It's one of the most important factors to understand the hormonal changes during your monthly cycle in order to know about your most fertile days before engaging yourself in sexual activities to enhance the probability for you to get pregnant. The chances for you to conceive is higher just before and after the monthly ovulation occurs - and this period is known as the fertile period. Usually a woman's monthly period lasts for 28 to 35 days and the ovulation happens somewhere during the mid-period. Observe your period duration for a couple of months to find out your duration. A women having 28 days cycle is most fertile in 12-18 days period after the first day of her last period. For 29 days cycle, the fertile days ranges between 13-19 days and so on. Here's the list to determine the most fertile period during your cycle.
Monthly Period DurationMost Fertile Days
28 Days 12th - 18th Day 29 Days 13th - 19th Day 30 Days 14th - 20th Day 31 Days 15th - 21st Day 32 Days 16th - 22nd Day 33 Days 17th - 23rd Day 34 Days 18th - 24th Day 35 Days 19th - 25th Day
2. Quit Smoking:
Smoking may prove to be injurious to not only the mother, but for the to-be-born baby as well. It’s advisable to make out a plan in advance to quit smoking before you think about conceiving. If the baby which is growing in the mother’s womb is exposed to cigarettes, it tend to be deprived of enough oxygen flow through the placenta. Prolonged smoking during pregnancy would lead to sparing supply of nutrients as well along with oxygen supply. Long term smoker will find it quite difficult to give up smoking at one go, but for the best interest of mother’s and baby’s health it is necessary to quit.
3. Developing Habit of Exercising:
Exercise during pregnancy is scientifically proved to be very beneficial. It will help an expectant mother not to feel stressed-out and provide the blood-circulation system enough oxygen-rich blood to keep both the mother and the baby in sound health. Common exercise during pregnancy includes walks, stretches, yoga, pranayama etc, but the mother should make sure that she devotes regular time everyday in exercising, it’s not recommended to get on with exercising on the odd occasion. However the exercises during pregnancy differs a little from your regular exercise plans. A few adjustments here and there would be required and for the best interest of the baby and mother, it’s advisable to consult your doctor beforehand.
4. Testing for Sexually Transmitted Diseases [STDs]
STDs can not only affect your ability to become pregnant, but can also infect the baby growing inside the uterus. It’s always recommended to test for any STD related issues before you start trying to conceive. The most common form of STD that is impacting a large percentage of women in today’s world is HIV (AIDS). The Government in most of the countries have made it mandatory to go for HIV test once you conceive. This test will help the expectant mother to decide whether to take the risk of getting pregnant at all or not.
5. Engage in Frequent Intercourse:
It’s worthwhile to mention here that conceiving is not a formula, but a process. Few women conceive easily, while for others it may take months. There is no point in getting frustrated. You have to be calm and composed and follow all the advices listed here. The probability of getting pregnant increases when a couple engages in frequent intercourse, especially during the most fertile period of her monthly cycle.
6. Avoid Using Lubricants:
Lubricants are often used to treat vaginal dryness. While it can give pleasure and lengthen your climax, a research paper published recently has shown that the vaginal lubricants are harmful to the spermatozoa, which affects the viability of the sperm cells and also hinders their mobility. It’s a common misconception that vaginal lubricants do not contain spermicidal products, but actually most of the common brands do. Hence usage of vaginal lubricants is not recommended.
7. Don't Get-up Immediately After Sex:
Have sex in a position that keeps sperm inside the vagina longer.The missionary position is a recommended position to use when trying to conceive. Avoid the woman is on top positions as gravity will allow the sperms to come out in these positions. You can try placing a pillow under your hips to tilt your pelvis and keep the sperm in the tube for longer duration. It’s not advisable to get up right after sex and rush to the wash-room. Try to relax and allow the sperm to stay in the vagina as long as possible.
8. Try To Limit Alcohol Intake
Alcohol can affect quality and quantity of sperm and egg cells. Although it is not known exactly what amount of alcohol intake will harm a fetus, it is definitely recognized that alcohol can cause physical and mental damage to the unborn – that’s the reason doctors recommends to-be-mothers to quit alcohol consumption or at the least limit it to a great extent. Alcohol stays in the baby’s metabolic system longer than it stays in the mother’s system, which means the baby has a higher possibility of enduring damage the more the expectant mother drinks. An expectant mother should avoid drinking alcohol at all costs during pregnancy in order to present your little one with a healthy start in life.
9. Start Taking Folic Acid Supplements
It may not be possible to get all the nutritional supplements that one requires from food items even if a person manages to eat a healthy diet. One of the most important such nutrients is folic acid. Folic acid is a vitamin supplement which is also known as Vitamin-M or folacin. It is a water-soluble form of Vitamin-B9 and is useful in cell metabolism. It helps an expectant mother to curb the chances of delivering a bay having any neural-tube defects [example - spina bifida]. Natural source of folic acid are leafy vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens, lettuces etc. Folic acid can also be found in abundance in sunflower seeds, dried peas, beans, collards, tomato and broccoli. Banana, orange, avocado are some folic acid rich fruits. For non-vegetarians, Chicken and turkey livers are excellent source of folic acids.
Recommended amount of folic acid consumption for a lady who is planning to conceive is approximately 400 micrograms per day. Choosing a good combination of fruits, leafy vegetables and cereals prescribed above, you would do good enough to meet the necessary amount of folic acid nutrients to satisfy your recommended daily allowance. You may also get in touch with your gynecologist who may prescribe you any medicine containing folic acid in addition to your planned diet chart. It’s advisable to take the recommended dose of folic acid for about a month before you try and get pregnant; it would ensure you of a healthy baby. Once you conceive, it’s recommended that you continue having the folic acid supplement during entire first trimester.
10. Make A Healthy Diet Chart:
Eating a healthy diet is the first and foremost thing a wanting-to-be-mom woman should do. Make sure that your food is rich on proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins. Proteins would help to protect against preeclampsia during pregnancy; while vitamins will help you to curb risks of delivering a premature baby and also protect the baby from any kind of deficiency disease. Carbohydrates provides the mother with the strength to carry out day-to-day activities. Even cholesterol and fat, which are usually advised to be avoided, are important for a pregnant lady. Fats and cholesterols are important for absorbing the fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E, and K). Also it helps in development of baby’s brain. Make sure that you are not over consuming it either. 2 tablespoons of fat and cholesterol is the recommended daily allowance. For protein the recommended daily allowance is 75-100 grams depending upon your stature and weight.