what can I do to improve my chances of conceiving a baby?

Answer 1

Of course, having sex helps - this would be of course sex without contraception, a man with a woman, penetrative penis to vagina sex with male ejaculation (orgasm from woman also helps!).

Getting a check up with your doctor is also a good first step to insure you are healthy and they can further advise you - remember it is important you look into these things yourself as well.

Now, for the top tip for pregnancy achievement;

Fertility Awareness Method
In very simple terms, use this.

It involves tracking your basal body temperature, cervical mucus and cervical position on a daily basis to determine exactly when your fertile days are, it would also tell you if you have any fertility problems long before a load of invasive testing by your doctor could because it will show you exactly why you cannot get pregnant by showing where the problems in your cycles are.

FAM can also be used to determine when you are pregnant so saving on home pregnancy tests.

It can even be used to help determine the sex of your child by coupling it with the Shettles method to up your chances of conceiving a boy or a girl. Here's how in basic terms:
Sperm carrying Y chromosome (boys) swim fast but do not live long, where as sperm carrying X chromosome (girls) are slower but last longer - closer to ovulation the more likely it is to have a boy as they are first to reach egg, further from ovulation cervical mucus will keep the sperm alive long enough for X sperm to reach egg, where as Y sperm will die.

Not only all that but also has life-long advantages of being used next time you wish to conceive (if you choose to again), use as birth control and use for general reproductive & vaginal health, putting your sexual health well into your own hands.

You are only fertile for 30% of your cycle, you will normally only produce one egg per cycle that lives for up to 48 hours, sperm will only live up to 5 days within fertile quality cervical mucus (only a few hours without cervical mucus as acidic environment in the vagina will kill sperm - mucus also needed to help sperm reach the egg).

So if you have sex at the wrong time of your cycle it is not going to achieve anything, apart from perhaps get you and your partner very frustrated and confused.

I would highly recommend getting this book;
'Taking Charge Of Your Fertility' by Toni Weschler.
This book will set you back around £12 from Amazon or can be picked up at most book stores, and it very much worth what you pay for it teaching you FAM as well as addressing male problems with fertility rather than just female.

A lot of areas also have Fertility Awareness Method instructors that would be able to help you learn if need be, if you are in the UK these are normally within the NHS and most do not charge, but may ask for a donation from yourself. These trainers can be found by doing a search through FertilityUK:
http://www.fertilityuk.org

Sites on Fertility Awareness Method and Natural Family Planning [similar to FAM, however when used for birth control FAM uses barrier methods, FAM does not];

http://www.tcoyf.com – FAM.
http://www.28-days.com – FAM.
http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/fam.htm - FAM FAQ.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/2879/welcome.html - NFP.
http://www.billings-centre.ab.ca – Billings Ovulation Method.
http://www.justisse.ca – Holistic and FAM methods.
http://www.sisterzeus.com – Herbs and FAM methods.

On gender selection (if interested);
http://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/Gender-Selection-The-Shettles-Method.html - Shettles Method.
http://www.in-gender.com – Gender selection.


Other similar options would be to use CycleBeads that are beads that show your fertile and none fertile days, Boots also has an ovulation kit which consists of a little case with charts and a basal body thermometer for £12 that would be similar to FAM, NFP and other ovulation methods but without as much attention to detail – which you do not really need if planning on getting pregnant. You could also go the more hi-tech route by using computers such as Babycomp or Persona that will both tell you when you are ovulating – I do believe you can also get ovulation testing kits, however these are not as accurate at determining when you are fertile.

For more information;
http://www.cyclebeads.com – CycleBeads.
http://www.ladycomp.com – Ladycomp and Babycomp.
http://www.boots.com/shop/product_list_new_template.jsp?classificationid=1037588 – Boots fertility products.

Another idea which would be simpler and cheaper, although not as effective, would be to use basic tracking methods and charting these in a calendar or online, there are a few web sites around, most will work on a method similar to the Rhythm Method where it determines fertile days in accordance to your cycle and previous cycles – i.e. your last period was on day x, your next period will be on day y, so your ovulation will be on day z. This is similar to saying that you ovulate on day 14 of your cycle, although in a regular typical cycle this would be correct (ovulation around day 12-16) if you have irregular cycles or simply your cycle is not set to this pattern this can do little for you and end up with you having sex on the wrong days, not falling pregnant and believing there is a fertility problem where there is none.

Basic charting sites;
http://www.fertilityfriend.com – Fertility Friend.
http://www.mymonthlycycles.com – My Monthly Cycles.
http://www.cyclespage.com – Cycles Page.

Then of course a small note is that general health will help, if you are sleep deprived then this can very well effect your chances of pregnancy, as will other factors like sleep, as your body is designed to try to avoid your getting pregnant and carrying to full-term when it is not able to keep you or the child healthy.

