Tips to prepare for conceiving a baby

Tips to prepare for conceiving a baby

If you have tried to conceive and not succeeded yet, be assured that you are not alone! Couples trying to have a baby seldom succeed in the very first few months of starting their journey of conscious conception. Don’t treat this as a conclusive indicator of infertility and burden yourselves with unnecessary anxiety.

The fact is that conception is a complex process, and several factors must fall in place at the same time. As with many other things in life, timing is a critical factor.

Before we dive into what is the best time to conceive and some dos and don’ts, let’s revisit a few important concepts. While most women would already know this, this ‘back to basics’ is worth a quick repetition.

Menstrual Cycle

A menstrual cycle is the series of changes that occur over a course of 28 days (regular menstrual cycles shorter or longer than this, ranging anywhere between 21 to 40 days, are also normal)¹during which the reproductive system of women prepares itself for a possible pregnancy.

Ovulation

During the ovulation phase of your menstrual cycle, an egg is released by the ovaries. It typically occurs about halfway through the cycle.

Fertile window

The window of time consisting of the five days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation are the most fertile days². This window is largely dependent upon how long the menstrual cycle is and varies from woman to woman.

Having sexual intercourse during the fertile window significantly increases the chances of a successful conception. A study³ conducted on 221 healthy women revealed that the possibility of pregnancy during these six days lies anywhere between 10-33%, depending on many other factors.

So, in order to get pregnant, it is important to understand your menstrual cycle, track your ovulation days and have sex during your fertile window.

How to know your ‘fertile window’

There are many ways in which you can achieve this. Here are a few of them:

Maintain a menstrual calendar

This is the most straightforward way to figure out your fertile window. Several mobile apps can aid the process. All you need to do is record the date of the first day of your period, enter the approximate length of your menstrual cycle and the app will indicate the tentative date of ovulation.

Monitor the vaginal discharge⁴

You can also keep a tab on your ovulation window by monitoring your vaginal discharge and figuring out where in the menstrual cycle do you stand on any given day. The few days right after your period ends are ‘dry,’ when no cervical mucus is discharged through the vaginal opening. The dry days are followed by ‘wet’ days when the vaginal discharge is cloudy and sticky. In the days leading up to ovulation, it becomes slippery and clear – almost resembling the consistency of egg whites.

Basal Body Temperature method

Basal body temperature or BBT is the temperature of your body when you have just woken up in the morning. With ovulation, the BBT rises and remains high until you get your period. It can be monitored using a basal body temperature thermometer. Measure it every morning before getting out of bed and notice as it goes up. This will also give you a fair idea about the possible dates of ovulation in your future cycles.

Home test kits

Easily available in pharmacies and supermarkets, home test kits or Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs), test the urine for a spike in the luteinizing hormone (LH). It is a hormone released by your body 24-48 hours prior to ovulation.

Aside from ovulation and getting the timing of sexual intercourse right, several other factors can directly or indirectly affect successful conception. They include:

The age of both partners can play a role in determining the chance of a healthy pregnancy and child. For women, fertility begins to slowly dip around 32 years of age. The decline in fertility speeds up by 35 and drops to half by 40 years. Men, on the other hand, become less fertile once they touch 45⁵.

Bodyweight

Being in the healthy body weight range can also increase the chances of conception. This is because being over or underweight can lead to hormonal imbalance in both men and women. Overweight and obese women are less likely to get pregnant than those who fall within the healthy weight bracket. In men, obesity can lower fertility owing to several factors like hormonal issues, erectile dysfunction, and other related health conditions.

Lifestyle tips when planning a baby

There are some fundamental lifestyle considerations when you are planning a baby to maximise the chances of conception and healthy pregnancy.

Healthy diet and exercise

Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regime can contribute to better chances of getting pregnant by aiding weight management. A diet rich in nutrients like iodine, folate, vitamin D, zinc, and selenium among others can also positively affect fertility and pregnancy health.

Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs

Smoking and alcohol can negatively affect both male and female fertility. Exposure to even secondhand smoke can not only reduce the likelihood of pregnancy but also cause future complications. Alcohol consumption can reduce the chances of conception by affecting sperm quality and causing impotency.

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