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

4771 comments

  • Comment Link คาสิโน1688 Sábado, 21 Diciembre 2024 00:34 posted by คาสิโน1688

    I blog frequently and I really thank you for your content.
    This article has truly peaked my interest. I'm going to bookmark your site and keep
    checking for new details about once per week. I opted in for your
    RSS feed as well.

  • Comment Link BET365เว็บไทย Sábado, 21 Diciembre 2024 00:29 posted by BET365เว็บไทย

    Hey, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.
    When I look at your blog site in Chrome, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.

    I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
    Other then that, amazing blog!

  • Comment Link apply for morocco visa Sábado, 21 Diciembre 2024 00:27 posted by apply for morocco visa

    After checking out a few of the articles on your blog, I honestly
    like your way of blogging. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark webpage list
    and will be checking back in the near future. Please visit my website as well and let
    me know how you feel.

  • Comment Link koi toto Sábado, 21 Diciembre 2024 00:26 posted by koi toto

    Hi there! I'm at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone
    3gs! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward
    to all your posts! Keep up the excellent work!

  • Comment Link BET365สมัคร Sábado, 21 Diciembre 2024 00:13 posted by BET365สมัคร

    I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the layout of your site?
    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
    But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.
    Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or 2 pictures.
    Maybe you could space it out better?

  • Comment Link ltl freight management Sábado, 21 Diciembre 2024 00:12 posted by ltl freight management

    It is appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it's time to
    be happy. I've read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you some interesting things or advice.

    Perhaps you can write next articles referring to this article.
    I desire to read more things about it!

  • Comment Link مایع ضد عفونی کننده دست Sábado, 21 Diciembre 2024 00:02 posted by مایع ضد عفونی کننده دست

    I always used to read article in news papers but now as
    I am a user of net thus from now I am using net for articles or reviews, thanks to web.

  • Comment Link e visa check Viernes, 20 Diciembre 2024 23:10 posted by e visa check

    Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the
    pictures aren't loading correctly. I'm not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
    I've tried it in two different internet browsers and
    both show the same outcome.

  • Comment Link new bokep Viernes, 20 Diciembre 2024 22:53 posted by new bokep

    Hi there,i read your blog feom time to time and i own a similar one and i wass
    juset ccurious if you get a lot oof spoam feedback?
    If sso hoow doo yyou prevent it, aany plugiin orr ahything yoou
    caan suggest? I gett sso much latelyy it's drivjng mme insane sso anyy assistance is vry much appreciated.

  • Comment Link link bokep anak kecil Viernes, 20 Diciembre 2024 22:50 posted by link bokep anak kecil

    What a material of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious familiarity regarding unexpected emotions.

Leave a comment

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