Increasing Your Chances of Pregnancy

Your biological clock is ticking and you have one thing on your mind: getting pregnant. Today, having a willing partner isn't a necessity thanks to the assistance that sperm banks offer. Whether you're doing it the old-fashioned way or taking advantage of technology, there are a few basic steps that you can take to help raise your chances of pregnancy.

First, a healthy pregnancy begins long before sperm meets egg. Take the time to get into better shape, minimize stress, and stop your bad habits.

Being overweight or underweight can affect your chances of getting pregnant. When you are either over or under weight, your hormones are more likely to be out of balance than if you are closer to your ideal weight. Overweight women often have an associated condition called polycystic ovary syndrome. This is the result of a hormonal imbalance which can prevent or delay ovulation. In many cases, those with weight problems sometimes stop menstruating altogether, making conception nearly impossible without outside help.

If you've ever told a friend who's trying to conceive to "relax" you probably got an earful. However, stress decreases your chances of getting pregnant. The more stressed you are, the less efficient your body operates. Stress interferes with your hormones - hormones that you need in order to get pregnant. It also interferes with your immune system which also affects your fertility. Learn how to manage your stress, start exercising, and try to relax.

While you may intend to quit smoking and drinking once you've become pregnant, you'll be better off stopping now because both smoking and drinking decrease your chances of getting pregnant. In addition to being bad for you and your future baby in general, smoking affects the production of required hormones for reproduction. While you're at it, urge your partner to quit smoking too because male smokers have lower sperm counts than non-smokers as well as other issues with their sperm including motility, amount of semen, and sperm shape.

You'll have a better chance of conceiving if you know your body. While you may have been menstruating for many years, if not decades, you'll be surprised at what you don't know about your monthly cycle. Do you know how many days your cycle is? Is your cycle consistent? Do you know the physical signs of ovulation? Do you know when you should have intercourse?

The ovulation cycle starts with day one of your menstrual flow and averages about 28 to 32 days for most women though many women have shorter or longer cycles. Start tracking your cycle and looking for signs of ovulation. Use an online charting system or special software or track your cycle with charts from your doctor.

Predicting ovulation using the chart can be done several ways. Your body gives you clues. For example, have you ever noticed a slippery, clear discharge, much like egg whites, when going to the bathroom? This is cervical mucus which usually appears before ovulation. It's time to get busy making a baby.

Another way to determine when you ovulate each month is by taking your body temperature each morning when you wake up with a basal thermometer. Plot this on a chart. Your temperature will be lower before ovulation and higher after. This method is an after-the-fact ovulation prediction so it's only useful after you've analyzed several cycles to learn which cycle day is most likely your normal ovulation day.

Ovulation prediction kits detect a surge of a hormone called the luteinizing hormone that occurs about 24 to 36 hours before ovulation. By urinating on a stick each day before the expected surge, you can get a valuable clue that ovulation is about to occur. Once you get the positive LH result, it's time to connect with your partner.

Many women who don't ovulate get the help they need with a little help from their doctors. Clomid is commonly prescribed to help get ovulation back on track. Like all medications, Clomid and other fertility drugs have their pros and cons and aren't appropriate in all instances.

Even the most fit, relaxed, and healthy woman can have trouble getting pregnant. Getting to know your body and your cycle is your best bet when trying to conceive. If you don't conceive with these tips, you'll have valuable data to show your doctor as you work together to pinpoint the problem. If you do get pregnant using these tips, congratulations!