Many woman find themselves ready to take that big step into parenthood but aren’t quite sure how to go about becoming pregnant. Fortunately, there are several ways to increase one’s likelihood of becoming pregnant. The following are a series of tips for getting pregnant naturally.
#1 Familiarity with Menstrual Cycle
One of the most essential steps in becoming pregnant is for the woman to thoroughly understand her cycle. Understanding the symptoms that occur along with ovulation will greatly improve the likelihood of conceiving a child. These changes include a more watery mucus emitted from the cervix, elevated basal temperature etc.
For those who are not confident in their ability to understand their cycle, ovulation tests are available that can help the woman to determine when the best time to have sex would be. With the menstrual cycle starting on the first day of the woman’s period, the best days to start testing for ovulation is on day 9 until the test comes back positive. The average woman has a 28 day cycle with ovulation occurring on the 14th day.
#2 Preconception Checkup
Before a woman tries to conceive, it’s a good idea to receive a checkup with a doctor who will suggest which prenatal vitamins should be taken. Folic acid is one of the most important supplements as it has been shown to greatly reduce the chances of the baby developing spina bifida or other neural tube defects. The doctor will also be able to address other medical issues the woman might have before conception occurs.
#3 Healthy Diet and Lifestyle
Whether trying to conceive or not, eating well and exercising regularly is essential. However, when wishing to become pregnant, it is possible for a woman to exercise too much, causing a cessation in ovulation.
Moderate exercise, consisting of approximately half an hour three times per week, is ideal when trying to conceive. Additionally, dieting should be handled with care as well. If a woman is obese, weight may need to be lost for ovulation to occur but women who are underweight may experience the same problem and need to gain weight.
Smoking should be ceased when trying to get pregnant as links have been made between smoking and a decline and fertility. It has been shown to affect the levels of estrogen in the body and, hence, ovulation.
#4 Sexual Frequency
Although it is important to have a sex on a regular basis in order to conceive, it is possible to have sex too often and actually hurt the process. Depending upon the man, sperm counts can decrease if ejaculation occurs too often. For the most part, sex should be had between once per day to every other day during ovulation. Sperm are able to survive within the woman’s body for a maximum of 72 hours after sex.
#5 Stress
Although the process of becoming pregnant can be quite stressful, it is essential that the woman reduce the stress in her life as much as possible as stress has been shown to negatively affect ovulation. Not only can stress affect the woman but studies have also shown it to lead to anxiety about sexual performance and sexual dysfunction in men as well.
The above tips for getting pregnant have been shown to be highly helpful when trying to conceive but are certainly not the only items to consider. Consulting with the physician at the preconception checkup can also provide the woman with additional suggestions and helpful advice.
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