Do you want to get the coveted strips on a pregnancy test? Do you want to get pregnant quickly? What to do if several months have already passed, since you and your partner stopped using protection, but pregnancy does not occur? What can you do by yourself?
Hello, dear! My name is Maria, I am a fertility coach and a mother of 5 children. I know a lot about pregnancy and motherhood and I do love children and my work in the mami.clinic. Today I want to share with you 7 rules that once helped me and every time help my clients get closer to their desired goal – motherhood.
So, you have a partner, you are a couple and you have decided to have a baby. Well, that’s great! You have actively begun the process, but pregnancy does not occur. Menstruation comes, and all dreams of a long-awaited pregnancy are crumbling. From a medical point of view, everything is simple: ovulation + sexual contact = pregnancy. With regular sex without contraception, this will take 3-12 months. According to the International Health Organization, about 40% of couples solved this “problem” in the first three months. But remember: it is very rare to conceive a child during the first night “of love”. And there are too many details in life that are worth considering in this process. Of course, I’m not talking about serious problems and diagnoses now – In this case, offline consultation and serious diagnostics are necessary.
But there is a list of the first elementary steps that a woman must take if she wants to get pregnant. It is about them that we will talk right now.
Are you ready?))
Rule 1: Stop taking birth control
Of course, you would have guessed about it by yourself, but I will comment this rule anyway.
Various methods of contraception can affect a woman’s body for some time even after they are canceled. So, after hormonal contraception, an adaptation period is required. As a rule, after refusing to take pills, it takes 6-8 weeks – and you will see your new cycle. If after 8-10 weeks you still haven’t got your period, ask your doctor for help.
As for barrier methods (condoms or caps, non-hormonal intrauterine device), their cancellation usually does not affect the body in any way. Pregnancy can occur as soon as the time of ovulation comes. Just be vigilant: now you are not protected from infections. Can you trust your partner? You see, I am a fertility coach – get used to think about such things!
Rule 2: Get simple tests
If you want to become a mother, you should understand that your body will soon experience great physical exertion, serious physiological changes await it, so it is better if you meet pregnancy in excellent shape.
Come to your clinic and ask for a routine women’s health examination. An obstetrician-gynecologist will ask a few general questions about your state of health and offer to undergo simple tests – a blood test (it may show anemia or the presence of inflammatory processes in the body), a smear to detect STIs or dysbacteriosis, an ultrasound of the ovaries. Remember: treatment of inflammation and diseases of the genital area must be completed before pregnancy is planned. Male cells are very sensitive! In the presence of even a simple thrush, the acidity in the vagina can increase or decrease significantly, and spermatozoa are adapted to move only at pH-4.5.
Be sure to tell the doctor about all diseases and problems of the body – even if they are not related to the female reproductive system; if your relatives had hereditary diseases – tell about them. Please, mention the medications you are currently taking. All this will allow the doctor to get a complete picture of your physiology.
A partner can also visit an urologist or andrologist and do a simple body examination: in the end, regular health monitoring has not hurt anyone yet. Usually this is a blood test and ultrasound of the male genital organs, sometimes the clinic offers to make a spectrogram of sperm – but this is not necessary at first.
I also advise you both to visit a dentist, to cure all your teeth before pregnancy.
This future period is known to be hard on teeth and gums, and oral bacteria can be passed from partner to partner through kissing and oral sex. Yes, and treating teeth during pregnancy is such an undertaking.
Rule 3: Learn to recognize your ovulation time
I advise you to use the ovulation calculator – trust me, your goal is worth it!
Download the app or use a simple calendar and start tracking your menstrual cycle. Just always write down the first day of your period.
You know that the chance of getting pregnant is maximum during the period of ovulation – and this is only one days! With an average cycle length of 28 days, it occurs approximately on day 14th-16th. The measurement of basal temperature helps calculate the “X time” more accurately. On the days of ovulation, it rises by 0.2-0.4 degrees – but here you have to be disciplined and measure the temperature every morning before getting out of bed, using a special thermometer, designed to measure temperature in tenths of a degree.
