We know trying to get pregnant can be a stressful journey. That’s why we have these tips to increase your chances of having baby-making sex and get pregnant faster.
Whether you are trying for a baby or not, understanding how your body works to increase your chances of getting pregnant is important.
At school, we are often given strict warnings about practicing safe sex to ensure we don’t end up unexpectedly pregnant. Of course, while safe sex is a good idea for anyone not deliberately trying to have a child, the truth is, pregnancy doesn’t just “happen.” It can be a little trickier when you actually attempt to conceive.
When you and your partner decide you’d like to start trying for a baby, it is a very exciting time. At first, you want to keep it casual and not put too much pressure on it. Just coming off whatever contraception you are on and having sex regularly works for many couples. [Read: Birth control options and what each of them can do for you]
Increase your chances of getting pregnant
However, some may be surprised to find out there is only a small period during a woman’s cycle when they can become pregnant. Missing that window of opportunity happens quite easily. Many couples quickly become frustrated with the process, with women getting confused and upset each time their period arrives.
So, is there anything to ensure you become pregnant? While there are no guarantees, the good news is there are plenty of tips and tricks to increase your chances of getting pregnant. Let’s take a look at some of them.
1. Stop using birth control
This is truly the first step to increasing your chance of getting pregnant. If you are looking to try for a baby and you’re still on birth control, consult your doctor and find a safe way to get off your contraceptives.
2. It’s all about the timing
Understanding your menstrual cycle and the most likely time for you to conceive each month is one of the best ways to increase your chances of getting pregnant. [Read: 15 things women wish men knew about the female body]
A woman’s menstrual cycle has different stages. It commonly lasts between 23 and 35 days. The first day is the first day of your period *day 1* which usually lasts between three and seven days. After this, your body begins to prepare for ovulation.
In the next stage, the egg releases *ovulation* and travels toward your womb. It is during this phase you are at your most fertile. An egg only survives for about 24 hours without being fertilized. If it is not, your body sheds the womb lining and unfertilized egg, which is then the start of your next period and cycle.
For most women, ovulation happens in the middle of your cycle. Ensuring you have sex during this period of time is essential if you want your egg to be fertilized. The good news is that sperm lives in your body for up to five days.
If you miss a day or two around that time, your chances of getting pregnant are not completely gone! Knowing when you ovulate can be a little tricky. Understanding how long your menstrual cycle lasts helps, and you can use an ovulation calculator to determine your most fertile days.
3. Get a preconception checkup
At a preconception checkup, your healthcare provider will ensure that your body is in a good state to go forward with a pregnancy. You will undergo pre-pregnancy tests and screenings and inform your provider about any issues or concerns you have about your health.
This step is vital for those who are wanting to get pregnant because if you have any concerns about your health or ability to conceive, your provider will be familiar with your tests to offer an explanation and plan for you. Preconception checkups can be received at any time before you want to get pregnant.
4. Visit the dentist
Another checkup you should have is with your dentist. If you are planning to get pregnant, your dentist should examine your oral health and talk you through any concerns or underlying issues. Surprisingly, issues like gum disease are linked to being underweight and therefore premature babies.
Consult with your dentist and health care providers before you try for a baby to ensure your body is in good condition to do so.
5. Have sex regularly
This might be a no-brainer, but having regular sex is the best way to ensure that you get pregnant. Some women think it is a good idea to simply wait until they are at their most fertile. However, not having regular sex means much of the sperm released may already be dead. [Read: Sex during early pregnancy – 15 must-know facts to play it safe]
Having sex every two to three days ensures that young, healthy sperm are released – giving you the best chance of one of them fighting their way through to that egg!
6. Take prenatal vitamins
As soon as you have decided to try for a baby, it’s a good idea to start taking prenatal vitamins. They should be taken throughout your pregnancy. Taking folic acid is proven to have a significant impact when it comes to lowering the chances of miscarriage, neural tube defects, and spina bifida.
