Every woman is looking for ways to improve her chances of conceiving a baby. However, if you are one such lady, you should know that the best tips for conception are also the very same ones that want you to make the switch to a healthier lifestyle. After all, being healthy does not only ensure your fertility; it also ensures the birth of a healthy, happy baby.
Here are 10 tips that you should adapt now in order to have a baby.
1) Make it a habit to record the frequency of your menstrual cycle
If you haven’t begun monitoring the frequency of your menstrual cycle since your very first period, you should start now. If you have a regular cycle, you should observe that each period would have the same number of days within the cycle each month. Tracking irregular cycles are even more important since they come at different dates and have varying durations. By monitoring your menstrual cycle on your calendar, it will be easier for you to determine when you are ovulating so that you and your spouse can time sexual intercourse accordingly.
2) Monitor your ovulation
In women with regular cycles, ovulation occurs within 12 to 16 days prior to the start of their next menses. However, in women that have an irregular cycle, you can monitor for ovulation through measuring basal body temperature or BBT (BBT rises by 1/2 degree Fahrenheit at ovulation) and by checking the quality of cervical mucus. A better option is to use an ovulation prediction kit, which measures the amount of luteinizing hormone in the urine. Three days after a positive result is obtained, you and your spouse can have intercourse with an increased your chance of conceiving.
3) Sexual intercourse during the fertile window
You stand the best chance of having a baby if you and your spouse will time your sexual intercourse during the “fertile window”. This fertile window consists of the first day of your ovulation and 2 to 5 days before it. Having sex every other day during this period will give you a 33 percent possibility of conception. On the other hand, having sex daily improves your chance by up to 37 percent.
4) Best sexual position for pregnancy
While even experts argue over the role of sexual position to achieve pregnancy, there is one factor that remains unchanged and undeniable – gravity. Having sex in a standing position will cause the semen to drip down from the birth canal and make it difficult for the sperm to travel on its way to meet the egg. In contrast, the best position is the missionary with the pelvis slightly tilted with the use of a cushion beneath your butt because the flow of semen and sperm will be downward easily entering the birth canal and uterus.
5) Watch your weight
Studies have demonstrated that obesity/overweightness and thinness have adverse effects on conception due to their interference with ovulation and the imbalance that they cause on sex hormones. Obese and overweight women (Body Mass Index or BMI higher than 35) have two times greater difficulty in conceiving than women with normal weight. In contrast, underweight women (BMI less than 19) have four times greater difficulty in having a baby.
6) Stop smoking
Women who smoke 10 or more cigarettes daily have three times greater difficulty in conceiving compared to non-smokers. This is because the chemicals in cigarette smoke increase the rate of loss of a woman’s eggs. Consequently, women should also avoid secondhand smoke.
7) Stop alcohol drinking
Drinking alcohol has a detrimental effect on fertility. Although a study showed that drinking 5 alcoholic beverages or less weekly does not affect the length of time for conception to occur, it is best to stop drinking completely if you want to increase your chances of having a baby.
8) Eat a healthy diet
To achieve conception, it is best eat foods that promote fertility. These would include higher quantities of plant proteins and fruits and vegetables, omega 3-fatty acids from FDA approved fish like salmon, and folic acid rich foods like broccoli and other green leafy veggies or in supplement form.
9) Reduce strenuous exercises
Strenuous workouts have been documented to interfere with ovulation, leading to irregular menses in women. To increase chances of conceiving, it would be best to cut back on rigorous exercises.
10) Reduce exposure to harmful toxins and chemicals
Harmful chemicals and pesticides in the home can also affect fertility. While trying to conceive, have someone else clean your home for you or wear a protective mask and gloves when using household chemicals.
