How to Get Pregnant - (Download FREE eBook)

Some people have all the luck when it comes to getting pregnant, but for others it proves to be a bit more difficult. If you think that there's some sort of trick to it; you are absolutely right. Patience, timing and good old-fashioned luck are all at play. There are some very important things that you should know when you set out to have your baby.

How does it work?

Most women have a very particular formula that their body follows every month. This formula is what allows them to conceive and with luck; to have children. It's also what causes you to menstruate every month.

In a healthy reproductive system, there are three phases to your menstrual cycle. Just like anything else, there's the prep work, the delivery and the clean-up. The timing of your cycle is specific to you and may vary somewhat each month.

The Prep Work

Your pituitary gland releases hormones that tell your ovaries to produce an egg for ovulation. You probably already know that you are born with all of the eggs that you will ever have, but they are only released one or two, at a time. Eggs are stored in little fluid-filled sacs, known as follicles. Over the course of approximately 10-14 days, a dominant follicle will emerge to deliver the egg that will be released during this cycle.

The Delivery

The dominant follicle will release the mature egg that was chosen this cycle at around day 14. The egg will be picked up by the fallopian tube, which is like the elevator from the ovaries to the uterus. This is known as ovulation. Sperm has about 24 hours to meet up with the egg as it travels. Sperm can live in your reproductive system for up to three days, so frequent sex around the time that you ovulate, will give you the best odds for conception.

The Clean-up

This part will vary depending on if your egg was fertilized on the way to the uterus.

• If your egg was not fertilized or did not attach to your uterine lining, it will break down. The lining that your uterus had prepared in case of pregnancy will break down as well. Your body will clean up for the next cycle and you will begin to menstruate.

• If your egg was fertilized, it should attach to the uterine lining within the next five days. If this occurs you will not experience a menstrual cycle and your body will begin to nurture the embryo. Your clean-up won't start for approximately forty weeks.

When am I fertile?

During your ovulation you are at the height of your fertility. Though this is important information, it’s not nearly as important as knowing when you’re ovulating. Some women have no problem pinpointing ovulation, but for some, it takes much more planning. Here are some basic tools to finding your fertility.

The Calendar

We are talking about a cycle here. The good thing about cycles is that they repeat themselves and often times, they are predictable. If you pay attention to your personal cycle it can give you clues about your own fertility.

Pick up or print out a simple calendar that you can track your personal cycle on. Use a red marker or stickers in your journal if you'd like, as long as you remember to track two things: the first day and the last day of each period. What you will learn from tracking these two pieces of information is the average length of your cycle and duration of your period.

For someone with a 28 day cycle, the most fertile time is about 14 days after the last menstrual period begins. If you have a long cycle, take the number of days in your shortest cycle and subtract 18. When your next menstrual period begins, count out that number of days and you will likely be entering your most fertile week.

Using your calendar is a free and easy way to try and predict your ovulation. Though it sounds pretty black and white, there are women who don’t cycle consistently. Also, illness, exercise and stress can have a direct effect on the timing of your ovulation. If you find that this method does not work for your particular cycle, there are other methods.

The Thermometer

This method is only slightly more complicated than counting the days on a calendar. All you need is a notebook and a thermometer. It’s known as charting your basal body temperature.

Your basal body temperature is the temperature of your body when you are completely at rest. This temperature can be taken orally with any regular or digital thermometer, or you can pick one up specifically meant for measuring your basal body temperature. It’s necessary for you to keep your notebook and thermometer by your bed, because you’ll be taking your temperature as soon as you wake up every morning, before you leave the comfort of your bed.

During ovulation your basal temperature will hopefully rise, either gradually or suddenly. The approximate amount that it will increase will only be between 0.4 to 1.0 degrees Fahrenheit, but it will stay elevated for more or less three days. You have most likely ovulated when your temperature has risen. It’s roughly those two to three days before your temperature rises, which will be your most fertile time.By either drawing up a simple chart in your notebook or a journal, or by printing a chart from the internet, you can easily track your basal body temperature. It’s important to chart the start and finish of your menstrual period, so that you’ll know exactly when your cycle begins each month. You can use this information to help estimate how many days into your cycle you ovulate and when your ovulation has already occurred.

Though this technique is simple, it’s most helpful when you ovulate in a fairly regular cycle. It can be difficult to track your basal body temperature if you don’t have a regular sleep schedule. If you are not able to commit to a regular sleep program, then it’s necessary for you to take a moment to relax, more or less the same time every day so that you can get your accurate basal body temperature.

