How To Increase The Chances of Getting Pregnant

When you’re younger, it seems all too easy to become pregnant and thus the increase in teen pregnancies. As a woman ages, however, it becomes harder and harder to have a baby and there may be things you have to do to increase your chances of getting pregnant. For each cycle you have before the age of 35 years, you have only a 20-25 percent chance of becoming pregnant per cycle and the chances of getting pregnant after age 35 go down from there.

Be on prenatal vitamins:

If you are on prenatal vitamins prior to conception, you will be taking more folic acid, which increases your chances of having a healthy egg to be fertilized. Look for a prenatal vitamin that is high in vitamin B6, which is folic acid. Omega 3 fish oil, when taken with prenatal vitamins, increases the chances of having better absorption of the vitamin you choose to take.

Have sex around the time of ovulation:

This sounds obvious but you can’t get pregnant unless you release an egg and it becomes fertilized by the male sperm. There is about a 4-5-day period of time before ovulation that the sperm can survive to fertilize the egg at the time of ovulation. If you have sex during this time period, you will have a greater chance of becoming pregnant. After ovulation is over with, the egg quickly degenerates and you will not likely become pregnant until the next cycle. Use an ovulation test kit if you have irregular cycles or don’t know when you are ovulating.

Don’t use lubricant

While the use of a lubricant can improve a woman’s chances of having less painful intercourse, it can decrease your chances of getting pregnant. Lubricants in general have a way of affecting the motility of the sperm. One lubricant that doesn’t affect sperm motility is called Pre-Seed. It is approved by the FDA as a lubricant that can promote fertility.

Eat a healthy diet:

When you eat a diet that is low in processed foods and trans fats, and is instead high in vitamins and nutrients, your body will respond by increasing the chances of fertilizing an egg so that you can get pregnant. It sounds obvious but a good diet can really help your chances of becoming a parent.

Decrease caffeine intake

When it comes to becoming pregnant, caffeine can decrease your chances of getting pregnant. Try to stick to less than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day. There is about 100 milligrams of caffeine in each cup of coffee you drink so by decreasing it to one cup of coffee or less, you have a better chance of conceiving. Soda and chocolate contain caffeine as well but not as much as coffee or tea.

Exercise less

Women who are super-exercisers, such as marathon runners, have a decreased chance of ovulating and a decreased chance of becoming pregnant. This doesn’t mean you have to be sedentary. You just have to avoid being one of those women who exercise strenuously every day.

Decrease alcohol consumption:

While alcohol can disinhibit you so you are more likely to have sex, it doesn’t increase your chances of becoming pregnant during sex. You don’t have to avoid alcohol altogether. It is recommended that women have only one serving of alcohol per day for the maximum chances of becoming pregnant.

Decrease stress:

Stress can inhibit ovulation and can decrease your chances of becoming pregnant. Anything you can do to de-stress your life or reduce your perception of stress (such as yoga and meditation) will improve your chances of conceiving a baby.

Lie flat for a few minutes after sex:

You don’t want to have all that healthy sperm falling out as soon as you are done having sex. You can have sex in any position you want but you should try to lie flat afterward to give the sperm a chance to travel up the vagina and into the uterus in order to fertilize the egg.

Reference:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/mom/increase-odds-of-pregnancy