When you start planning a baby, it sounds like a lot of fun and not a challenge. After all, Conceiving and having babies comes as naturally to all living beings as breathing, eating, and sleeping. But while for some its as easy as eating a pie, for others it could be not that easy.

Couples, especially women, many times go through loads of stress in their effort to Natural Conception. In the current situation of increasing INFERTILITY, women have become skeptical and stressed if they don’t conceive in a couple of months after having unprotected sex with their husbands. Wait for at least a year after your start trying to conceive and take care 7 tips to get pregnant Naturally!

1.Ovulation

Have relationship with your husband Closer To Ovulation

Your ovaries release an egg every month, either – left side or right side. by a process called OVULATION. Then it travels to the fallopian tube where it fuses with the waiting sperm. This process is known as FERTILIZATION. It’s important to track your ovulation because you are fertile for only five days until the day of ovulation and a day after. This is because while the sperm can live for a maximum of five days inside your body, your egg is available for fertilization only for 12 to 24 hours. So your fertile window is six days, with the day before ovulation showing the highest chance of conception.

Track Ovulation

Most ovulation Apps, calendars or calculators on the Internet will tell you that ovulation happens on the 14th day of a 28-day menstrual cycle, counting the first day of your last period as Day 1, or 14 days before your next period, irrespective of the cycle length. But this is rarely the case. More than 70 percent women are in their fertile window before day 10 or after day 17 of their menstrual cycle.

Whether you have a regular or irregular cycle the best thing to do is to not rely on those calculations and closely watch out for the SIGNS OF OVULATION.

• Raw egg white–like clear, slippery fluid coming out of your vagina that can stretch about 5 inches without breaking
• A high amount of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine that rises each day for three days max, as detected with an ovulation testing/predictor kit
• If measured by a basal thermometer a drop in temperature on the day of high LH and a sharp increase by .4 to 1 degree Fahrenheit within two days,
• Increased sexual urge and energy
• A comparatively soft cervix, which is feels little high
• Breast tenderness coinciding with egg white-like cervical mucus
• Some might also feel brownish or pinkish blood spots, or very mild flow, and dull pain on one side of the abdomen

They may not all appear together, but the first four are reliable indices. Usually, you ovulate within a day after you notice the highest amount of LH and the last day of egg white-like mucus. The temperature rise happens the day after ovulation.

Match Intercourse

Best solution is to find a pattern to your Ovulation. It’s difficult to understand which day is the last day of the egg white-like mucus unless you have found a pattern by observing these signs for a few months so that you can somewhat predict your dates.

To make sure your conceive:

As soon as you notice the egg white-like mucus and a rise in LH, you are in your fertile window. Stop other activities and focus on having relationship with your husband every day to increase your chances. The best day is the day before your ovulate. You can stop having relationship after you notice the temperature rise, because the chances of conceiving drops to almost zero percent after ovulation.

• If the signs are not very clear to you, take no risk and have sex every alternate day from Day 12 to Day 20.

 

2. Pose for intercourse

There is little scientific evidence about what position exactly gets you pregnant fast. In fact, as long as the sperm is deposited inside your vagina, things should work. But anecdotal notes from couples with healthy babies give thumbs up to certain positions like

• The good old “vanilla” position or missionary that is considered the safest and most efficient for the job

As for the other much-believed theory that women should keep lying down after intercourse to help the sperm stay put, again, has no real research data, but staying this way and snuggling into your partner’s arms or doing some pillow talk post a vigorous round of intercourse never hurt anyone, right

3. Avoid being on medications specially steriods

There are certain medicines that can affect the chances of conceiving and their adverse effect is not limited to women. As a woman, if you are having any of the following medicines, you need to check with your doctor before trying to conceive.²

• Anti-inflammatory drugs:Easily available drugs like ibuprofen or aspirin fall in this category.
• Chemotherapy:Certain medicines used for chemotherapy to treat cancer can result in permanent ovarian failure.
• Neuroleptic medicines:These are antipsychotic medicines that can mess with your periods and lead to infertility.
• Spironolactone:This is used to alleviate fluid retention. The effect of the medicine is reversible and you should be able to get pregnant a couple of months after stopping the medication.

