Conception Tips

Conception Tips: Body Basics

As you embark upon the journey to motherhood, you may become frustrated with “letting” things happen. To speed up the process and boost your chances of conception, you need to understand how your body works.

First of all, if you have been on hormonal birth control such as the pill, know that it may take up to three months for your cycles to become regular. While most doctors say it is okay to begin trying after the first month, some would like you to wait until the third. This makes it easier to pinpoint the conception date needed for charting your unborn baby’s growth.

Now that your cycle is regular, you need to have sex when you ovulate. Day 14 is touted by many to be the “magic” day. However, this is based on a very regular 28-day cycle. If you have a shorter or longer cycle, you will not be ovulating on the 14th day. Several methods are available for timing your ovulation:

• Charting your cycles to find the mid-cycle point. Online tools can help.
• Taking basal body temperature everyday. After a few cycles, you will know the days just before your temperature rises. Have sex then.
• Checking cervical mucus for thinning. This indicates you are in prime baby-making mode.
• Still cannot figure out when you ovulate? Pick up an ovulation prediction kit at the local drugstore.

Once you have figured out your ovulation day, plan to have sex the upcoming week. Because eggs only live for 12 to 24 hours, sex after ovulation is unlikely to lead to pregnancy (although still possible).

A common question when trying to get pregnant is whether or not sexual position matters during conception. Having sex in the missionary or doggie style positions might possibly help sperm reach the egg better, since the penis is pointed in that direction in these positions. But in truth, babies have been conceived through all kinds of positions.

Healthy Body, Healthy Pregnancy

Before you try to conceive, you want to make sure your body is in optimal baby-making shape. One of the best conception tips is to make sure you are healthy. Both men and women need to take responsibility in this area.

Men’s Health

Men who wish to have a baby should pay attention to what they eat. Drinking too much and having an unhealthy body weight can also contribute. Smoking has been shown to decrease sperm count, so cut that out, too.

If you know that your sperm count is low, have sex every other day instead of every day. This can give your body a chance to recharge.

Women’s Health

Women who want to get pregnant should follow the same advice as men. Cut smoking and excessive drinking out of their diets. Additionally, caffeine should be avoided. Start taking a prenatal or multivitamin with lots of folic acid. Exercise regularly and keep your weight at a healthy number.

Before trying to get pregnant, women should have a preconception visit with their doctors. Your doctor can give you advice on getting pregnant and make sure your body is ready to house an unborn child.

If you are taking prescription medications, discuss them with your doctor. Some may not be safe to take during pregnancy and might cause birth defects. Find an alternative to these drugs before you get pregnant.

Planning Your Conception

Couples sometimes try to plan their conceptions. One thing they do is try to conceive so a baby is born in a certain month or season. While you can certainly try to do this, it is better to aim for a time period of three months instead of a certain month.

Other couples, especially those with children in one sex, try to conceive a boy or girl. Countless old wives tales and myths abound for achieving the gender of choice. However, unless there is a medical reason why a couple cannot have a child of a certain gender (such as a weak X or Y chromosome), your odds stay the same. But that does not mean you cannot have fun trying all the various methods!