Helpul Tips to increase Chances of Pregnancy
Here are a few tips to better your chances of getting pregnant.
- Health checkup: Go for a initial health checkup to confirm that you are medically fit. You can take ovulation and sperm tests, which are the essential parameters for deciding the couple’s ability to conceive. Moreover, awareness of one’s own health ensures a safe and healthy pregnancy.
- Maintaining body weight: The weight of the woman plays a important role in conception. An overweight or underweight body leads to hormonal changes in women which can hinder your chances of getting pregnant. Following a healthy diet and staying physically fit with exercise can help you maintain the ideal body weight.
- Healthy lifestyle: A healthy lifestyle can help in increasing your fertility. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, taking illicit drugs as they can adversely affect your chances of getting pregnant.
Avoid excess consumption of junk foods and include fruits, veggies, meat, fish, and dairy products (especially organic foods) in your diet. Also, exercise regularly to maintain your body weight. This will further enhance your fertility by promoting sperm quality and healthy ovum.
- Monitor ovulation period: Track your ovulation period to know the right time for intercourse for conception. For example, if you have a 28-day menstrual cycle, you will ovulate on the 14th day. So, the fertile window opens from the 10th to 18th day, which is ideal for having sex. You may also speak to a gynecologist for advice.
- Follicular monitoring: If you are unable to track ovulation on your own, the doctor can help you with follicular monitoring. With the blood hormone test and ultrasound of the ovaries, they can tell you the right time of ovulation.
- Fertility-boosting foods: Nutrients like folic acid, vitamins C, A, D, and E, zinc, potassium, and copper are essential for enhancing fertility. These foods, which can be obtained from your diet or supplements, help in the production of healthy ovum and improve the quality of sperms. The foods you should eat include
- Green leafy vegetables: Spinach, kale, broccoli.
- Oily fish: Sardines, salmon, mackerel.
- Zinc-rich foods: Cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds, shellfish, organic grass-fed lamb and beef.
- Complex carbs: Wholegrain bread, rice, pasta, sweet potatoes.
- Protein foods: Chicken, dairy, nuts, turkey, tofu, seeds, eggs, legumes.
- Reduce stress: Stress can cause hormonal fluctuations that can affect fertility in both men and women .Meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga are some ways to reduce the stress levels.
- Consult a doctor regarding medicines: If you are taking medications for any underlying health issues, tell your doctor about your decision to start a family. Some medicinal drugs such as steroids, alpha blockers, antipsychotics, and NSAIDs can affect fertility (
- Take prenatal vitamins: If you are planning for pregnancy, talk to your doctor and start taking prenatal vitamins. They can compensate for any nutrient deficiencies that could delay conception.
- Get enough sleep: A good night’s sleep is necessary for the body to maintain proper metabolism and hormone production. So, ensure that you sleep for seven to eight hours a day.
- Physical intimacy: During sexual intercourse, avoid positions with the woman on top to stop the leakage of the semen. Try something like the missionary position, with the man on top, to ensure that more fluid enters into your vagina and increases the chances of conception.
Remain in a horizontal position for some time at the end of the intercourse, so that the sperm gets enough time to travel through the vagina and into the ovum.
- Avoid lubricants: Using lubricants during sex might slow down the mobility of the sperm, preventing them from reaching the ovum. Also, vaginal sprays or tampons can dry out the vagina, thereby limiting the sperm flow.
- Cut down the caffeine intake: Excessive intake of caffeine can reduce fertility and prolong your conception . Excess caffeine also poses a high risk of miscarriage. So limit your intake of caffeine to 300mg per day during pregnancy
- Acupuncture: Putting pressure on specific body points can alleviate stress and help in bringing back hormonal balance in the body. This further leads to the production of healthy ovum and sperms
- Cut down on refined carbohydrates: It is better to avoid the intake of refined carbohydrates as they increase the glucose levels in the blood. This further causes ovulation problems
- Stop contraceptive pills: You need to stop taking the contraceptive pills at least four to six months before you plan your pregnancy. The body needs some time to regain the normal hormonal balance after you stop using birth control pills.
- Men should avoid biking or cycling: An optimum temperature, which is one to two degrees lower than the average body temperature, should be maintained for the survival of the sperm in the testicles. So, men should avoid wearing tight underwear, placing laptops on the lap, cycling or biking. Keeping the right temperature of testicles is vital for the production of healthy sperms.
- Avoid eating too many sweets: Excessive consumption of sugary stuff can lead to overproduction of adrenaline, which can hamper the production of progesterone hormone and reduce the chances of conception
- Female orgasm: It plays a significant role in conception by creating a pathway for the sperm to reach the ovum through contractions. It also leads to the secretion of natural lubricants that contribute to the sperm motility.
- Avoid strenuous exercises: Moderate and regular work out helps a woman to stay healthy and increase the chances of conception. However, avoid stressing your body by indulging in excessive workouts as it can reduce fertility.
- Men should manage their weight: Obese or overweight men are likely to have a low sperm count. Being overweight can also cause hormonal changes that in turn hamper fertility. Thus, they should work on reducing the weight to increase the chances of conception.
Infertility is not an unsolvable problem. But as partners , you need to try and make it work by making the right choices. If you are unable to conceive naturally, you can always go for assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF or even surrogacy. Talk to your doctor or a fertility specialist for further guidance.