first time", while others turn their lives into a real nightmare. nine0056 It's all about making similar mistakes, we tell you about the most common of them.
Mistake #1⃣: Worrying too much
Chances are you have at least one friend who, after becoming pregnant, said, "It happened exactly at the moment when I stopped thinking about it." It's annoying, frustrating, and nerve-wracking, especially when all you want to do is have a baby. Stress can be one of the main reasons you can't get pregnant: high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can negatively impact fertility. Relax and try to let go of the situation for a while. Stop planning your pregnancy so much and remind yourself every day that this is a miracle that actually happens very, very often. nine0056 Mistake #2⃣: Doing Too Much/Little
If you're going to do this, do it right! Many couples believe that if you "save" sperm and do not have sex for a week, then the chances of conception will increase significantly. This is not true. After about a week of abstinence, sperm motility is markedly reduced. For successful conception, doctors recommend having sex every day or every other day for a week up to and including the day of ovulation. In addition, having regular sex has been proven to help regulate your cycle: your partner's body releases hormones that affect your reproductive system, so having regular sex increases the production of estrogen. nine0056 Mistake #3⃣: Use questionable practices
It would seem that the 21st century is in the yard, but many women still continue to believe in the miraculous power of douching. Sperm in such an environment dies and cannot fertilize the egg, which is why many people use a weak solution of soda to make the environment alkaline and create favorable conditions for conception. But doctors are opposed to this method: soda kills not only harmful microorganisms, but also beneficial ones, thus violating the natural pH of the vagina. nine0056 Mistake #4⃣: Blame Yourself
Speaking of infertility, we tend to think that the problem is on the part of the woman. But in fact, the responsibility lies equally on both partners. Doctors say that in 40% of cases of infertility, the cause must be sought on the part of the man, in another 40% - on the part of the woman. The remaining 20% is compatibility, a combination of both partners. But do not panic ahead of time. Remember that it takes 6 months to a year for a healthy couple to successfully conceive. nine0056 Mistake #5⃣: Miscalculating
The most common mistake is the incorrect determination of the day of ovulation. Another common mistake is not counting the beginning of the cycle from the first day of menstruation. The first day of your period is when you bleed. Not the day before, not the day after. For successful conception, the bill goes literally to the clock, which is why it is so important to know the exact day the cycle began.
Mistake #6⃣: Living on a schedule
No matter how hard you try, pregnancy is impossible to plan. As mentioned above, it takes a healthy couple from 6 months to a year to conceive. But many women need half a year just to normalize their cycle after they stop taking contraceptives. Ovulation will not occur until the cycle becomes regular. Therefore, if after 6 months your cycle has not returned to normal or you are not sure that you are ovulating, it is worth visiting a doctor. nine0056 Mistake #7⃣: Hurry
No one knows why so many people are sarcastic about the statement that after intercourse it is advisable to lie on your back with your buttocks slightly raised for about 20 minutes. Doctors unanimously claim that this method increases the possibility of conception by as much as 80%! Therefore, if you want to dance a victory dance after a successful conception, as you think, refrain - at least for 20 minutes.
Mistake #8⃣: Ignoring your “crazy” worries
Maybe you have always had an irregular cycle and because of this you are having difficulty conceiving. Or perhaps you have diabetes and want to make sure everything is under control before you get pregnant. Consulting a specialist does not mean being paranoid! There are situations in which you should not ignore your worries: here you are thinking not only about yourself, but also about your unborn child. If you have any questions or worries, it is better to immediately find a specialist who will explain everything and tell you about the pitfalls that you may encounter specifically on your way. Thus, if you encounter difficulties in trying to get pregnant, you will already be ready for them. nine0056 Mistake #9⃣: Not giving up bad habits
A lot has already been said on this topic, but it will still not be superfluous to repeat: it is necessary to give up bad habits at least a year before trying to get pregnant. Why do women continue to drink alcohol and smoke, knowing how detrimental this affects the ability to conceive? Doctors around the world warn: the first trimester is the most important in the formation of the child's body.