Ones that also contain B6 and Omega-3 are optimum. B6 helps increase fertility and Omega-3 helps your body absorb the vitamins; this will also increase your chances of getting pregnant.
7. De-stress
Reducing stress can help you get pregnant, so de-stress in any way you can. If you live with your partner, discuss steps they can take to help you avoid physical and emotional stress.
8. Eat a healthy diet
Being overweight negatively impacts your fertility. Try to get your weight down and eat as healthily as possible to ensure you receive all the nutrients you need to prepare your body for pregnancy. [Read: Unhealthy habits – help your partner beat them]
9. Watch the caffeine consumption
Maintaining a healthy diet also means limiting your caffeine consumption. Excessive caffeine intake may lead to fertility issues. If this is a concern for you, it is important to consult with your doctor to discuss steps to prevent excessive caffeine consumption and its effects.
10. Help ensure healthy sperm
If you’re looking to get pregnant, healthy sperm is a good thing to have. Help ensure your partner has healthy sperm by limiting or avoiding excessive use of recreational drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.
11. Skip the lube
While you might regularly use lube to increase your enjoyment when it comes to bedroom activities, doing so while trying to conceive lowers your chances of doing so.
Lubricants impact sperm mobility so it is less likely to get to where your egg is waiting! Luckily, there are some fertility-friendly options out there so you don’t have to give up on it altogether. [Read: Slow sex – 16 steamy reasons it’s so sexy & tips to experience it yourself]
12. Don’t douche after sex – or ever
Although douching might have been recommended at one point in the past, it no longer is. Why? Because douching can cause serious harm to a woman’s body. Especially to a woman who is trying to become pregnant.
Douching is the act of “cleaning” the vagina out with water and other fluids. What most people fail to know is that the vagina is self-cleaning. Meaning, douching only interrupts the vagina’s natural self-cleaning cycle by adding extra bacteria to the vagina, ultimately causing more harm than good.
Douching has been reported to make pregnancy harder for women who douche. In addition, it also puts women at a higher risk of ectopic pregnancies and a higher risk for early childbirth.
The list of health problems linked to douching is extreme. If you have concerns about douching or your reproductive health, you should always contact your health care provider.
13. Take it easy
While it is important to stay fit and healthy both before and during pregnancy, you don’t need to push yourself to the extreme. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as too much exercise!
Overdoing it places unnecessary pressure on your body and causes you problems. By all means, stick to a mild exercise routine to keep active. But try taking up less strenuous sports to improve your core strength such as Pilates or yoga.
14. Relax
Making sure you take time to relax, rest, and recuperate are all important when trying for a baby. If you focus all your time and energy on conceiving, it quickly becomes overwhelming, stressful, and even upsetting.
Putting too much pressure on yourself and your partner also causes problems in your relationship. No one wants to get down to business if they’ve just had a fight! So, try to relax and let things happen naturally.
We know making a baby feels challenging and time-consuming, but if you find yourself getting upset and irritable try to take a step back. Remember sex is still supposed to be fun and enjoyable regardless of the end result. [Read: Naughty sex games for couples to feel really horny in no time]
15. Be in it together
Working to get pregnant often falls solely on the woman. However, there is a lot your partner can do too. Being there for his partner is the first step.
If this is you, you will need to learn to accommodate her needs during this journey. Communication is key! Be there for her when she is feeling down, stressed, or sad. [Read: 40 warm ways to comfort a girl when she’s crying, sad, or feeling down]
16. Track your menstrual cycle
Tracking your menstrual cycle will let you know when you are the most fertile. In order to do this, you can use any type of calendar that you want.
However, make sure it has enough space for you to take notes. You will be recording the days that you have your period. You can also use an app like Clue or Period Tracker Lite to track your cycle too.
