Weight gain during pregnancy: What's healthy?
Some couples seem to get pregnant simply by
talking about it. For others, it takes plenty of
patience and a bit of luck.
If you're hoping to join the ranks of other
moms-to-be, start the old-fashioned way. Here's
what you need to know — and when to seek help.
Baby-making basics
Conception is based on an intricate series of
events.
Every month, hormones from your pituitary gland
stimulate your ovaries to release an egg, or
ovulate. This often happens around day 14 of the
menstrual cycle, although the exact timing may
vary among women or even from month to month.
Once the egg is released, it travels to the
fallopian tube. If you want to conceive, now's
the time. The egg has about 24 hours to unite
with a sperm. Since sperm cells can survive in
your reproductive tract for two to three days,
it's best to have regular sex during the days
leading up to ovulation.
If the egg is fertilized, it'll travel to the
uterus two to four days later. There it'll
attach to the uterine lining. You're pregnant!
Your periods will stop as your body begins to
support the embryo,
how to get pregnant ?
If the egg isn't fertilized, it'll break down
and you'll have your next period as usual.
Understanding when you're most fertile
Learning how ovulation works is one thing.
Determining when it's actually happening is
something else. For many women, it's like
hitting a moving target.
Keep an eye on the calendar
Use your day planner or another simple calendar
to mark the day your period begins each month.
Also track the number of days each period lasts.
If you have a consistent 28-day cycle,
ovulation
is likely to begin about 14 days after the day
your last period began.
If your cycles are somewhat irregular, subtract
18 from the number of days in your shortest
cycle. When your next period begins, count ahead
this many days. This is a reasonable guess for
your most fertile days.
Pros: Calendar calculations can be done simply
on paper. And they're free!
Cons: Many factors may affect the exact timing
of
ovulation, including illness, stress and
exercise. Counting days is often inaccurate,
especially for women who have irregular cycles.
Watch for changes in cervical mucus
Just before ovulation, you'll notice an increase
in clear, slippery vaginal secretions — if you
check for it. These secretions typically
resemble raw egg whites. After ovulation, when
the odds of becoming pregnant are slim, the
discharge will become cloudy and sticky or
disappear entirely.
Pros: Changes in vaginal secretions are often an
accurate sign of impending fertility. Simple
observation is all that's needed, particularly
inside the vagina.
Cons: Judging the texture or appearance of
vaginal secretions can be somewhat subjective.
Track your basal body temperature
This is your body's temperature when you're at
rest. Ovulation may cause a gradual rise in
temperature or even a sudden jump — typically
between 0.5 and 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
You'll be most fertile during the two to three
days before your temperature rises. You can
assume ovulation has occurred when the slightly
higher temperature remains steady for three days
or more.
Use an oral thermometer to monitor your basal
body temperature. Try the digital variety or one
specifically designed to measure basal body
temperature. Simply take your temperature every
morning before you get out of bed. Plot the
readings on graph paper and look for a pattern
to emerge.
Pros: It's simple. The only cost is the
thermometer. It's often most helpful to
determine when you've ovulated and judge if the
timing is consistent from month to month.
Cons: The temperature change may be subtle, and
the increase comes too late — after ovulation
has already happened. It can be inconvenient to
take your temperature at the same time every
day, especially if you have irregular sleeping
hours.
Try an ovulation monitoring kit
Over-the-counter ovulation kits test your urine
for the surge in hormones that takes place
before ovulation. For the most accurate results,
follow the instructions on the label to the
letter.
Pros: Ovulation kits can identify the most
likely time of ovulation. They can even provide
a signal before ovulation actually happens.
They're available without a prescription in most
pharmacies.
Cons: Ovulation kits often lead to excessively
targeted sex — and timing sex so precisely can
invite being too late. The tests can also be
expensive, often ranging from $20 to $50 each.
Maximizing
fertility
When you're trying to conceive, consider these
simple do's and don'ts.
Do:
Have sex regularly. If you consistently have sex
two or three times a week, you're almost certain
to hit a fertile period at some point. For
healthy couples who want to conceive, there's no
such thing as too much sex. For many couples,
this may be all it takes.
Have sex once a day near the time of ovulation.
Daily intercourse during the days leading up to
ovulation may increase the odds of conception.
Although your partner's sperm concentration will
drop slightly each time you have sex, the
reduction isn't an issue for healthy men.
Make healthy lifestyle choices. Maintain a
healthy weight, exercise regularly, eat
healthfully and keep stress under control. The
same good habits will serve you and your baby
well during pregnancy.
Consider preconception planning. Your doctor can
assess your overall health and help you identify
lifestyle changes that may improve your chances
for a healthy pregnancy. Preconception planning
is especially helpful if you or your partner
have any health issues.
Take your vitamins. Folic acid (vitamin B-9)
plays an essential role in a baby's development.
Taking a prenatal vitamin or folic acid
supplement beginning at least one month before
conception through the first trimester of
pregnancy can reduce the risk of spina bifida
and other neural tube defects by up to 70
percent.
Don't:
Smoke. Tobacco changes the cervical mucus, which
may keep sperm from reaching the egg. Smoking
may also increase the risk of miscarriage and
deprive your developing baby of oxygen and
nutrients. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help
you quit before
conception.
For your family's sake, vow to quit for good.
Drink alcohol. Alcohol is off limits if you're
pregnant — or hope to be.
Take medication without your doctor's OK.
Certain medications — even those available
without a prescription — can make it difficult
to conceive. Others may not be safe once you're
pregnant.
When to see your doctor
With frequent unprotected sex, most healthy
couples conceive within six months. Ninety
percent of healthy couples conceive within one
year. Others need a bit of help.
If you're in your early 30s or younger and you
and your partner are in good health, try it on
your own for one year before consulting a
doctor. You may want to seek help sooner if
you're age 35 or older, your periods are more
than 35 days apart, or you or your partner have
known or suspected fertility issues.
Infertility affects men and women equally — and
treatment is available. Depending on the source
of the problem, your gynecologist, your
partner's urologist or your family doctor may be
able to help. In some cases, a fertility
specialist may offer the best hope.
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