Trying for a Baby
Planning for pregnancy
Following are advisable ways for preparation of viable pregnancy:
Menstrual Cycle
It is what women body goes through to get ready for pregnancy, it is from the first day of bleeding to the day before start of new period.Ovulation always happens during the second half of cycle and to be pregnant the egg has to be fertilized by the sperm. Though it varies the average is around 28 days but it’s normal to have regular cycles that are longer or shorter than this (from 21-41 days). Its unlikely one will get pregnant just before or just after your periods.Following factors can lead to irregular cycles; Extreme weight loss, stress and medical conditions such as thyroid problems.
Frequency of Intercourse
Frequent ejaculation does not reduce male fertility, although abstinence lasting more than five days can harm a man’s sperm count. In terms of the perfect frequency of intercourse for achieving pregnancy, there is no set number as it differs from couple to couple. However, one study has shown that daily intercourse produced the highest probability of pregnancy among subjects at 37%, followed by alternate days at 33%. Intercourse once a week only led to pregnancy 15% of the time.
Fertility Window
You can’t get pregnant every day of your cycle and basically fertile window is around 6 days long and this include ovulation day and rate of sperm survival, normally sperm can live in the female reproductive systems for up to 5 days. Since ovulation periods vary within individuals one should master her cycle. Unlike the sperm egg cell starts to spoil after ovulation and within 24 hours it dies and after every hour the cell loses quality and chances of conceiving becomes less and for this cause it is advisable to have sex the day before ovulation.
Early Pregnancy
Before missing periods you may suspect or hope being pregnant, for some women early symptoms for pregnancy begin in the first week after conception and the symptoms vary in their intensity, frequency and duration among different women. Following are among symptoms experienced during early pregnancy stage; headaches, constipation, mood swings, faintness and dizziness, tender and swollen breasts, fatigue and nausea.
Preconception Care
It can be defined as set of interventions and commitments that aims to identify and modify biomedical, behavioral and social risks to the woman’s health or pregnancy outcomes through prevention and management. Preconception has following positive implications; Reduce maternal and child mortality, prevents birth defects, prevents neonatal infections, prevent unwanted pregnancies, prevent vertical transmission of HIV and finally prevent underweight. It involves activities like; screening for anemia and diabetes, genetic counseling, carrier screening and testing, supplementing iron and folic acid, promoting exercise, iodization of salt among others
Coital Practices
There is no evidence that the position in which a couple performs coitus has any effect on the chances of achieving pregnancy. The same can be said of post-coital positions, despite the fact that some believe a woman can increase her chances by remaining supine.
Diet and Lifestyle
Smoking has a negative effect on the ability to conceive a child, as well as carrying an increased risk of miscarriage. It can also reduce the sperm count in men. Some studies have claimed that alcohol has a negative effect on female fertility, while others have concluded that it can act as a boost. The true answer is not officially known. High levels of caffeine have also been linked to decreased fertility. Finally, drug use is also discouraged when trying to achieve pregnancy, as it can have an adverse effect on fertility and a developing fetus.