The Body

This is a subjective type of prediction. Your body often shows changes in the cervical mucus that it produces around ovulation. This mucus will be retrieved from the vagina and observed. Just before ovulation, the cervical mucus is clear and very slippery. Imagine the white of a fresh, raw egg for comparison. After ovulation has occurred, it becomes more sticky and cloudy. It may not even be present at all once ovulation has occurred.

Though this is a fairly accurate way to predict ovulation, it’s again, subjective. It’s up to you to make a judgment call as to if this is the mucus that your unique body produces around ovulation. Secretions must be retrieved from within the vagina for a good sample.

By tracking all three of these indicators in a fertility journal, you may find that you have your ovulation down to a science. For many couples, having frequent sex while you are “in the zone” (just before ovulation) can easily lead to conception. If you still need help getting a heads-up on when you are ovulating, there's still another easy tool you can use to track your cycle.

The Pharmacy
Ovulation kits are widely available these days. By testing your urine with an ovulation kit, you can manage to pinpoint the hormonal surge just before you ovulate. Carefully follow the instructions that came with your kit, to find out how to get the most accurate readings.

The ovulation kits are offered in pharmacies everywhere and do not require a prescription, but you may be paying between twenty-five to fifty dollars for each kit. Using an ovulation prediction kit is not a replacement for frequent sex mid-cycle. In fact, one of the pitfalls of using ovulation kits is that you run the risk of waiting too long. Ovulation kits are good for guidance, but do not plan your sex entirely around its predictions.

Can I boost my fertility?
There are a series of behaviors and habits that can help or hurt your ability to conceive. As a rule of thumb, if it’s good for your wellness, then it's good for your fertility. If it’s harmful to your body, then it’s harmful for your fertility. That being said, here are some easy ways to increase your fertility odds.

No Smoking
It’s time for you to kick the smoking habit, if you're planning on getting pregnant. Using tobacco increases the risk of miscarriage, saps the nutrients that are delivered to your fetus, and can reduce the oxygen that reaches your developing baby. It also changes the properties of your cervical mucus, making it more difficult for the sperm to reach the egg. Ask your doctor to help you quit tobacco before you try to conceive, if not for yours then for your baby's sake.

Preconception Planning
Inform your doctor of your intentions to conceive. You and your partner can discuss your current lifestyle with your doctor, so that you can pinpoint any pitfalls that may be creating a barrier between you and conception, or that may impede the development of a healthy fetus.

Review Your Medications
Go over your medications, both prescription and over the counter, with your physician. You may be taking something that will have a negative effect on your overall fertility. You also don't want to be taking anything that can harm your fetus, when you do conceive.

Unplanned Sex
If you are having frequent, unplanned sex (about two or three times every week), eventually you should stumble upon a fertile time. Two healthy adults enjoying regular unprotected intercourse is a great way to get pregnant and encourage sperm production.

Planned Sex
Daily sex can drop the sperm concentration, but not enough to cause concern in most healthy men. Plan to have sex daily when you are “in the zone”. This can optimize your likelihood of conceiving, by having sperm in the right place at the right time.

Physical Wellness
A mild to moderate exercise routine and maintaining a healthy weight are great ways to increase your fertility and overall health. A diet high in fruits, vegetables, calcium and protein is optimal for a woman that’s planning a pregnancy. Though these foods are not fertility boosters, they are most beneficial to pregnant women. Please note that rigorous exercise routines can disrupt your menstrual cycle and make conception, as well as maintaining a pregnancy, more difficult.

Vitamins
Physicians now suggest that you start taking folic acid before you conceive, in order to promote healthy development in your baby. Take prenatal vitamins that are rich in folic acid, or take a folic acid supplement. You should start these vitamins about a month before you plan to conceive. Again, this is not a fertility booster, but it’s excellent for promoting fetal health, including avoiding spina bifida.

Alcohol
Consuming alcoholic beverages is a no-no for those that are pregnant and that want to become pregnant. A glass of wine is a small sacrifice to make for a healthy baby.

When it seems like nothing is working...
If you and your partner are in good health, you should keep on trying, especially if you are younger than thirty years old. Most healthy couples conceive spontaneously within one year of unprotected intercourse, it’s just not as easy for some as for others.

You may want to seek medical attention if one or more of the following factors are present:

• You are over the age of 35.
• Your partner has suspected or known fertility issues.
• You have either very erratic or very long menstrual cycles.
• You have not conceived after one year of unprotected intercourse.

It’s important to understand that both men and women equally can suffer from infertility. Infertility has many causes, and also many treatments. Infertility is neither you nor your partner's fault, and overcoming it, is a team effort. Your gynecologist or his urologist is often a good source of help or guidance. They also may be able to recommend a fertility specialist, if conception continues to elude you and your partner.

Good luck!