How to increase your chances of getting pregnant

October 06, 2013

Disclosure: This article contains product placement.

If you have just started trying for a baby, you may want to know what some tips are for improving your chances of conception, so that you don’t waste time, and lose your patience over the months waiting for that positive pregnancy test.

It is important that the future parents know that there are only certain days in the month when conception is possible, and it is during the ovulation of the woman or a few days before the actual ovulation, when the sperm can successfully fertilize the egg.

Women can easily track their monthly cycles, watch for the tell-tale signs of an upcoming or occurring ovulation through various calendars, computer or phone applications, as well as the classic basal temperature measurement, monitoring the cervical fluid and other physical changes which occur prior and during ovulation, as well as by using a home test kit for ovulation.

Once the lady knows she is ovulating, or that she is about to ovulate, it is the right time to have unprotected sexual intercourse with her partner.

Apart from getting the timing right, there are some more tips to improve the chances for conception regarding the actual sex you engage in.

An important tip is to stay away from certain lubricants, which actually kill off the sperm. When trying for a baby, you and your partner should use “sperm friendly” lubricants, or natural ones, such as canola oil, egg whites or others, which won’t harm the sperm and will increase the chances of the sperm actually reaching the egg and fertilizing it.

Also, some fertility experts recommend the couple choose the missionary position or in case the woman has an inverted cervix, the “doggy style” position in order to make conception easier. At the same time, other experts say that the position isn’t that important, because sperm is “designed” to swim to the cervix no matter the position.

Of course, it is advisable that women don’t jump out of bed immediately after intercourse when trying to conceive, in order to ensure that the sperm stays in, and is able to reach the egg. Even though sperm can survive for days in a woman’s body, they are advised to stay in bed for 20 minutes after intercourse, just in case.

It is common knowledge that men need to reach an orgasm in order to ejaculate the sperm necessary for conceiving a child, but a less known fact is that women’s orgasms also help the process of conception by causing contractions to the cervix, which “invites” more sperm in and increases the possibility of conceiving.

Another tip for the natural improvement of your chances of conceiving is to eat a better and healthier diet when trying to conceive, and this goes both for the man and the woman. Some experts even call it the “fertility diet”, and recommend that future parents stay away from processed foods, and focus on eating fresh and healthy food, in order to clear their organisms from toxic and other harmful substances.

Also, eating a healthier diet will lead to a loss of weight, in case one or both of the future parents are overweight. Losing weight improves the balance of the hormones in the body, which includes the reproductive hormones both in men and women crucial for conception.

Of course, a healthy diet will resolve cases of poor nutrition as well, which can also cause hormonal disbalance and lead to problems with fertility - remember, you can be overweight and your organism can still be malnourished. It is the quality of the food and not the quantity that counts!

A healthy diet will keep blood sugar levels normal, and will also resolve some additional issues with eating unhealthy stuff, such as some skin conditions, problems sleeping, etc.

Some nutritional advice for those who are planning on conceiving a baby, is to stay away from: grains, processed foods, starches and sugars, and replace them with fresh veggies and fruits.

Also, try to eat only the healthy fats and proteins, such as those in olive oil, coconut oil, fresh grass-fed meat and nuts. Experts recommend staying away from processed dairy products too.

It is a good idea to consider making some other lifestyle changes, including: quitting smoking and the use of recreational drugs as well as abstaining from drinking alcohol as soon as you start trying to conceive, throughout the pregnancy and while nursing.

Both future parents should make sure they get sufficient sleep, as well as stay away from harmful toxic exposure, including X-rays, radiation, pesticide exposure and certain chemicals which may damage their chances of successfully conceiving a healthy baby.

Also, fertility experts recommend that both future parents engage in a more active lifestyle and exercise, but in moderation.

Another important tip for those who are trying to conceive, is to try to limit the stress which often comes when a couple begins trying for a baby and failing month after month. Conception should be a happy experience, and the stress can further cause the hormones to go crazy and messed up, and reduce your chances of conceiving.

Asking your doctor for possible medications or therapy you are undergoing which may interfere with the process of conceiving is also a good tip. If you are not prescribed fertility therapy or medication, you can always try to enhance your fertility with some natural herbs and specialized substances, known to improve the fertility in both men and women, such as the all-natural Conceive For Her and Conceive For Him herbal supplements.