You can also use a special test to determine ovulation, which is sold in pharmacies. It can be bought without a prescription. It is easy to use – just like a pharmacy pregnancy test: only this test measures the level of luteinizing hormone. The female body always produces that hormone, but it becomes more in the 24-48 hours before ovulation. If the cycle is irregular, it is better to consult a gynecologist, he or she will calculate favorable days with the help of folliculometry (ultrasound for ovulation).
I also advise you to write down the symptoms of ovulation – your body usually sends you clear signals: as if it wants to say “baby, it’s time”! This is usually the secretion of clear elastic mucus from the vagina,
increased desire for sex, particular sensitivity of the breast, swelling of the abdomen, aggravation of taste or smell.
Rule 4: Have sex “the right” way
Make love regularly – oh, that’s my favorite rule! You and your partner should understand that “you can’t even catch a fish out of a pond without effort”. Therefore, 3-4 times a week, you should pay attention to your main goal and enjoy each other in a bad.
Also, urologists are unanimous in the opinion that sperm fertility directly depends on the number of sexual contacts per week. The optimal amount they call is also 3-4 times a week. It is at this rhythm that the maximum number of active strong spermatozoa is synthesized in the sperm. With more frequent relationships, the semen liquefies and contains an insufficient amount of sperm for pregnancy. With rarer contacts, on the contrary, the sperm thickens, becomes viscous and thick, the number of spermatozoa is large, but their mobility is weak, which prevents fertilization.
But here it is impossible to overdo it! Even during ovulation, you should not have sex more than once a day. Yes, babe – not more.
And one more thing: do not believe the myths that there are special “pregnant” positions. Scientific studies have not revealed any “superfertile” positions – you can get pregnant in any position. The only thing to consider is to choose a position in which both partners feel comfortable and can enjoy the process and achieve orgasm.
For greater confidence after sex, you can lie on your back, bend your knees and pull them to your stomach. Lie down like this for 20-30 minutes – so the sperm will linger longer in the right place.
Rule 5: Don’t do this!
There are a number of habitual actions that you or your partner regularly perform – you should change these habits if one day you want to see the cherished two stripes on the pregnancy test.
– Stop using lubricant in the love process.
Of course, lubrication makes the process of intercourse comfortable, but some lubes contain substances that are unfavorable for sperm – they can increase the likelihood of sperm dying before they reach the egg. Ask your partner to pay special attention to foreplay – t en a sufficient amount of natural lubrication will be released. Or carefully read the instructions on the lubes bottles – there are some lubricants that are friendly to sperm.
– Give oral sex up during your ovulation days.
Well, first of all, your partner shouldn’t have an orgasm outside of your body. Secondly, there are studies proving that a large amount of saliva can reduce sperm motility. Better to be safe and not to do oral pleasure for 2-3 days.
– Do not run to the toilet immediately after sex and do not take a vaginal shower.
Both of these actions can reduce your chances of getting pregnant. And in general, to be honest, doctors are against such a shower on any day – it can provoke pelvic infections.
– Ask your partner not to take hot baths, not to go to saunas (well, suddenly he is an amateur!) and temporarily not to wear tight underwear.
According to the European Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, hot water can have a negative effect on sperm count, and overly tight underwear and trousers can impair sperm quality. Yes, and these are not grandmother’s tales! In the end, give him a supply of boxers for Christmas – make him wear it for you!
And for now it is better for him to carry a mobile phone in a bag or in a shirt pocket on his chest – in no case in a pocket of trousers or denim shorts! Can you guess why?
Rule 6: Lead a healthy lifestyle
Probably, it will seem to you that now I will mumble things you know just like your mother! But let me still remind you: your body is waiting for a serious test in the near future, so if you please, take care of it.
