What to do to get pregnant
The beginning of the year is the right occasion to make some good resolutions .
Many decide to change their lifestyle, perhaps starting a diet or starting to run.
Others enroll in the gym or in a dance class, or still want to learn to play a musical instrument.
However, there are many couples who decide to expand the family in December and January. Thanks to the Christmas holidays.
The search for a pregnancy is not always as simple as it may seem for those who do not experience it or have never experienced it. Indeed, many write me surprised because they thought it was enough simply to have free relationships to catch the stork. Nothing more wrong and misleading. You need to have intercourse on the right days, but even if you do everything right, the probability of getting pregnant per cycle is about 25%.
This is why they always tell us that in the absence of fertility problems, it could take 3-5 months to be able to conceive a child.
Sometimes even more time is needed because maybe there is a little problem, an age that is no longer optimal, or some bad habit to fix.
What can be done to improve fertility?
There are a few things you can do to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
First of all, it is important to take care of your diet , reduce stress and bad habits. Here are which ones:
1) Avoid sources of stress
2) Watch your weight: Body Mass Index ( BMI) is calculated using a person’s height and weight, and is used to figure out if you are overweight, underweight, overweight, or of a normal weight. Excess weight causes hormonal changes that can affect ovulation and sperm production, and consequently negatively affect fertility. When you are underweight, your menstrual cycles may be irregular or absent ( secondary amenorrhea ). The ideal BMI is between 20 to 24. Losing five percent of your body weight can significantly improve fertility in overweight people.
3) Avoid saturated fats and refined sugars. Better to prefer meals that include: fruit, vegetables, lean proteins without exceeding in carbohydrates.
4) Don’t be afraid to seek medical advice . If you have been looking for a child for more than a year and you are under 35, or if you are over 35 and after 6 months of targeted intercourse the pregnancy has not arrived, it is good to talk to a gynecologist who is an expert in fertility problems. . Sometimes the right medical indication or a little cure is enough to achieve conception in a short time.
5) stop cigarettes : by now everyone knows that smoking is bad, but few know that it also has a very negative effect on fertility. Smokers can have a 10-40% lower fertility rate than non-smokers. And to get these results you just need to smoke even just 5 cigarettes a day. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine has estimated that 13% of infertility can be caused by tobacco use. Smoking, whether tobacco or marijuana, is also associated with miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and even serious pregnancy complications.
6) decrease caffeine . Coffee negatively affects conception. One study showed that women who drank more than one cup of coffee a day were half as likely to get pregnant per menstrual cycle.
7) no water-based lubricants . If you are trying to get pregnant, avoid these lubricants because they can inhibit the movement of sperm between 60 and 100% within 60 minutes of intercourse.
8) sleep more and well . If you don’t get enough rest, i.e. at least 7 hours of sleep a night, this can negatively affect your fertility. Leptin, which plays a critical role in female fertility, is reduced when the body is deprived of proper sleep.
9) seek help: if you have a fertility problem, don’t isolate yourself, but talk about it with your partner and with the experts, but also with those who are experiencing the same problem as you (one in 6 couples suffer from fertility problems). It will help you deal with the situation better.
10) live your sexuality serenely : try not to have relationships just to conceive so as not to make everything mechanical and due. Having intercourse at least 2-4 times a week (intervaled), without making many calculations, greatly increases the probability of conceiving a child.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.