How to get pregnant - tips on getting pregnant

introduction

Having a child is an integral part of life planning for many women and couples, but getting pregnant is not always easy. Failure to become pregnant can put an enormous strain on the woman's psyche and the partnership.
Before women see a doctor and possibly consider drug and / or hormonal treatment, you can try to improve your chances of conceiving by changing their diet and lifestyle. In this context there are a lot of tips, some of which can be very helpful and useful.

General measures

First and foremost, it always makes sense to learn more about your own body, because precise knowledge of the changes in the female body during the cycle can greatly increase the likelihood of conception. In addition, it is believed that getting enough sleep, enough exercise, and a diet rich in vitamins can promote pregnancy.

Ultimately, you shouldn't allow yourself to be put under too much pressure by having an unfulfilled desire to have children. Very few women get pregnant straight away. During each menstrual cycle, the chance of getting pregnant is around 15-25%.On average it takes about 4 months to get pregnant; after one year 90% of women are pregnant. Good pregnancy preparation can help increase your chances of conceiving.

Determination of ovulation

Basically, conception is most likely a short time before or after ovulation. Knowing when a woman will ovulate will help increase the chances of conceiving. On average, an egg cell matures every 28 days to such an extent that it ovulates. Sperm can survive in the woman's body for up to 72 hours, resulting in a maximum of seven fertile days per cycle. Ovulation always takes place around 14 days before the next period. With a regular cycle, the time of the fertile days can thus be roughly determined.

These can be easily determined with the help of the temperature method, among other things. It is important to measure and write down the woman's temperature every morning (if possible, always at the same time). Shortly after the monthly ovulation, the temperature rises for a few days and after several months the day of ovulation can be precisely determined using a temperature curve.
The quality of the discharge can also help in planning a child and, with daily assessment, increase the chances of getting pregnant. A few days before and after ovulation, the discharge (cervical mucus) is thin, light and strings.
The cervix (more precisely, the external cervix) also offers a way to understand the female cycle, because it can be easily felt with one or two fingers. The opening of the cervix is ​​usually very narrow and tight, but the degree of opening can vary considerably over the course of the female cycle. A short time after the menstrual period, the external cervix is ​​narrow and also feels very hard. At about the same time as ovulation, it becomes softer and begins to open, so the woman's body is in the fertile phase at this point and the probability of conception is particularly high.

A fertility calculator or calendar can also be used to determine the fertile days. To do this, the exact length of the cycle (first day of the last menstrual period to the next menstrual period) must be known. Based on the first day of the last period and the average cycle length, the fertile days of the next cycles can be calculated.

An ovulation test can also be used to determine this. For this purpose, the level of the so-called luteinizing hormone (LH) determined; this increases 24 to 36 hours before ovulation and triggers it. Similar to a pregnancy test, you can use the urine to determine the best days for conception. To do this, however, the cycle length should first be determined, at best over a few months. This will help determine the correct time for an ovulation test. The test can be performed at any time of the day, but you should always test at the same time. Since you should not urinate four hours before the test, it is best to do it in the morning. A change in color or a certain sign indicates fertility. If the test is positive, you should have sexual intercourse with your partner within 48 hours, this is the time frame in which the chances are greatest.

Read more about the ovulation test theme under: Clearblue® Ovulation Test

nutrition

Eating a healthy and balanced diet can increase the chances of conceiving. To this end, sufficient vitamins, minerals, fiber and secondary plant substances should be taken in. So cereal products (especially whole grains), low-fat dairy products and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables should be on the menu. For fruits and vegetables, this should ideally come from all color groups.

Read more on the topic Vitamins in Pregnancy

Fish also plays an important role due to the high content of omega-3 fatty acids. Other foods of animal origin should only be consumed in moderation.
In principle, a vegetarian or vegan diet is not a problem; a targeted selection of foods can also provide a good supply of nutrients.

Folic acid

Folic acid is not itself important for getting pregnant, but it does reduce the risk of malformations, such as a neural tube defect, during pregnancy. Pregnant women, and women who want to become pregnant, should take about 400 µg folic acid as a preparation daily.

Healthy weight

Being underweight can lead to problems conceiving. Ovulation may not occur or the cycle may vary greatly, especially if you are very underweight. Obesity, on the other hand, leads to fewer problems with conception, but increases e.g. the risk of gestational diabetes. A healthy weight and a normal BMI are therefore a good basis for pregnancy.

Luxury foods

Both alcohol and nicotine are of course anything but helpful for getting pregnant quickly. Alcohol consumption should be reduced to one or two glasses a week.
Smoking during pregnancy should be given up completely, as both fertility and ultimately the child, partly severely affected. The partner should also heed this advice, the quality of the sperm can be reduced by smoking and alcohol.

stress

A lot of stress can lead to problems conceiving. A balance to relaxation, such as yoga or exercise, is very important. As far as possible, little room should be left for negative stress and worries.

Getting pregnant at 40

In today's world, good education and training play a major role in the lives of young adults. Things like getting married or family planning are postponed until a later date and before you know it, the woman is at an age when pregnancy can become problematic.

The chance of getting pregnant tends to decrease with increasing age; according to some studies, it is almost impossible to become pregnant with the body's own egg cells from around the age of 45. Of course, there are always exceptional cases in this context as well.

It should be made very clear that a late pregnancy has not only post-pregnancy benefits, but also many benefits. After a woman has waited a long time to want to have children, in most cases she is all the more sure of what to expect during pregnancy and after childbirth. Many women can cope better with the stress of their child's first years of life as they get older.

Nevertheless, it is much more difficult for women over 40 to conceive a child, this is due to the fact that the number of egg cells begins to decrease sharply at this point. In addition, due to the “age” of the egg cells, chromosomal defects are far more common, which lead to an increased risk of a miscarriage or the birth of a mentally and / or physically disabled child. The best-known example of such a hereditary disease is trisomy 21 (Down syndrome).

Not only can older women find it difficult to get pregnant, other complications can also arise during the actual pregnancy. From around the age of 40, concomitant symptoms such as high blood pressure and / or diabetes occur more frequently during pregnancy. In addition, in quite a few cases there are detachments of the placenta or serious problems during the birth of the child. The probability of a miscarriage or premature birth is also many times higher at this age.

From the age of 40 it is in principle still possible to get pregnant, but this usually requires medical support in the form of fertility treatment or artificial insemination. The significantly increased risk of complications and malformations must be carefully considered and then decided individually whether you want to take this risk. A detailed consultation with a gynecologist should always take place.