– Try to give up bad habits – smoking and alcohol are not the best friends of future parents. Scientists around the world have associated an increased risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy with smoking. In addition, women who smoke tend to have lower levels of estrogen, which can reduce the chance of ovulation and affect the continuation of a pregnancy.
One glass of wine will certainly not kill you, but for a tiny fetus, any amount of alcohol is undesirable. Since you are now trying to conceive – it is better to give up drinking alcohol for a while.
By the way, the father of a child should at least slightly limit the consumption of bad things: both alcohol and smoking negatively affect the quality of his sperm.
– It is desirable to normalize your weight: BMI should not be lower than 18.5 and not higher than 25. According to the International Health Association, both obesity and underweight can provoke irregular ovulation, so it will take longer to conceive.
– Find time to do some exercises. You don’t need to wear yourself out with exercise – half an hour of aerobics or walking is enough, but it is important to do it regularly.
Your goal is to prepare the body for pregnancy, pump the heart muscle and improve general health. You can find special gymnastics that will help facilitate childbirth. Do everything for fun: extreme physical activity can disrupt the menstrual cycle and provoke a decline in fertility.
– Control your caffeine intake.
Let the dose of coffee consumed be no more than 1-2 medium cups per day, and drink not very strong tea. There is some scientific evidence that excessive caffeine intake may affect fertility badly.
– Buy prenatal vitamins and start taking them.
Any proprietary complex of such vitamins contains folic acid, vitamins A and E, Ca, Mg. For example, it has been proven that folic acid is crucial for the development of a child in the womb, helps stimulate ovulation, and promotes fertilization. Ca will protect against bone destruction, which happens very often during pregnancy. Of course, it is better if your gynecologist prescribes such vitamins for you – after all, they are sold in a pharmacy, which means you shouldn’t take them uncontrollably.
– Now you should abandon restrictive diets and eat well, choosing healthy foods rich in vitamins and minerals: fresh fruits, vegetables, milk products, sea fish and whole grains. Such a diet increases the level of the hormone progesterone, which supports ovulation and helps to keep the pregnancy early. And even more often buy strawberries, spinach, beans and orange juice – they have a lot of folic acid. Eat cheese and drink yogurt regularly – they contain calcium.
Rule 7: Watch your psychological well-being
And, most importantly, do not go in cycles in pregnancy. Scientists have proven that constant thoughts about the unborn child create a psychological block that prevents conception. Emotional stress increases the release of prolactin, a stress hormone that can block the maturation and release of an egg from the ovaries.
Try to be gentler in dealing with stress. You can master self-help practices – meditation, breathing practices; keep a diary, talk to your friends, or see a therapist if you feel the stress needs to come out. The World Health Organization notes that there is a direct link between stress and infertility. Take magnesium – It will help the nervous system, and during pregnancy it will protect you from night cramps.
Try to spend time with your partner. Learn to support and hear each other, share feelings, plans for the future, fears. Relationships are more than just time spent in the bedroom. And men are no less sensitive than women – believe me as a scientist!
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Here are the 7 rules, following which you can bring the cherished day closer.
If more than a year has passed, but two strips on the pregnancy test have not appeared, seek help from professionals. Remember the statistics: only about 20% of couples can boast of having a pregnancy in the first cycle, while for the rest, it occurs up to 2 years after the start of the journey. And even if you and your partner are under 30 years old and you are both at the peak of fertility, then your chances of getting pregnant in a particular month are only 1 in 5. There are a lot of concomitant factors that affect this process. Yes, dear, sometimes it is a real challenge!
And remember that the ability to conceive decreases with age, so if you are over 35 years old, then you should not wait – seek help from your doctor six months after trying in vain to get pregnant. I can assure you – in most cases, specialists solve the problem and pregnancy occurs in the first year of medical support.
I sincerely wish you to be healthy and happy. And I remind you: this material is a general recommendation. If you have any personal circumstances or peculiarities, take the time to go to a qualified doctor as soon as possible.
Thank you Maria ❤️
I’m glad it was helpful to you