As a special request i was asked to do a blog about trying to concieve, and ways to help. I had a very hard time with this, tried for almost 2 years, before i had a successful pregnancy. i am now 32 weeks pregnant so if your wondering what worked for me... well first of all i stopped trying so hard. second i used to try and hold my legs in the air and do everything i could to keep the semen inside of me as long as possible. When actually you should let it naturally come out on its own because that way it flows over the cervix. i also had sex on the kitchen table. as funny as that sounds it worked because the semen was deposited directly onto my cervix lol.
here are 15 tips for women trying to concieve, and women who are already pregnant:
1 - Have sex in the morning, since the semen has the highest sperm count then
2 - Being overweight or underweight during pregnancy may cause problems. Try to get within 15 pounds of your ideal weight before pregnancy. Remember, pregnancy is not a time to be dieting! Don't stop eating or start skipping meals as your weight increases. Both you and your baby need the calories and nutrition you receive from a healthy diet. Be sure to consult with your doctor about your diet.
3- Try to have sex in the missionary position, since it deposits the sperm closest to the cervix
4- Stay faithful to one, uninfected and equally faithful partner to prevent the tragic consequences of a new-born with HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases. Discuss your own and your mate's sexual history (and any injected drug use) with your physician - and get tested for HIV or other infections, as appropriate. Even if you have HIV, for example, proper drug treatment can often prevent your child from becoming infected
5-You should not eat swordfish, shark, king mackerel or tilefish while you are pregnant or can become pregnant. These large, long-lived ocean fish accumulate mercury pollution as they eat smaller fish. If you then eat these fish, the mercury can accumulate in you and hurt the development of nervous system of your unborn child. The Food and Drug Administration also advises you not to eat these big fish when you're nursing a baby - and not to fee these fish to small children.
6- Eat plenty of green, leafy vegetables AND swallow a multi-vitamin containing folate, or folic acid, (a B vitamin) every day, before and during pregnancy
7-Avoid soft cheeses. Those delicious brie and Roquefort cheeses, particularly those famous unpasteurized products, are easily contaminated by a tough bacteria called Listeria. Ordinarily, people are not much affected by Listeria, but in pregnant women the bacteria then can cause violent vomiting, flu-like symptoms and loss of your unborn child. This loss can occur even before you know you're pregnant.
8-Beware raw meat - and your cat. They may harbor a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. If you get it while pregnant, your unborn child has about a 40 percent chance of contracting it too. In early pregnancy, this can cause the child to be blind, deaf and mentally retarded. The parasite can be found in cat feces, soil and infected meats that have not been thoroughly cooked. Cats get it from eating infected birds, mice and rats. So keep your family cat indoors to reduce its chances of getting the parasite - and have someone else clean its litter box, so that you don't get it.
9-Avoid smoke, as well as smoking. Smoking increases the risks of an underweight baby and of stillbirth, the birth of a dead fetus. Smoking and also passive smoke exposure may double the risk of a rare but devastating condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. In this condition, infants starve for oxygen because blood is not pumped through the lungs to the body but continues to flow as it did before birth and the activation of the lungs. Without successful surgery to correct the flow, the infant may die. Babies born to women who smoked during pregnancy are also more likely to have asthma and other respiratory problems. They also are more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome - SIDS. SIDS reduction campaigns emphasize positioning infants on their backs for sleeping as well as keeping cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke away.
10-Avoid x-rays, hot tubs and saunas. They pose environmental risks for pregnant women. If x-rays are needed for medical reasons, your doctor will shield your abdomen (and thereby your fetus) from the rays. The March of Dimes also suggests pregnant women try to avoid infections. Rubella (German measles) during pregnancy can cause ear, eye and heart abnormalities. You can be tested to see if you've been exposed and are immune. If not, you can get vaccinated - but then should wait three months before getting pregnant. For avoiding many infections, frequent hand-washing can help.
11-Exercise moderately. Walk, swim, ride a stationary bike and/or join in a special prenatal aerobics class three or more times a week. Even a vigorous workout is ok for most women and may help you carry your baby to full term. Not so advisable: bouncing or jerking movements, toe touches, knee bends and sit-ups. Doctors generally counsel against any vigorous exercise that has you lying on your back after the first three months of pregnancy. Injury-risking sports - skiing, rock-climbing, horseback riding - aren't good bets. But regular, safe exercise can make labor easier and prepare you to get back in shape afterwards
12-Take folic acid daily both before pregnancy and during the first few months of pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine. All women who could possibly become pregnant should take a vitamin with folic acid, every day. It is also important to eat a healthy diet with fortified foods (enriched grain products, including cereals, rice, breads, and pastas) and foods with natural sources of folate (orange juice, green leafy vegetables, beans, peanuts, broccoli, asparagus, peas, and lentils).
