The Best Times To Get Pregnant

PRECONCEPTION CHECKUP

If you intend to start trying to get pregnant, it is best that you get a preconception checkup. This is to ensure that no unforeseen complications may arise during your pregnancy. One of the main causes of infertility is due to poor health. So, essentially you need to take care of your health even before pregnancy itself. Eating healthy ensures your body is adequately nourished so that it is able to support the baby growing in you and keeps you healthy. You may also consider other dietary supplements to increase your chances of getting pregnant.Your doctor may prescribe you with prenatal vitamins, such as folic acid, which will help reduce the risk of neural tube defects in newborn babies such as spina bifida. All these preparation will lay a strong foundation for a healthier pregnancy which will help you give birth to a healthy baby.

KNOW YOUR BEST TIMES TO GET PREGNANT

When you have plan to have a baby, you need to know when is the best time or the highest chances to get pregnant. The most fertile times of a woman is at the time when ovulation occurs. It is the time of your monthly menstrual cycle whereby a mature ovum or egg is released into the uterus from the follicles, ready to be fertilized by the sperm. To increase your chances of getting pregnant, you need to consummate on the days leading up to and including ovulation.

TRACKING YOUR CYCLE

In order to know your best times to get pregnant, it is very important to evaluate and mapping out your cycle every month in order to find out when your ovulation due dates are. The monthly menstrual cycle of a woman varies from one another, normally ranging from 28 to 32 days. Generally, ovulation occurs about 14 days before the next menstrual cycle starts. For example, if you have a 28 days cycle, you can expect ovulation to take place on day 14. Having sex between day 11 to 15 can give you a better chance of getting pregnant. For a 25 days cycle, you can expect to ovulate on day 11, fertile times being between day 8 to 12. It really helps by keeping track of your cycles every month in order to determine your fertile times. So, to maximize your fertility, make sure you get busy during the right time of the month, particularly during a day or two leading up to ovulation.

However, it is difficult to determine the fertile times in women having irregular or longer menstrual cycles. In this case, you can resort to other measures to identify ovulation or consult your gynecologist. Learn more on how ovulation disorders can affect in your trying to get pregnant.

BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE (BBT)            

In this method, you need to take your body temperature everyday, ideally the first thing when you wake up in the morning, before getting out of bed, and record it. Then chart the patterns of the temperature change. The rise in the basal body temperature is an indication for the ovulation and it can be the best time to get pregnant. Following ovulation, your basal body temperature can increase by 0.5 to 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This small rise of temperature cannot be felt, but can be measured by a Basal Body Thermometer. By charting your temperature for some months, you can see a pattern in your chart and can roughly figure out your ovulation period. The days when the temperature reaches the highest point, conditions become favourable to conceive.

CERVICAL MUCUS MONITORING

Your body will also give you clear clues and signals as to when fertility is nearing and occurring. By monitoring changes in the cervical mucus is an accurate and useful method for women to use to predict their most fertile days. As your cycle progresses, your cervical mucus increases in volume and changes in appearance and texture. The greater volume and changes in texture show that you are close to ovulating. You are considered most fertile when the mucus becomes clear, slippery and stretchy. The role of this mucus is to nourish, protect and help in transporting the sperm up and to the fallopian tubes where fertilization usually takes place. Making love when your cervical mucus is wet, slippery and therefore most receptive to sperm will increase your chances of getting pregnant. You can check your mucus by inserting a finger in your vagina and collect some mucus. But remember to wash your hands clean before inserting your finger to avoid transmitting bacteria.

DETECTING LH SURGE
For those having difficulty in determining when they ovulate, the use of ovulation predictor tests can be very helpful. Ovulation test works by detecting an increase or surge in the hormone called Luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine specimen. The LH surge occurs approximately 24 to 36 hours prior to ovulation. You are at your most fertile on the day your LH surge is detected and the day after.

For more information on the preparation that will make you more conducive to get pregnant and give birth to a healthy baby, click HERE.