What are the Best Ways to Improve Your Fertility?
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When you are ready for parenthood, there is no way to predict exactly how soon until you can conceive successfully. Most couples in good health who have regular sex without birth control should be able to conceive in their first year of trying even without resorting to methods like IVF fertility.
Generally, even without IVF fertility, most couples can get pregnant within 6 months and around 70 to 80% of couples will get pregnant within a year. It is reassuring to know that there are many ways you and your partner can boost your chances of becoming parents by knowing what to do to improve your fertility
Set yourself up for success by keeping in mind the following:
Know How to Read the Signs
All pregnancies begin when the egg meets the sperm. That said, both have to be in the same place at the same time. You can help make this happen by keeping track of when your ovaries will release an egg (this process is known as ovulation) so you can have sex during the said time frame.
If you have a regular cycle (your period is 26 to 32 days apart), it would be ideal to have sex on the 8th or 19th day after your period. If your period is irregular, you can’t rely on the calendar alone to determine when you will be ovulating. Fortunately, there are other ways you can tell if it’s ideal.
You can track your basal body temperature (BBT). Your BBT is the body’s temperature when fully at rest. A rise of 0.6 degrees (or more) for over ten days is a clear indication that you have ovulated. However, your most fertile is at the second and third days before the boost.
Watch Your Weight
If you are overweight, you will boost your chances of getting pregnant if you lose the excess pounds. The extra pounds can make you more prone to having irregular menstrual cycles or not ovulate at all. Even losing a small percentage of body weight can do wonders.
For starters, losing the excess weight can decrease health risks and increase fertility. However, being too thin can also impact fertility. If you are underweight, you are also likely to have irregular periods. Not only that, you are also at risk for preterm birth. In addition, your baby is also more likely to be born at a low birth weight.
Mind Your Medications
Before you focus on conceiving, it is recommended that you first review the medications you are taking to ensure they are not affecting your fertility or cause harm to your future baby. Women should be mindful about medications that treat seizures, thyroid issues, and other psychiatric disorders.
The same is true with those medications with the hormones progesterone and estrogen. Birth control pills use those hormones to hinder pregnancy. If you have stopped taking them, you won’t have to worry about a post-pill waiting period. In other words, you should not have any problem conceiving even if you have been on them for years.
This might not be common knowledge but the length of time you used contraceptive pills or any other form of birth control won’t affect your ability to get pregnant. If you are not taking folic acid yet, now would be a good time to start. Taking a folic acid supplement daily will not only increase fertility, it can also help prevent birth defects.