13-Be sure to see your doctor and get prenatal care as soon as you think you're pregnant. It's important to see your doctor regularly throughout pregnancy, so be sure to keep all your prenatal care appointments
14- Drink extra fluids (water is best) throughout pregnancy to help your body keep up with the increases in your blood volume. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water, fruit juice, or milk each day. A good way to know you're drinking enough fluid is when your urine looks like almost-clear water or is very light yellow.
15- Relax, too. You don't need a lot of stress during pregnancy, or before pregnancy either! Summing up, you just need a good clean, healthy and uninfected man; a doctor; a good diet; a vitamin pill, and a work and home environment where you won't be needlessly exposed to tobacco smoke, pesticides, alcohol and other potentially harmful chemicals, drugs, mercury, soft cheese, undercooked meats and kitty litter.
i have heard many myths about being pregnant, so here are a few myths and a few facts cleared up for ya!
1 If a couple is having trouble conceiving a child, the man should try wearing loose underwear
That's a fact, according to a study on "Tight-fitting Underwear and Sperm Quality". Tight-fitting underwear--as well as hot tubs and saunas--is not recommended for men trying to father a child because it may raise testes temperature to a point where it interferes with sperm production.
2 Douching after sex may delay conception
That's a fact too! Douching may reduce a woman's chance of getting pregnant in a particular month by about 30 percent, according to a new study. The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, showed that douching-practiced by many women to cleanse and deodorize the vaginal cavity -- is associated with a delay in pregnancy
3 A man can't get a woman pregnant if he doesn't have an orgasm
Not true! It's unlikely that a man will get a woman pregnant if he doesn't have an orgasm - or if he pulls out before he reaches orgasm - but it's certainly not impossible. Men often release a small amount of semen (cum) before they ejaculate. Sometimes this is called "pre-cum". This semen still contains sperm and can certainly get a woman pregnant
4 Pregnancy can't occur if a couple has sex only on the woman's "safe" days.
Not true. Since each woman's menstrual cycle is different, it's almost impossible to predict which days are "safe". Sperm can survive for several days in a woman's body, so a couple could have sex well before the woman ovulates and still run the risk of pregnancy.
5 Taking the morning after pill the same or next day will prevent a pregnancy.
Not true. While the morning after pill is a lot better than nothing, it is only 75 percent effective at preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex. In other words, it prevents three out of every four conceptions that would have occurred.
6 Having Sex In The Missionary Position Determines Whether You Have A Boy Or Girl
No. There is no evidence to suggest that, nor are you likely to have a boy if you have sex standing up or when your partner enters from behind.
7 Are You More Likely To Have A Boy If Your Partner Has Brothers?
No. Your partner`s sperm does determine the sex of the baby, but whether you have a boy or girl is a random process. Your eggs contain just a female or X chromosome, whereas a man`s sperm contains either a male, or Y, chromosome or an X. The sperm that gets to the egg first and fertilises it will determine the sex of the child. Female sperms are larger and swim slower than the males. So why don`t you always have boys? Well, when the male sperm arrives the egg may not have been released from the ovary and the sperm dies off. The female sperm arrives later by which time the egg has been released and fertilisation takes place. If you want a boy try having sex as close as possible to ovulation when the egg is released, or just after if you want a girl. You can buy an ovulation testing kit to help with timing.
8 Potency is improved by 'Saving Up' semen through infrequent intercourse
Millions of sperm are produced every day in the testicles. The sperm are stored in a tiny sac, the epididymis, which lies at the top of each testicle. Abstaning from sex in order to accumulate sperm so that more are deposited at the neck of the womb will not increase you chanes of acheiving conception , in fact the stored, older sperm may be of inferior quality and even hinder the newely produced, healthier sperm from reaching the egg.
9 Low level libido or failure of female orgasm inhibits conception
There is no evidence to support this statement. Furthermore, a woman does not need to achieve an orgasm in order to conceive. Continually trying to find the right time to have sexual intercourse may place a strain on a couples lovemaking and this in turn may hinder their chances of getting pregnant. Couples should have sexual intercourse when they feel like it and not limit it to the period during the womans cycle perceived to be the most fertile. Furthermore, women do not always ovulate on the fourteenth day of their cycle and it is easy to misjudge the fertile time. The chance of becoming pregnant in any one month for a fertile couple is at best 1 in 4.
