Getting pregnant is about more than simply having sex without birth control. Getting pregnant isn't always as easy or quick as most people think it will be. With so much attention paid to birth control in the media, it may seem like the moment a woman tries to conceive, it should happen instantly. However, that's often not the case, and the process can end up being long, tiresome, and frustrating.
There are several ways to help this process along. One of the first steps is to understand your body and its hormonal cycle. If you have been trying for over a year, it may be time to see a fertility doctor. Otherwise, there are plenty of tips to take into account when trying for a child.
Improving Male Fertility
One of the ways of increasing the likelihood of a successful implantation is to improve the fertility of the male. Professor Michael Lu of the UCLA Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology offers five tips on how to improve fertility. Some medical conditions can cause damage to the sperm, and some habits like drinking, smoking, and doing drugs can decrease the sperm count.
Step 1: Before You Start Trying
Step 2: Learn When You're Most Fertile
A woman isn't fertile every day of her cycle. A study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences showed that women can only get pregnant six days out of the monthly cycle—the five days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation itself.c If you and your partner are only having sex once a week, you may be missing your ovulation window.
You may have learned in high school health class that ovulation takes place 14 days after the start of your period. However, that's only a fact for people who have a consistent 28-day cycle, and not even all of those people ovulate at the same time.c
By noting a few pieces of information (your waking body temperature, cervical fluid characteristics, and cervical information) on a calendar or chart, you can confidently predict when you will ovulate and have intercourse at the time when it is most likely to get you pregnant.c
Increase Female Fertility
Materials You'll Need For Fertility Tracking
- If you do not already own one, purchase a basal thermometer. A standard thermometer is not precise enough for fertility charting.
- Print out a fertility chart or sign up for a fertility charting service online.
- Fertility UK has fertility charts that can be used with Microsoft Excel.
- You can print a free chart from Ovulation-Calculator.com.
- You can sign up for free fertility tracking software at Fertility Friend, although payment is required to access the full-featured version.
- iVillage offers an online version of the Ovusoft fertility tracking software that is very easy to use. It requires a paid subscription, although there is a free trial available.
Chart Your Basal Body Temperature
Charting basal body temperature can help predict ovulation. The temperature must be taken around the same time each day and must be done before getting up and moving around.
Charting Your Basal Body Temperature
- Start taking your temperature the first day of your period.
- Keep your basal thermometer next to your bed. If you get out of bed to get it, your movements will increase your body temperature and your readings will not be valid.c
- You should sleep for at least 3 hours for your temperature reading to be correct.c
- Check your temperature around the same time every morning.c
- As soon as you've taken your temperature, enter the information into that day's area of your fertility chart.c
- You should see your temperature jump up significantly about halfway through the month. This means you've just ovulated.c
- Your temperature should stay elevated until your next period begins, says WebMD.c
- Fertility UK has examples of temperature charts.
Monitor your Fertility Cycle
Monitoring your fertility cycle includes using ovulation prediction kits as well as monitoring basil body temperature. The temperature goes up after ovulation. A third way to monitor is through checking cervical mucous.
Reading Your Chart
As you enter all this information into your chart, you will begin to see how it all fits together. You'll develop a very clear picture of when you are fertile.
For more information and resources on fertility awareness, see Mahalo's Natural Family Planning page.
Detecting Changes In Your Cervical Fluid
- Check your cervical fluid every time you go to the bathroom.c You can do this by running either a clean, dry finger or a piece of toilet paper across your vaginal opening.
- For several days after your period, you probably won't see any cervical fluid at all, says the US Department of Health and Human Services.c
- When you start seeing cervical fluid, it will be tacky and thick, with a white or creamy color, Registered General Nurse Jane Knight says.c
- Over the next several days, Knight says, it will become thinner and wetter, and increase significantly in amount.c
- When you are fertile, your cervical fluid will look and feel like raw egg whites, says Dr. Roger Harms.c It will also be very stretchy.c
- If you use douches or other feminine hygiene products, it will alter your cervical fluid, making it difficult to judge if you are fertile.c
- If you want to improve your cervical fluid, a study in Fertility and Sterility suggests that 200mg of guaifenesin three times a day will make it thinner and improve fertility.c Guaifenesin is the active ingredient in cough medicines such as Robitussin or Mucinex.
Know When You're Pregnant
Pregnancy tests which are readily available in drug stores or mass marketers like Walmart are the best means of telling if you are pregnant. Home tests are reliable and can be used to determine pregnancy.
Detecting Changes In Your Cervix
- Your cervix will feel a bit like the tip of your nose—firm and dry. It should be easy to reach.c
- When you ovulate, it will be soft, wet, and a bit harder to reach, says WebMD.c
Determing When You Ovulate
Determining when you are ovulating allows planning sex to increase the odds of sperm and egg joining. Ovulation prediction kits can be used. These kits identify when the LH level surges, predicting ovulation to begin soon.
Step 3: Make Sex Productive
- Dr. Donnica Moore says the missionary position is more likely to get a woman pregnant.c
- Don't use artificial lubricants or lubricating oils during sex; they can kill off sperm.c If lubricants are necessary for sex, try using a brand such as Pre-seed lubricant, which is specifically designed for use by couples trying to get pregnant. It is formulated to help the sperm survive.
- Have sex frequently during your fertility window.
