“So, how do you get pregnant fast, Julie? I want to get pregnant fast, Julie,” I asked my closest, bestest friend.
“It’s easy, just have a lot of sex.” she responded, staring at the new Bachelorette TV show and chomping out of a sweet, delicious unhealthy bag of Doritos. “Chad on the Bachelorette has already gotten JoJo pregnant, and the show’s not even over yet. It can’t be that hard.”
While that’s great for Chad and JoJo, unfortunately getting pregnant isn’t always so easy for the rest of us. It’s not as simple as clicking your heels or wishing on a star. The problem with getting pregnant is that typically when we reach the stage where we want to have a child, we want to have them tomorrow. Or three months ago. We get impatient, and we expect it to happen just like that. Unfortunately the road to conception can be a long one. There are a few things you can do to make the journey a little shorter, though!
Rule 1) Never wear protection. (That is a given, but very true.)
Wearing those polyurethane sheath defense mechanisms and strapping on your latex armor is a big no-no in the field of fertility. (Kidding. I know you know this one, we hope.) When it comes to fertility, the more sperm the better. If your partner’s sperm count is higher, you have a much better chance of successfully conceiving.
Your companion can do numerous things to help ensure this. They should start by not drinking as much alcohol. Studies show that drinking each day can lower the testosterone levels and sperm counts, increasing the number of abnormal sperm. Any kind of tobacco or drugs can also create a poor sperm function. Obesity can also contribute to a decreased sperm count as well.
It is recommended not to use hot tubs or saunas when trying to conceive because heat destroys sperm cells. If you can get your spouse to follow these tentative laws, that would indeed increase the likelihood of a pregnancy. Following Rule 1 does work because fresh testicles are known to function better at 94 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit. (I’m sure the famous TV stars, Julie and Chad followed these guidelines. My favorite show by the way. Kidding, I hate that show.)
Rule 2) You should visit a healthcare provider long before your womb becomes filled with a lovely child.
The healthcare provider will ensure that you and all your faculties are operating at a healthy level, which is central to ensuring that the child you are planning on making will be conceived. Rule 2 works because it helps to receive council from a professional who can guide you through a healthy program for your body to function at its optimum level before and during pregnancy.
Rule 3) Stay on top of your ovulation calendar.
You will only ovulate once each menstrual cycle. Ovulation is one fragment of the female menstrual cycle when a developed ovarian releases an egg. The egg will venture down the fallopian tube where it may be met by a sperm and become fertilized. If you figure out when your body will begin to ovulate, you and your partner can time your intercourse in order to ensure your greatest chances of becoming pregnant during that cycle. This of course is not a guarantee that Rule 3 will work, but it will give you a higher statistical probability of becoming pregnant. (BTW Chad and Julie were lucky. You however are not Chad or Julie, famous reality TV gods. You must plan!)
Rule 4) Don’t forget to do it.
As much as you may not enjoy timing out your sex calendar, knowing when and how frequently your sexual encounters need to take place is essential for the conception of your cute, sweet baby. Now that you know when your egg is released, you can plan to have sex three days before and up until the day you ovulate.
Sperm can survive in your body for up to three to six days give or take, but your egg will survive in your body for only about one day, so keep that in mind so that you can have healthy sperm in your fallopian tubes when your egg is released into the wild streams. Even though Rule 4 is very specific about the eggs, sperm, and ovulation cycles of your body, this does not guarantee a pregnancy, even if you time everything right.
Rule 5) It’s all about the diet.
If you eat a variety of healthy foods, this can help to ensure that your body is prepared for a pregnancy by providing you with the necessary nutrients like calcium, protein and iron. When you visit your local grocery store, peruse for vegetables, fruits, dairy, and whole grains, which provide the much-needed nutrients.
Besides taking a prenatal vitamin, a woman can also obtain the B vitamin from nourishments like leafy vegetables, broccoli, cereals, beans, citrus fruits, and orange juice. Eating these healthy foods can increase the likelihood of becoming pregnant. (Keep in mind that high cholesterol levels can make it difficult to become pregnant, so stay away from saturated fats.)
While all of these rules play an important role in increasing your chances at successfully conceiving, it’s important to remember that sometimes you can be doing everything right and still not seeing the desired results. Infertility affects tons of couples in the US, and it’s possible that you may need to take extra steps on the long road to conception. If you’re struggling to get pregnant, take some time to familiarize yourself with the process of diagnosing and treating infertility.
By Preston Copeland