17. Use ovulation tests
Ovulation predictor kits are at-home tests you can use to determine when you are ovulating. Because you’re most fertile when you are ovulating, the kits help increase your chances for pregnancy when you’re trying to conceive. [Read: How to get a girl pregnant – little details that play a big part]
They work by measuring the level of luteinizing hormone in your urine. A rise in this hormone signals the ovary to release an egg. So, when your levels reach a certain level, it means that you are going to ovulate in the next 12 to 36 hours.
18. Have sex when you are ovulating
This might sound obvious, but it’s the only way you’re going to get pregnant. Sperm can live inside a woman for as long as five days, but it has to be under the right conditions.
After ovulation, an egg cell can only survive for about 12-24 hours. Since sperm can live up to five days in a woman’s body, this means the fertile window is about six days long overall.
But it’s best to have sex one or two days before ovulation. This gives the sperm enough time to get to the egg before they start dying off too. [Read: Egg freezing – why freeze your eggs and how to do it right]
19. Tell your partner to keep masturbating
Some couples masturbate solo, while others don’t. Either is fine! However, if you are looking for a better chance to get pregnant, your partner should masturbate. By masturbating, a man can ensure his reproductive system is functioning as it would normally be. [Read: Fun ways to masturbate & experience pleasure in a whole new way]
20. Have a healthy lifestyle
It’s always easier for a healthy woman to get pregnant. You should eat healthy food and exercise. In addition, you should also have your weight at a healthy level too. Overweight and obese women tend to develop conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome. The cysts that develop on the ovary can reduce their fertility.
How long does it normally take to get pregnant?
If you’re anticipating a pregnancy, this is a question you’ve asked yourself more than once. The answer is, everyone’s body reacts to pregnancy differently.
Many factors can determine the amount of time it takes for you to get pregnant, such as age, general health, reproductive health, and sex schedule. However, there are some commonalities!
Most women find that they get pregnant within a year when having sex regularly with their partner and without a contraceptive. It is important to note that fertility declines with age, so women who are older may have a more difficult time becoming pregnant within the year than other women do.
There is no shame if your body has a faster or slower fertility rate than other women. Everyone has a different journey through pregnancy. If you have any genuine concerns, we advise you to discuss them with a loved one and contact your healthcare provider.
When should I see a fertility specialist about getting pregnant?
As we have stated before, reaching out to your healthcare provider is imperative during your conception journey. It is recommended to schedule a visit to a fertility specialist if you
1. Have been trying for six months and are ages 35-40 years old
2. As soon as you would like to conceive if you are over 40 years old
3. If you or your partner have any known health issues
Myths about getting pregnant
If you find yourself unable to get pregnant despite following your friend’s advice, chances are their advice might have been a pregnancy myth. We are here to debunk three of the most popular myths for you.
1. Specific sex positions can increase your chance of getting pregnant
Certain sex positions do not have a higher rate of fertility than others. Just because you’re angled differently, doesn’t mean the sperm will have an “easier” time meeting your eggs.
Along with this, post-sex rituals such as stretches and lying on your back do not increase your chance of getting pregnant. [Read: 17 most intimate sex positions & tips to feel romantic while making love]
2. Your chance of pregnancy is higher if you orgasm during sex
A woman’s orgasm has no correlation to her ability to get pregnant. You can orgasm as much as you’d like, or not at all, and there would be no difference.
3. You can’t get pregnant on your period
Although rare, yes, you can get pregnant while on your period. This is because sperm can survive up to five days in the uterus, and therefore be able to fertilize an egg after it is released when ovulation starts. [Read: Baby-free reasons why you missed your period]
Final thoughts
Everyone thinks that getting pregnant will be easy, but that is an understatement. Every woman experiences her own challenges before, during, and after pregnancy – which makes her journey unique. Although it may be difficult at times, creating a life together is a beautiful thing, so it’s worth the effort.
[Read: The amazing benefits of having sex while pregnant]
We know trying to conceive a child feels like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. By following these tips can increase your chances of getting pregnant. Above all, remember to enjoy the journey.
The post 23 Tips to Get Pregnant Faster & Myths and Secrets to Increase Your Chances is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.
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