If your partner is taking the following medicines:

• Testosterone:Replacement testosterone (also called supplemental testosterone) affects natural testosterone production that, in turn, inhibits, sperm production.
• Anabolic steroids:The anabolic steroids used to build muscle mass and/or decrease body fat affect fertility the same way testosterone does. So if your partner is a body builder, he should pause his body building efforts for a bit.
• Medication for prostate enlargement:Certain medications like finasteride, dutasteride, and propecia, used to treat prostate enlargement and hair loss, can affect fertility. But the effect is mild and will reverse once the medication is stopped. The alpha blockers, or drugs that treat hypertension and  problems with urination because of prostate enlargement, such as silodosin, tamsulosin, Alfuzosin, Hytrin, and Cardura too can come in the way of your family planning.
• Erectile dysfunction medication:Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis, used to treat erectile dysfunction can delay getting you pregnant.
• Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs:Medicines prescribed to treat depression and anxiety could prevent the proper movement of sperm through the reproductive tract or could harm the sperm.
• Fungal infection drug:Ketoconazole, a drug used to treat fungal infections, if taken as a pill and not as an ointment, could affect testosterone and sperm production.

There are other medications, too that could affect or delay pregnancy. Check with your doctor if you are on medication.

Important: Don’t start or stop any medication based on this article. Rather consult your doctor for safe and genuine advise.

4. Quit Smoking, Alcohol, And Overdosing On Caffeine

Caffeine:- Don’t fill your routine with endless cups of coffee or tea either. The caffeine in coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate may prolong the time to pregnancy, according to the Fertility Society of Australia. Limit your caffeine intake to 1–2 cups of coffee a day.

Smoking:- Smoking is bad for health at all times, is especially bad for conception, and both you and your partner should quit smoking when hoping for a healthy Conception.

Alcohol: The researchers came to the conclusion that the more a woman drinks alcohol, the less her probability of conceiving, even when she is having sex during the fertile window of the month.

Yes, your partner too.

5.Eat The Right Foods For Female Fertility

Include mainstream healthy foods that contain the right carbs, protein, good fats, and the essential vitamins and minerals. Eat lots of veggies and fruits to aid your reproductive system to function well. A comprehensive examination of diet and fertility in an eight-year study of more than 18,000 women found these 8 things that improve fertility in women.

1. Unsaturated vegetable oils found in nuts and seeds like walnuts, Coconut oil, almonds, olive oil, and avocado oil to help improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin and heal inflammation, both factors being important for fertility
2. Oily fish like salmon and sardines—just make sure you are buying from a good place as stale fish leads to health complications
3. Vegetable proteins such as beans, lentils, peas, and nuts
4. Carbs like whole grains, vegetables, and whole fruits that are slowly digested
5. Whole milk and full-fat yogurt, not skimmed milk
6. Multivitamins to get some extra folic acid, about 400 micrograms a day
7. Plant irons like whole grain cereals, pumpkin, spinach, tomatoes, and beetroot
8. Water in sufficient quantity

Avoid white sugar & white flour, high-calorie processed foods that have trans-fats, which clog arteries, harm heart health, and also threaten fertility.

That apart, maintain normal weight and a BMI of 20–25. Being overweight can interrupt menstrual cycles and affect ovulation. And for that, stay physically active and try to get enough exercise. A brisk walk in the fresh air is always good for your system and also helps you stay stress- free.

6.Get The Right Nutrients For Sperm Health

Fertility is not just about women. Men need to have a healthy diet as well to increase chances of conception. Some of the nutrients that improve semen production and quality in men are:

• Zinc, found in beef, pumpkins, and spinach, increases the sperm count and motility
• Vitamin C, found in leafy greens and citrus fruits, prevents sperm from clumping together
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• Vitamin E in combination with selenium, found in almonds and chia seeds, respectively, enhance sperm quality
• Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oils and chia seeds, enhance sperm viability

Your partner should avoid soybean as studies have indicated that a compound called genistein, found in all soy-based foods like soy milk, tofu, and edamame, slows down or even destroys human sperm.

7. Seek help with Conceiving from Your Doctor

Most importantly if you been trying to Conceive for about a year and are not successful then share your details and get a proper guidance from your Doctor/Healthcare provider. You may be suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, PCOS, thyroid, or any other health problems; previous pregnancies and/or miscarriage (if any); and your dietary intake and lifestyle habits. Being in close contact with your doctor  is as important for your conception as eating healthy and tracking ovulation.

Now that you know important guidelines for stress free natural conception and have implemented all the tips,  wait for the “good news.” InshaAllah Your journey to parenthood is about to begin.

If you are having  a health issue that you think can be  a reason for not being able to conceive then get in touch Dr. Tehsin Malik on consultdrtehsin@gmail.com