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The Need to Understand the BodyAnyone who is trying to get pregnant and cannot do it easily has only one choice – try to understand their own body. Some basic tips can work wonders for your fertility. It all starts with your menstrual cycle and knowing when you ovulate. But there are also other factors like diet and its supplementation, or the right techniques when it comes to trying in bed...
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Options When Nothing Has HelpedWhen all natural attempts have not worked, it is time to consider other unconventional possibilities together with your doctor. After doing the necessary tests, you can start hormonal treatments or other simpler techniques. Artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization will always be the last alternatives...
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Infertility has increased greatly in recent times. We don't know if it's because the subject is being discussed more than in the past or if daily stress and other environmental factors are actually contributing to this happening more often1. Definitely, the topic "How to Get Pregnant" is being talked about more and more.
First of all, it's worth emphasizing that it's normal for a couple to take more than 12 cycles, that is, a year to get pregnant. Only after that should couples seek medical help. As the first step to get pregnant, the woman who is trying to conceive should know her menstrual cycle well to determine her fertile window, the time that she ovulates and when pregnancy can happen. Ovulation typically occurs 14 days before the end of the cycle, that is, before menstruation. Simple techniques like basal temperature or the Billings method to determine when to have sexual intercourse help a lot for pregnancy to occur. Women with irregular cycles face more difficulties in this process.
There are some tricks and methods that may help. The use of ovulation tests, for example, provides a more accurate possibility of identifying the fertile window. If the couple is overweight, a tip to get pregnant faster is to lose weight as it significantly increases the chances. Nutrition also helps in the process. Eating certain foods, drinking herbal teas, and taking vitamins such as folic acid2 can help overcome possible obstacles for couples trying to conceive. Even adopting certain sexual positions can increase the chances when the shape of the woman’s uterus requires it.
If even after all of this a year passes without conception, the couple should suspect there's a more serious difficulty. The problem usually comes from one of the partners, and rarely from both. Although the suspicion is often on the woman, it's important to note that the reason can also be male infertility. In any case, there is a whole range of possibilities that may prevent the woman from being able to conceive at that moment or in general. That's why it's important to look for a specialist doctor.
The specialist is qualified to order tests according to the profile of each couple and the age of the woman trying to conceive. The simplest tests are blood hormone tests to identify problems with:
- Progesterone
- Estrogen
- GnRH
- FSH
- LH
- Prolactin
- Testosterone
With these tests you can get an idea of how healthy the woman's cycle is. Ultrasound can identify through images if something is wrong with the uterus and ovaries. In specific cases, polycystic ovaries are visible in the first exam. If it is a more complex case, the doctor will ask for other complementary exams like hysterosalpingography, for example. Since getting pregnant requires care, the other exams are a way to help find problems like endometriosis, adherent or blocked fallopian tubes, and also chronic anovulation.
In addition to women, men who are trying to have a baby with their partner should do hormonal tests and have a sperm analysis. If there is low sperm motility or poor quality, the specialist will recommend vitamins and medication ideal for that specific case. If everything is ok with both, the doctor will give the green light to try for pregnancy. If necessary, the doctor will recommend an appropriate treatment to restore fertility. Procedures such as ovulation induction, fertilization, artificial insemination and others, fall within the doctor's responsibilities, so a good specialist can help a lot.
While a man can produce sperm throughout his entire adult life, age can be a cruel enemy of female fertility. That's why postponing pregnancy can become a problem. A woman's ovarian reserve3 is generated while she is still in utero, and over time, the quality of the eggs gradually decreases and by her early 40s, a woman would have only a 12% chance of getting pregnant naturally in each ovulation cycle. In these cases, it is often inevitable that the couple will have to turn to treatments.
Emotionally, especially for the woman trying to conceive, a long wait and lack of results from efforts and time invested can be difficult. Frustration may suddenly set in or build up slowly, causing mental distress. From the moment a couple decides to have a child, even before the child exists, that child dominates the lives of the future parents. This feeling can interfere with fertility, even if the couple's health is just fine. Anxiety can physically affect the woman and create an insurmountable barrier for some women trying to conceive. That is why trying to conceive requires the couple to stay as relaxed as possible.
“How to get pregnant?” becomes a way of life for many women trying to conceive. Information about medications and procedures is increasingly sought after and accessible on the internet. However, there is a risk to self-medicating for fertility. Using ovulation inducers and hormones can backfire and harm fertility, bringing the exact opposite effect for the woman or the couple.
Photos: carmen_seaby, Matt Madd
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