10 A woman who has never given birth is more likely to develop ovarian or uterine cancer than a woman who has had a child.
Yes. The chance of developing ovarian cancer is reduced with each pregnancy, Also, if a woman takes birth control pills for at least five years during her reproductive life, she will have a reduced chance of developing ovarian cancer. Statistically, women who have children are less likely to develop uterine cancer than women who have never given birth
It seems funny -- or sad -- that one couple makes a baby the very first time they have sex (whether they want a baby or not) while another couple can try and try for months without getting the child they want so badly.
People trying to have a baby have often been advised to aim for the woman's fertile time midway between her periods.
They are told to have intercourse on the day the woman ovulates, or a couple of days before or afterward. an Institute of scientists, taking precise data on more than 200 healthy women trying to have a baby, have determined that you're actually most likely to get pregnant if you have sex the day you ovulate or the five days before.
It seems that a man's sperm may be longer-lasting than some people previously believed, while a woman's ovum, or human egg, disappears more quickly.
Three days after intercourse, there might still be active sperm swimming around that can impregnate and fertilize a newly released egg. But if the sperm is not introduced until after the day of ovulation, a two- or three-day-old egg would be unlikely to still be in good enough shape to be fertilized, even by the freshest of sperm.
You will have a problem, however, knowing when you're five days away from ovulation. There is no test to pinpoint that. A further problem: Your ovulation and fertile "window" - the time when you're likely to get pregnant - can wander around. It's like a moving target.
Older guidelines for getting pregnant assumed that the average woman is fertile between days 10 and 17 of her menstrual cycle. But that's a very rough approximation -- an "average" that may not mean much for you as an individual woman.
Seventeen percent of the women were fertile by day seven of their cycle. Two percent of women were fertile by day four!
a study also showed very late ovulations occur, even in women who said their cycles were usually regular. Because of these late ovulations, 4 to 6 percent of the women were potentially fertile more than 28 days after the start of their cycle.
In fact, even women who regarded their cycles as "regular" had a 1 to 6 percent probability of being fertile on the day their next period was expected.
so what should a healthy women do in order to get pregnant?
Get Your Bodies Ready
When you have decided you want a baby, get your body ready:
* Take folic acid in supplement form, 400mcg a day, or it can be found in some foods like cornflakes.
* Cut down on your caffeine intake.
* If you`ve come off the pill, there`s some dispute about how long you should wait before trying to conceive, but it`s probably best to wait 2-3 months.
* The man should take zinc supplements to increase the strength and numbers of his sperm
* He should also increase his vitamin D intake - drink milk.
* Cut down on alcohol. Even 2 pints per day will, on average, reduce your baby`s weight by 6.5 ozs.
* Stop smoking. Just one more reason to do so!
* Keep the sperm cool - ideally 2-3? cooler than the rest of the body. Avoid tight underwear and tight jeans. Try boxer shorts, they may not be the latest in designer chic, but they help the testicles to stay away from the body and stay cooler.
Have sex at the right time..
.. and frequently. To stand a chance of conceiving, live sperm has to fertilise an egg at the time of ovulation - usually around day 14 of your period. Sperm will usually live for 3 days so will hang around waiting and your timing doesn`t have to be exact. You can get ovulation predictor kits from your chemist.
What`s The Best Position?
It doesn`t really matter, although with the woman on top you may be reducing your chances of conceiving.
Be Patient
You can be doing everything right but you won`t necessarily conceive in the first month. In fact you probably won`t. Success is closely related to age:
* Women aged 20-25 have a 1 in 4 chance of conceiving,
* With women aged 30-35 the chance drops to 1 in 7, and the success rate falls as they get older.
On average it will take a couple in their early to mid-twenties five cycles to conceive, and a couple in their early thirties ten cycles. One in ten couples have to wait more than a year before they succeed.
What If It`s Not Working?
If you have been trying for a baby without success:
* Keep a temperature chart. After ovulation the woman`s body temperature rises by about 0.2?C and maintains this higher temperature until her next period. By measuring temperature as soon as you wake and entering the reading on a chart, you can see when you ovulate. Ideally you want to have sex just before then. You can`t turn the clock back of course, but the chart will tell you whether you ovulate at the same time each month and, if so, you can plan for the following month. The temperature rise is small and you may feel more confident with an ovulation kit available from your chemist.
* try to lower your stress levels. Stress can affect either partner and may reduce your chances of conceiving. Try to have a few days away from work just before ovulation is due.
* if you have been unsuccessful for a year or more it is worth talking to your doctor.
