Getting pregnant is a joyous and exciting time for many couples, but for some, it may take longer than expected. While there are many medical options available for couples struggling to conceive, there are also several natural ways to improve your chances of getting pregnant.
Getting pregnant naturally
Here are some tips for getting pregnant naturally:
Track your ovulation
One of the most important things to know when trying to get pregnant is when you are ovulating. Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary into the fallopian tube, where it may be fertilized by sperm. The best time to conceive is during your fertile window, which is the time when you are most likely to get pregnant. To track your ovulation, you can use an ovulation predictor kit, track your basal body temperature, or monitor your cervical mucus.
Maintain a healthy weight
Being either overweight or underweight can affect your ability to get pregnant. Being overweight can cause hormonal imbalances, while being underweight can disrupt your menstrual cycle and make it more difficult to ovulate. Maintaining a healthy weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise can help improve your chances of getting pregnant.
Reduce stress
Stress can have a negative impact on your fertility. Chronic stress can cause hormonal imbalances that affect ovulation and conception. Practicing relaxation techniques, such as yoga or meditation, can help reduce stress and improve your chances of getting pregnant.
Quit smoking
Smoking can have a negative impact on both male and female fertility. In women, smoking can cause premature aging of the eggs and reduce their quality. In men, smoking can decrease sperm count and motility. Quitting smoking can improve your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy.
Limit alcohol and caffeine consumption
Alcohol and caffeine can have a negative impact on fertility. Drinking too much alcohol can reduce sperm count and motility in men, and increase the risk of miscarriage in women. Consuming large amounts of caffeine can also reduce fertility and increase the risk of miscarriage. Limiting your alcohol and caffeine consumption can improve your chances of getting pregnant.
Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep is important for overall health, including fertility. Lack of sleep can cause hormonal imbalances that affect ovulation and conception. Aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night to improve your chances of getting pregnant.
Get regular exercise
Regular exercise can help improve fertility by reducing stress, maintaining a healthy weight, and regulating hormonal imbalances. Aim to get 30 minutes of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, most days of the week to improve your chances of getting pregnant.
Eat a balanced diet
Eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fats can help improve fertility. Aim to eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods to provide your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to support conception.
In conclusion – how you can increase chances to get pregnant naturally
In conclusion, getting pregnant naturally can be a challenging process, but by following these tips, you can increase your chances of success. Remember, every couple is different, and it may take time to get pregnant. If you have been trying to conceive for over a year, or if you have any concerns, it is important to talk to your healthcare provider. They can help you understand your options and provide the support and guidance you need to start a healthy family.
Can I get pregnant with PCOS and no periods?
Is it impossible to conceive with PCOS without having periods? No. As you’ve seen in the testimonial above, Charity didn’t have periods at all and she got pregnant during her first cycle of treatment. Although medical miracles are rare, women with PCOS have one of the best prognosis when undergoing fertility treatment and most of them will eventually become pregnant. Even if they didn’t have periods before the treatment.
How to get pregnant with PCOS?
The good news is that with treatment, most patients would get pregnant. If the initial lifestyle changes like losing weight are not successful in initiating regular menses or you are not able to delay treatment, we recommend you start acting immediately, especially if you are over 35 years old, as the chances of pregnancy begin to decline. Also, there are some medical disorders that can mimic PCOS, so we strongly recommend you visit a Reproductive Endocrinologist with experience in evaluating and managing women with PCOS. Please, do not wait and do not lose your precious time.
There are two types of medicines used in fertility treatments for patients with PCOS:
Clomiphene or Letrozole
are usually the first medication type recommended for women with PCOS who are trying to get pregnant. Both medicines induce ovulation by encouraging recruitment, growth, and the monthly release of an egg from the ovaries (ovulation).
Metformin
Makes the body more sensitive to ovulation inducing medications if Clomiphene or Letrozole are unsuccessful in encouraging ovulation.
We can also recommend as appropriate supplements from Theralogix™ that have been proven to help with fertility. They include CoQ10, Inositol, and prenatal vitamins. There are also supplements available for men to improve sperm quality.
Metformin is often used to treat type 2 diabetes, but it can also lower insulin and blood sugar levels in women with PCOS. As well as stimulating ovulation, encouraging regular monthly periods, and lowering the risk of miscarriage, metformin can also have other long-term health benefits, such as making cholesterol levels lower.
Are there any real success stories of getting pregnant with PCOS?
Tiffany came to Fertility Cloud after three cycles of Clomid and two cycles of Letrozole ovulation induction. She was a 28-year old woman who had not been pregnant previously, diagnosed with PCOS at age twenty-one and has been on birth control until she started trying to get pregnant.
Testing confirmed the diagnosis of PCOS. Unfortunately, she did not ovulate on clomiphene and her initial trial of letrozole. Our approach was to make her ovaries more sensitive to ovulation induction. We started her on metformin and a small dose of dexamethasone. Then we increased her dose of letrozole. She ovulated in the first month and became pregnant after three cycles.
So, what does it mean for me?
Although while it is hard to get pregnant with PCOS, the good news is that women with PCOS typically have some of the best forecast when undergoing fertility treatment. Most of them will eventually become pregnant. Treatment has improved significantly and has become more effective as well. The general rule in fertility treatments is the sooner you begin, the more likely you are to succeed. And it’s smart to choose an experienced doctor with an understanding of PCOS. Don’t delay! A consultation with a qualified REI can clear up any confusion or concerns you may have about getting pregnant with PCOS.
✅Quitting at least 3️⃣ months before trying for a baby is important to make sure the sperm is healthy when the baby is conceived.
Men and women who smoke take longer to get pregnant than non-smokers. Second-hand smoke is almost as damaging as smoking and women who are exposed to second-hand smoke take longer to conceive than women who are not. The chemicals in cigarettes can cause damage to eggs and sperm which affects a future child’s health.
❓Why❓ Because smoking affects every stage of the reproduction process – in both men and women.
Smoking affects:
🛑the DNA (genetic material) in eggs and sperm men’s and women’s hormone production 🛑the fertilised egg’s ability to reach the uterus 🛑the environment inside the uterus, where the baby grows. Research shows that smokers are more likely to experience infertility than non-smokers.
Men who have smoked marijuana at some point in their life had significantly higher concentrations of sperm when compared with men who have never smoked marijuana, according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study, conducted in the Fertility Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital, also found that there was no significant difference in sperm concentrations between current and former marijuana smokers.
These unexpected findings highlight how little we know about the reproductive health effects of marijuana, and in fact of the health effects of marijuana in general.
📝Analysis of the semen samples showed that men who had smoked marijuana had average sperm concentrations of 62.7 million sperm per milliliter of ejaculate while men who had never smoked marijuana had average concentrations of 45.4 million sperm per milliliter of ejaculate. Only 5 percent of marijuana smokers had sperm concentrations below 15 million sperm per milliliter (the World Health Organization’s threshold for “normal” levels) compared with 12 percent of men who had never smoked marijuana.
❗️Unfortunately, science doesn’t always have the conclusive answers we crave — but given what the medical community does know, for the time being, choosing❌ not to smoke weed if you’re trying to get pregnant is the safest approach to avoid possible health effects on conception and the fetus down the line.
