Are you ready for a baby? It is normal for anxiety to rise to unimaginable levels when planning a pregnancy, especially when you don't have any children yet. However, staying calm and reducing stress is essential because high tension could complicate a pregnancy. If you want to get pregnant, changing your habits is crucial, as there are some factors that can notably benefit fertility in healthy women who don't suffer from any problems that could hamper pregnancies.
Believe it or not, many of these factors are so common in our daily lives that we barely pay them any attention. If you're more than ready and want to know how to increase female fertility, we explain all in detail in this OneHowTo article.
First of all, see your gynecologist
Why go to the gynecologist if you want to plan for a pregnancy?
For exactly that reason - to get ready for it. Before getting pregnant it is good to get a gynecological examination where the specialist can assess your overall health: Cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood platelets, etc, as well as the condition of your reproductive system.
In addition, the doctor will arrange a test to determine your immunity to certain diseases which are considered risky in a pregnancy, such as chickenpox and toxoplasmosis among others. With this information you'll be able to evaluate whether it's necessary to:
- Get vaccinated against a particular condition so that you don't catch it during pregnancy.
- Lose weight, control your blood pressure, take vitamin supplements or make specific changes to your habits.
- Establish the health of your ovaries and uterus. Your uterus may have high acidic levels, in which case you should improve cervical mucus to regulate pH levels.
- Conduct specific studies in case you, your partner or relatives of either party carry specific genetic conditions that may affect the baby during pregnancy. If this is the case, it is important to inform the doctor of the presence of these conditions.
In addition, your doctor may prescribe folic acid, multivitamins or any other supplement deemed appropriate to aid the pregnancy. Because of this, it's essential that you don't skip this consultation.
Quit your bad habits and follow a good diet
Your daily habits have a decisive influence on fertility, either aiding or impeding it. Some everyday factors that affect your fertility are:
- Smoking
- Drinking excess caffeine
- Drinking lots of alcohol
- Taking drugs
- Being overweight
- Being very thin, especially if you are 25% or more below your recommended weight.
- High stress and anxiety levels
If you smoke, drink 3 or more cups of coffee and/or tea per day, drink alcohol regularly, have a poor diet and don't know how to control your stress and anxiety levels, it's more likely that you will face difficulties in getting pregnant. All this renders it necessary to give up bad habits and improve your diet in order to increase fertility and your chances of getting pregnant.
Give up excess caffeine, stop smoking, avoid alcohol and drugs and improve your diet by eating more fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fish while reducing the intake of fried, processed and junk food. Your whole body, including your reproductive system, will be thankful.
Have sex at the right time
If you want to get pregnant by having sex, know that there is no point in having sex every day when you want a baby. If you want to increase your fertility and the chances of a pregnancy, it is important to have sex during ovulation or in the days leading up to it. Calculate your most fertile days each month and have sex during that period. We explain how to do this in our article on how to calculate my fertile days.
It is also important that your partner goes one week without ejaculation. Frequent ejaculation affects the levels of sperm found in semen. However, going more than 7 days without ejaculation can limit sperm mobility which can also affect the chances of pregnancy.
Choose your sex positions correctly, and enjoy it.
If you want to increase female fertility and get pregnant by having reproductive sex, it's as important to know how to do it as when to do it. Go for those positions in which the semen can stay inside the vagina for longer, i.e. all those in which the woman goes underneath and the man on top, thus preventing the semen exiting the vagina due to gravity.
Studies have also discovered that pleasure is important, since the spasms produced in the uterus during orgasm help the sperm reach the Fallopian tubes with greater ease, thus increasing the chances of getting pregnant. Don't focus only on procreating, but also on enjoying it.
Once the sex is over, stay lying in bed with your pelvis slightly raised, and even with your legs in the air for 20 minutes. Everything you do to help the sperm reach its destination aids pregnancy.
Pay attention to your weight
Both overweight and very thin - at 25% or more below their ideal body weight - people may have trouble getting pregnant. Being over or under weight interferes with hormone production and can affect ovulation, resulting in problems such as irregular periods and ovulatory dysfunction among other things.
So you must keep your weight as close as possible to what's recommended based on your height and age. If you aren't at your recommended weight, improving your diet will be key to getting there.
Lower your stress levels
Cortisone, known as the stress hormone, is naturally secreted by the body in situations where you should act quickly and lots of adrenaline is required. When you live in a state of constant stress, however, cortisone levels remain high. This can affect hormonal communication and produce difficulties in conceiving. To make it even more difficult, anxiety increases when you want to get pregnant quickly.
The less stressed you are, the less hostile your body will be towards conception, so it is essential to relax. It is recommended to do at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise each day, like walking, swimming, using the elliptical trainer or dancing - choose the activity you enjoy the most. You can also incorporate relaxing activities into your workout routine such as yoga or Pilates, or start a quiet hobby that keeps you entertained and calms you down, such as mandala painting, crocheting, reading or similar.
Anything that keeps your mind calm and alleviates stress is welcome; if boat building calms you down, go build a boat.
If you have any of these conditions, consult your gynaecologist
- Endometriosis
- Myomas or fibroids in the uterus
- Ovarian cysts
- Blockage in the Fallopian tubes
- You have had gonorrhea or chlamydia in the past
These conditions could inhibit and in some cases prevent pregnancy, so it is best to consult the gynecologist to know your options depending on the case.
This is how to increase female fertility. Best of luck!
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Increase Female Fertility, we recommend you visit our Family health category.