How Can I Increase My Chances of Getting Pregnant? 7 Ways
It’s a big step, but you’re ready.
You’ve decided to begin the next chapter of your life: You’re ready to welcome a new family member. Several thoughts may run through your mind:
What name will I give them?
What type of birth plan will I have?
How can I increase my chances of getting pregnant?
But what if you’ve never tried to get pregnant before? Or do you fear trouble with fertility?
Our patients often ask us “How can I increase my chances of getting pregnant?” You’ll be relieved to hear there are several simple steps that can go a long way toward helping you. We’ve outlined seven of them below.
How Can I Increase My Chances of Getting Pregnant? 7 Straightforward Tips
1. Have Regular Sex—Try for Every Day or Every Other Day
It may seem obvious, but your best chance of getting pregnant is to have sex. A lot. Many couples may fear this will take the spontaneity out of sex, but on the other hand, the prospect of creating a new life can create a joy all its own.
Of course, time restraints can make this challenging. You may find that you have to schedule sex in order to meet your intercourse “goal.”
2. Track Your Ovulation and Time Sex Accordingly
Typically, an average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. Ovulation normally occurs 14 days before the start of your next period. It’s vital to have a good grasp of your menstruation rhythm in order to determine when you’re ovulating. This can be difficult if you have irregular periods.
If you find you’re having difficulty predicting when your period will start or if you have abnormally heavy bleeding, contact us. In many cases, your cycle and your menstrual flow can tell us a lot about your reproductive health.
When the egg arrives in the fallopian tube, it can survive for 24 hours. Sperm, on the other hand, can live inside a woman’s body for three to five days after sex. By coordinating your intercourse accordingly, you can time it so that you are more likely to get pregnant.
Having trouble tracking your ovulation? We recommend this ovulation calculator from the Office of Women’s Health.
3. “How to Increase My Chances of Getting Pregnant?” Maintain a Healthy BMI
BMI stands for Body Mass Index—and you’ve probably heard this term many times. It calculates your weight in reference to your height and lets you know if you are overweight, obese, or if your weight falls within recommended levels.
Being either very underweight or overweight can affect your fertility and put you at risk for complications.
Excessive weight during your pregnancy can put you at greater risk for conditions such as:
- Preeclampsia
- Preterm birth
- Gestational diabetes
- High blood pressure
Being underweight during your pregnancy also can cause issues such as:
- Low birth weight
- Preterm birth
- Higher rates of neonatal mortality
4. Don’t Smoke
Tobacco products can make it more difficult for you to conceive. Tobacco damages ovarian follicles and egg quality. This is in addition to multiple other health problems that result from smoking. Remember: Vaping isn’t a safe alternative to smoking. Both are hazardous to your health.
The best thing you can do for your health—and the health of your baby—is to stop smoking and vaping.
5. Don’t Drink Alcohol
We’ll be direct: There is no “safe” amount of alcohol you can drink either during your pregnancy or when you’re trying to get pregnant. In addition, heavy alcohol use can impair your ability to get pregnant.
We recommend that you stop drinking if you are trying to conceive.
6. Don’t Participate in Extremely Strenuous Exercise
What do we mean by strenuous? Excessive running, high impact aerobics, competitive sports. We are happy to have people exercise—even strenuously. However, some women who exercise more than 60 minutes per day may decrease their chance of ovulation. Between 30-60 minutes per day can increase your fertility.
7. Have a Pre-pregnancy Checkup
Why should you have a preconception appointment? Because it helps us ensure that your body is in the best possible shape to help your growing baby. This means taking folic acid, checking you for diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes, reviewing risks for genetic disorders, and providing a health care plan of diet and exercise.
Chapel Hill OBGYN Has Helped Many Women Conceive
It is not always easy to get pregnant. While some women have no problem, others struggle with fertility issues and wonder “how can I increase my chances of getting pregnant?” Regardless, we are here for you. We believe that your gynecological health affects your regular health, and that’s why we want to see you regularly—not just when you’re trying to conceive.
See why our OBGYNs in Chapel Hill and Durham have been the provider of choice for Triangle women for decades.
Scheduling an appointment is simple and straightforward. Contact us to get started.