Improved diet and an up in vitamins and other dietary needs such as folic acid will help a lot, most people do not realise but your menstrual cycle has a big effect on your body and your general health can have a huge effect on your cycles, if you are in poor health this may prevent pregnancy, in fact a change in diet can fully regulate many women's cycles when they may have had problems for years.

There are also many other natural aids such as herbal or holistic methods that will help you too.

It is best to consult an expert when it comes to herbs, however you might want to consider more common herbal treatments that carry low risk such as Black Cohosh (oestrogenic stimulates ovaries), Evening Primrose Oil (regulates cycles), Vitex (regulate ovulation), Don Qui (regulates cycles & strengthens uterus), Red Clover (rich in coumestans and isoflavones – likened to progesterone).

Don Qui I believe is a bad idea if you have heart conditions, but all others I do believe are safe - things like Evening Primrose Oil are very safe and very common in use for menstrual cycle regulation that will help assist conception, you can actually usually pick this up at supermarkets or pharmacies.

If you go to a health store that sells herbal treatments they will be able to tell you how best to take them, probably in tea form a few times a day, and be able to tell you if there are any negative effects to taking them.

Of course in the end if none of these things work it would mean a trip to see your doctor to find out why, it is either a serious problem with your own reproductive system or a problem with your partner - again, if you use FAM you will know before reaching your doctor what the problem is and so how best to go about dealing with the problem, this will allow you a little more control over your treatment if it is needed.

Within a few months of using FAM you should either be pregnant or know why you are not pregnant, promise. Good luck! :o)

Answer 2

The first thing to do is start taking a folic acid supplement so that if you do concieve, you have a better chance of having a healthy baby. As for conceiving, you first need to track your fertility in order to find out what day in your cycle you ovulate. Most women ovulate about 14 days before the start of their period. You should start having sex every other day 4 days before you ovulate until the day after ovulation. These are your most fertile days. Good luck!

Answer 3

Okay, I heard about the home conception kit and made my own. I got the fertile focus microscope to pinpoint my exact ovulation day which can also be done with OPKs. ( I ovulated on day 9 not 14 like every says.) This ran 25.00 online. I also got the preseed fertility moisturizer. I also ordered this online, 16.00. I used the instead soft cup to hold the semen close to the cervix. 13.99 at walmart. I only used all these ONCE! together and I conceived. I've included the links to order all of these online and explaining in detail what they all do. Good Luck!

Answer 4

The simplest way would probably be ovulation predictor kits. You can buy them at any drug store. Start testing your urine on day 11 or 12 (day 1 being the first day of your period). When you get two lines of the same color (not one lighter than the other), it's time to you-know-what. Noticing your cervical fluid is a good indicator as well. When your vaginal discharge feels like egg white and a lot comes out, you are probably fertile. I wouldn't recommend taking your temperature every day and waiting for the rise because this only happens after you ovulate, and then it's too late.

Answer 5

Start charting your cycle. Pay attention to your body and it's signs that you're getting ready to ovualte ~ such as cervical fluid.
Cut out any bad habbits you have like smoking or drinking. Take prenatal vitamins and eat plenty of healthy foods.
Don't use lubrication like KY Jelly as it is hostile to sperm.
After sex, prop your bottom up on a pillow and let gravity help to keep the semen pooled around your cervix.

Answer 6

We tried for a year to get pregnant. The doctor said we just wasn't doing it at the right time. So finally we decided to do it every night for a month, 30 days, and it worked, by the end of the thirty days I was pregnant.

Answer 7

Track you mentral cycle then after your done menstrating take you temperature around the 2 weeks after your period and this will help you to know when you ovulate. Your temperature should be on the low side. Here is a good site to try.

www.mymonthlycycles.com

Answer 8

myself and wife have been in the same situation
when you are close to the doctors pop in ask behind the counter for the leaflet on help on conceiving for a baby
1st of all you and partner need to go for checkups to make sure you can have children.
then take step by step
you need to be stress free and relax more whilst intercourse

Answer 9

you need to start taking prenatal vitamins and start tracking your ovulation calender . count 10 days from your start of your period and start having intercourse at least every other day to day 16 that way you cover all your ovulating period . or you can just have sex every other day after your period ends for two weeks . I don't know how you ovulate and since every women is different one of the two choices i gave you should help.baby dust your way. Good luck

Answer 10

magic medicine works!! asda cherry cough syrup contains guaifenesin which makes cervical mucus more egg whitey (which is good if trying to concieve) and it works you take it for 5 days before and during ovulation

Answer 11

eat a good diet, take folic acid tablets, drink milk as your bones get weaker during pregnancy, quit smoking if you do.