After enjoying her married life for a few months/years, every female wishes to have a baby in her lap. And she starts making efforts for it when she finalizes to conceive after discussing it with her male partner. Sometimes, a female has to make many efforts to give reality to her wish of becoming a mother of a baby. If it is with you, you can follow the steps mentioned below:
Have a preconception consultation
You should visit a maternity center, a gynecologist, or an IVF treatment centre for a checkup before you make try to conceive. This preconception checkup can help you detect reproductive health issues if you have one. At the clinic or hospital, you should request your doctor to recommend a few supplements and medicines for prenatal vitamins and acids. Your doctor may recommend prenatal vitamins with folic acid to safeguard your child from having birth defects like spina bifida.
Know well about your menstrual cycle and ovulation period
Usually, a female has a menstrual cycle of 27 to 35 days. She bleeds lightly through her vagina when she has a period under a menstrual cycle. The period lasts for 4 to 7 days. In this period, you are highly fertile. You need to track your menstrual cycle and know when you have the next period and the time you ovulate.
For making a better and more successful effort, you should note down or mark each detail of your menstrual cycle and ovulation time in a copy or on a calendar in your room. Further, you should be able to predict your period and ovulation time. You can take the help of medical tools in this regard.
Make love every other day in a fertile window
As per the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a fertile window has a six-day interval – five days earlier than the ovulation and the day on which you ovulate. You are highly fertile these days. To conceive, you must have physical intimacy every other day. It is, as the sperm of your male partner is alive for 24 hours.
Stay in the bed after having physical intimacy
Many couples leave their bed or stand up just after having sex. You should not do it, especially when you are on your conception journey. Leaving the bed or standing up just after physical intimacy may not support the sperm meeting with your egg. The combination of sperm and eggs is important for getting pregnant.
Maintain a healthy body weight
Being overweight or underweight is not good for the health of a person. And you need to be more careful about your body weight when you are trying to get pregnant. You must take every possible step to lose or gain weight if you are overweight or underweight. For knowing your ideal weight, you can use a BMI calculator.
Eat healthy foods
Foods are crucial for everyone. However, you need to be more careful about your diet as you would be feeding yourself and the baby you will conceive. Ensure that your meal has all the requisite nutrients – carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. You should start focusing on a pregnancy diet that could include:
- Whole grains- gram, lentils
- Fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, citrus fruits, beans, cereals, and orange
- High mercury fish such as sharks and swordfish
Make a few changes in your lifestyle
As you decide to conceive, you should start making a few changes in your lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle is crucial for having a healthy & successful pregnancy and avoiding probable complications during or after it. Here are some tips that you should follow for a healthy lifestyle:
- Quit smoking and limit your drinking
- Avoid chewing or consuming tobacco products
- Stay away from caffeine
- Say no to workouts of high intensity and prefer performing light to moderate one
- Have a sound sleep every night
- Lower your stress level if you have
With age, people have infertility. Both males and females are highly fertile during their 20s and 30s. After 35, there is a decline in infertility. As a female, you have menopause that can start any time after 35. Further, you have a decline in the number of eggs as you age. It would be better for you to get pregnant in your 20s or early 30s. Consult a doctor if you are over 35 and follow his/her instructions.
Conclusion
Being pregnant is a moment of celebration. Having a pregnancy is not equally easy for all females. Steps like tracking the menstrual cycle, monitoring the ovulation period, having healthy foods, and interacting with doctors can help you get pregnant.
Also Read: Which Foods Contain the 6 Major Minerals?