Getting Pregnant: The Guide

Part: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

If you’re hoping on getting pregnant soon,
you’ve come to the right place.

Here you will find all you need to know to maximize your chances of conceiving quickly and to get your pregnancy off to the best possible start. The essence of what you will find here are inspired by the unofficial guide to having a baby.

• Now is the time to start taking folic acid supplements. This will help to reduce the chances have having a baby with a neural tube defect such as anencephaly or spina bifida. Taking folic acid in the early stages will reduce the chances of these conditions by fifty to seventy percent. The recommended dose is at least 0.4mg per day starting two to three months prior to trying to conceive.

getting pregnant

• Aim to have a bit of fun even while you're trying on getting pregnant. Add a bit of spice by using rooms other than the bedroom and scheduling your baby making rendezvous for an unusual time of day.

• Stay lying down for at least five minutes after intercourse, this helps increase the odds that the sperm will continue its journey and meet with the egg to create your baby.

• Your most fertile period is the five days prior to ovulation. Try to work out when this will be and make love often during this time. If you can, make love at least every 48 hours, this will help to ensure that there is always fresh sperm in the fallopian tube.

• It is important to keep in mind that even if you do everything right, you still only have around a twenty-five to thirty percent chance of conceiving in each cycle.

Even More Getting Pregnant Tips...

• If you haven’t already stopped, now is the time to stop smoking altogether. Numerous studies have shown that a woman smoking just ten cigarettes a day is reducing her chances of conceiving by up to fifty percent.

• Caffeine is believed to restrict the growth of a baby in the womb by constricting blood vessels and limiting blood flow to the uterus. Now is the time to either give up or switch to decaf. Furthermore, some studies have shown that consuming excessive amounts of caffeine may contribute to fertility problems.

• Another point for you to consider is you and your partner’s workplace. Consider whether you come into contact with any hazardous substances, if so you may need to consider leaving or requesting an alternate position. Some substances can affect both the quality of the sperm and the development of the unborn baby.

• Make an appointment for a preconception checkup in order to review your medical history and to talk discuss your plans for trying to conceive.

• Consider the effects of any prescription or over-the-counter drugs you may be using when getting pregnant. Make sure you confirm with your doctor that it’s safe for you to continue using them once you begin trying to conceive.

• If you are diabetic it's important to get your blood sugar levels under control before you conceive. Women with poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes have been shown to be around four to six times more likely to have a baby with birth defects than women without diabetes.

Click here for the next chapter of advice on getting pregnant.