25/11/2020
HOW CAN COUPLES INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF GETTING PREGNANT?
Most couples are likely to conceive if they have no medical problems. Some medical conditions (diabetes, asthma, obesity) can lower ones chances of conceiving so besides sorting out any medical issues, couples who wish to conceive should also have a healthy diet, exercise regularly, stop smoking & drinking alcohol and reduce their levels of stress. This advice is good for a couples overall wellbeing especially if fertility is sought.
a) Watch your weight - Aside from the other risks it poses to your health, excess body fat can lead to an overproduction of certain hormones that disrupt ovulation. Your cycles may be less regular, you may ovulate less often, and you lower your chances of getting pregnant. Too little body fat means your body may not produce enough hormones to ovulate each month or to sustain a pregnancy if you do conceive.
b) Eat healthy foods - Staying well-nourished increases your odds of conceiving. Make sure to include enough protein, iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamin C, because deficiencies in these nutrients have been linked to decrease fertility and a higher risk of early miscarriage.
c) Quit smoking - Aside from health concerns, cigarette toxins not only damage a woman's eggs, interfering with the fertilization and implantation process, but also cause the ovaries to age.
d) Know your fertile period - When you're ready to conceive, find your "fertile window," during which you should have in*******se regularly. You can try urine ovulation test kits, which checks for certain hormones in your urine, or note daily changes in your basal body temperature and cervical mucus.
e) Reduce Stress - learning to manage stress through relaxation techniques (such as meditation or yoga) or support from counselling.
f) Avoid alcohol and reduce caffeine intake - alcohol consumption decreases the ability to get pregnant (not to mention the harm it can cause to a developing fetus). Alcohol alters oestrogen levels, which may interfere with egg implantation. Cutting back on caffeine while you try to conceive and during your pregnancy is encouraged. Women who drink the equivalent of two cups of coffee per day are twice as likely to miscarry as those who didn't consume any.
g) Frequent in*******se - During your fertile period, you should try to have in*******se on alternate days or have in*******se on the day and the very next day when the urine ovulation test kit is positive. Outside of this fertile period, in*******se is unlikely to result in pregnancy. Because mandatory s*x on certain days can become a chore, you might also try making love on other days which should be good for your relationship.
h) Don’t do**he – try not to do**he after immediately after in*******se as this may wash away some of the s***m that may be still in the va**na. Give yourself at least 20-30 minute before cleaning yourself to give the healthy s***m time to swim into the uterine cavity. Douching can wipe out normal, protective bacteria in the va**na, shifting the balance and putting you at risk for bacterial vaginosis, a common but often overlooked va**nal infection. A fishy odour and greyish discharge are often the only signs. Untreated va**nal infections have been linked to preterm labour and may be associated with higher risk of miscarriage and infertility.
i) Some women may experience va**nal dryness during in*******se which makes it a painful experience. Some may have hostile cervical mucus that may kill s***m. Try coating the inside of your va**na with s***m friendly lubricants which not only increase the number of viable s***ms that can enter the uterine cavity and therefore fertility but also reduces painful in*******se and va**nal infections.
j) Looking after your partner’s health - Ci******es, alcohol and a poor diet can contribute to lower s***m production or motility (ability to swim). Studies have traced chromosomal damage in s***m to cigarette smoke and heavy alcohol intake. Vitamins E and C and the mineral selenium help healthy s***m production so taking a daily male multivitamin is advisable. After all, conceiving is a joint effort so both parties should play their part.
