Ready to Conceive? What to Know Before You Start Trying

Miércoles, 24 Febrero 2016 04:14

If you want to have a baby, there are things you need to know–beyond the birds-and-bees basics–that can help enhance your fertility. We talked to our experts for advice on getting to that positive pregnancy test sooner:

Know Your Cycle

As you learned in biology class, the best time to conceive is right around ovulation. But do you know when you’re ovulating? “As soon as you start thinking about trying to get pregnant, it’s important to become more aware of your cycle,” says Bernadette Donovan, a One Medical Group nurse practitioner in San Francisco specializing in women’s health. Ovulation normally happens mid-cycle, but since menstrual cycles can vary tremendously from person to person, it pays to keep track of yours for several months–noting when you start your period, how long it lasts and when you are ovulating (you should notice an increase in cervical mucus around ovulation). “Your most fertile days include the two or three before and after actual ovulation,” says Donovan, so plan to have intercourse several times during that time window.

Stop Smoking

You shouldn’t smoke once you’re pregnant (it can have serious negative consequences for the fetus), so it pays to quit now. As a bonus, ditching the cigarettes may actually help you get pregnant. “There is a direct connection between smoking and reduced fertility,” says Donovan. Cigarette smoke can damage the eggs and contribute to premature aging of your ovaries, and since DNA abnormalities are a leading cause of miscarriage, smoking can affect both your ability to get and to stay pregnant.

Watch Your Weight

Being either overweight or underweight can affect your hormones, throwing off your menstrual cycle and your fertility. “Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic condition linked to being overweight, and women who suffer from PCOS may stop ovulating,” says Donovan. Likewise, women who are underweight may lose their menstrual cycles altogether or may have irregular ovulation, making it more difficult to know when they are most fertile.

Reduce Stress

Sometimes the stress of trying to have a baby can be part of what makes it difficult to conceive. Stress causes the release of the hormone cortisol, which affects many of the body’s systems and can interfere with the normal balance of other hormones. “It can be especially hard for high-achieving women who are used to having control over when things happen,” says Donovan. “Having trouble with fertility and not having control over when you get pregnant is quite a jolt.” But being told to “just relax” can add to your stress levels. Don’t make “relaxing” just another entry on your to-do list, but try to take positive steps toward reducing the amount of stress in your daily life. Getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising regularly can help–as can more traditional stress reduction techniques like meditation, deep breathing, yoga, massage, or acupuncture. “The key is to bring balance and peace to your life,” says Donovan. “You want your body to be a nice, peaceful environment in order to encourage pregnancy.”

Don’t Delay

Even though many women are having babies in their late 30s and early 40s, fertility clearly declines with age. In this respect, biology has not evolved as quickly as modern-day society; cultural norms may be shifting pregnancy ages later, but a woman’s quantity and quality of eggs declines significantly in her 30s.

Last modified on Jueves, 25 Febrero 2016 06:36

95193 comments

  • Comment Link multiple accounts on same domain Martes, 12 Septiembre 2023 03:47 posted by multiple accounts on same domain

    I'm not sure why but this website is loading very slow for me.
    Is anyone else having this problem or is it a problem on my end?
    I'll check back later on and see if the problem still exists.
    https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1423540

  • Comment Link https://one.new-tkf.xyz/user/CristinaRoyston/ Martes, 12 Septiembre 2023 03:31 posted by https://one.new-tkf.xyz/user/CristinaRoyston/

    Hello i am kavin, its my first time to commenting anyplace, when i read this paragraph i thought i could also create comment due to this brilliant piece of writing. https://one.new-tkf.xyz/user/CristinaRoyston/

  • Comment Link check همینجا پست را بررسی کنید Martes, 12 Septiembre 2023 03:27 posted by check همینجا پست را بررسی کنید

    Helⅼo! Would you mind iff I share youг blog with my twitter grouр?
    There's a lοt of people tһat Ι think would reɑlly enjoy yur
    content. Pleaѕe let me know. Thanks

  • Comment Link viagra Martes, 12 Septiembre 2023 03:14 posted by viagra

    you're truly a excellent webmaster. The web site loading
    velocity is incredible. It kind of feels that you're doing any
    distinctive trick. Also, The contents are masterwork.
    you've performed a wonderful activity on this matter!

  • Comment Link читать по ссылке Martes, 12 Septiembre 2023 02:59 posted by читать по ссылке

    %%

  • Comment Link [17] khmerhusband_video wife part2 Martes, 12 Septiembre 2023 02:07 posted by [17] khmerhusband_video wife part2

    Thnk youu ffor thee god writeup. It iin fact waas a amusemennt account it.
    Look advanced to far added agrreeable frm you! However, hhow can we communicate?

  • Comment Link lk777 Martes, 12 Septiembre 2023 01:56 posted by lk777

    I was excited to find this site. I wanted to thank you for
    your time just for this fantastic read!!
    I definitely appreciated every little bit of it and i also have you book-marked to see new information on your site.

  • Comment Link Best car rental Company Dubai Martes, 12 Septiembre 2023 00:47 posted by Best car rental Company Dubai

    I feel this is among the most important information for me.

    And i am glad reading your article. But want to remark on few basic things, The web site style
    is wonderful, the articles is in reality great
    : D. Good activity, cheers

  • Comment Link sbobet Martes, 12 Septiembre 2023 00:45 posted by sbobet

    Amazing issues here. I'm very happy to peer your post.
    Thank you a lot and I'm taking a look ahead to touch you.
    Will you kindly drop me a mail?

  • Comment Link cat supplies Martes, 12 Septiembre 2023 00:26 posted by cat supplies

    Everything is very open with a clear description of the challenges.

    It was definitely informative. Your website is very helpful.
    Thanks for sharing!

Leave a comment

Make sure you enter all the required information, indicated by an asterisk (*). HTML code is not allowed.