- If you have sex after you ovulate, you aren't likely to get pregnant. Studies show that couples who got pregnant had sex on the day of ovulation or the five days before ovulation.c
- Don't save sex only for the days that you're fertile. Have sex frequently throughout the week in order to help you catch your most fertile period.c
- Men should ejaculate at least once per day—even if it is a solo exercise. An Australian study found that men who ejaculated daily had less DNA-damaged sperm, because it is fresher and less damaged.c
- Don't douche after sex. You'll get rid of the cervical fluid that the sperm need to help them on their journey to your womb.c
Make Sex Productive
Productive sex is necessary in order to achieve fertilization of the egg. Timing of the sperm and egg must be considered when trying to get pregnant.
Step 4: Be Patient
- If you are under 35 and have been trying to get pregnant for a year without success, see your doctor.c
- If you are 35 or over and have been trying to get pregnant for six months without success, see your doctor.c
- If you or your partner have anything in your history that indicates you may have problems with fertility, see your doctor.c
Stay Fit During Pregnancy
Staying fit is a good way to increase fertility and continuing to stay fit during pregnancy is healthy for both mother and baby. Being fit coming into the pregnancy makes it easier to continue to do so while pregnancy. During pregnancy continue to work on a fitness routine.
Step 5: When All Else Fails, See a Doctor
- Bring your fertility charts with you when you see your doctor. With the information in them, the doctor may be able to tell if the woman is ovulating, and may be able to determine if she has a short luteal phase.
- The doctor may test the man's sperm to determine if he has a low sperm count or if his sperm does not have the power to penetrate the ovum, says the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.c
- The man may also undergo an ultrasound of his scrotum and rectal area.c
- A woman may have a blood test and ultrasound examinations to determine if she is ovulating.c
- A woman may have a hysterosalpingography, which is an X-ray of the uterus after the injection of fluid to determine if the fallopian tubes are blocked.c
- You may have blood or urine tests to determine that your hormone levels are normal.c
- A woman might undergo ovarian reserve testing to determine if she has enough healthy ovum to easily achieve pregnancy.c
- Genetic testing can determine if there are any genetic obstacles to fertility.c
Fertility Health Tips for Men
- Keep Cool: High temperatures can lower sperm production, making conception more difficult. Keep your scrotal temperature down by wearing loose underwear, such as boxers, and avoiding long baths, saunas and prolonged sitting.c
- Take Vitamins: Men should take vitamins such as E, C and zinc, which increase the health and mobility of your sperm.c
- Stop Smoking: Men who smoke have lower sperm counts.c
- Bear in mind that your smoking can decrease your partner's fertility: even secondhand smoke can make it more difficult for women to conceive, says a study in the journal Human Reproduction.c
- Exercise Moderately: A reasonable amount of exercise enhances your physical and reproductive health. But don't overdo it. Excessive exercise reduces the amount of testosterone in your body and, consequently, lowers your sperm count.c
- Stop Recreational Drug Use: You should start discontinuing the use of substances such as alcohol and recreational drugs (including marijuana, cocaine and amphetamines), which can compromise the quality and quantity of your sperm. Some substances also lessen the male's sex drive.c
- Avoid Toxins: Clear your work and living places of hazardous materials such as heavy metals, pesticides and chemical solvents that can adversely affect the health of your sperm.c
- Reverse Your Vasectomy: If you've had a vasectomy, you will need to have a vasectomy reversal. It takes a few months for the sperm to reappear in the semen after surgery and vasectomy reversal leads to successful conception in 52% of men over the course of two years.c
Understanding Trimesters
Once pregnant you will hear many discussions related to events which will occur in a certain trimester. Understanding the breakdown of which pregnancy weeks fall in the three semesters and what occurs in each gives a better understanding of what should be expected.
Fertility Health Tips for Women
- Discontinue Birth Control: You must discontinue all birth control if you are trying to have a baby.c
- If you have an IUD, get it removed.
- If you are on the pill, stop taking it at the end of the current cycle. Your chances of getting pregnant after discontinuing the Pill are about the same as that of someone who has never taken it.c
- If you are on Depo-Provera, it will take about nine or ten months after discontinuing shots to get pregnant.c
- Stop Smoking: Women who smoke find it harder to conceive.c
- Reduce Stress: Reducing stress will increase your chances of conception.c
- Manage Weight: If you are underweight or overweight, try to bring your weight to a level that is more appropriate for your body.c According to a study at the University of South Carolina at Charleston, the majority of overweight and underweight women with fertility problems were able to achieve pregnancy once they reached their ideal weight.c
Other Mahalo Pregnancy How-To Pages
You may be interested in these Mahalo How to pages related to pregnancy:
- How to Get Pregnant Fast
- How to Get Pregnant Videos
- How to Improve Male Fertility
- How to Calculate Due Date
- What Are Pregnancy Trimesters
- How to Monitor Your Fertility Cycle
- How to Chart Your Basal Body Temperature
- How to Improve Fertility
- How to Calculate Ovulation
- How to Find a Fertility Specialist
- How to Monitor Your Fertility Cycle
- How to Choose a Fertility Doctor
- How to Find a Gynecologist
- How to Induce Labor
- How to Induce Labor Naturally
Calculate Due Date
Calculating a pregnancy due date is as simple as adding nine months and seven days to the first day of your last menstrual period. Knowing the due date is a common first question when finding out about pregnancy.
References
Disclaimer
The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using the information presented here.
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Track your body's cycle closely so you can accurately predict when you will ovulate.
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Fact:
If you track your cycle via basal temperature readings, be sure to take your temp before you get out of bed in the morning to get an accurate read.
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Fact:
Artificial lubricants and oils can hinder the sperm and can lessen your chances of conceiving. -
Fact:
Do not douche after having sex, as this will remove vital cervical fluid that aids the sperm progress.
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Fact:
The missionary position is typically the most successful position for impregnation.
