Fertility and Pregnancy

Well, if it is that time of your life when you are seriously pondering over having a baby, welcome to a whole new experience.

In order to improve your chances of getting pregnant soon, it is important for you to know the ideal time to have sexual intercourse.

The set of practices that helps you know the days of the month that you are most likely to get pregnant is known as fertility awareness method (FAM).

Fertility awareness is useful not only in helping you conceive, but also to help you avoid a pregnancy. Here are some techniques for you to understand that will help you understand the time ideal time when you are most fertile, so that having a sexual intercourse during these times will improve your chances of getting pregnant quickly.

Calendar charting

To know the approximate time of ovulation, keep a written record of your Menstrual cycle for at least 5 consecutive months. Count the first day of menstruation, that is, the first day of bleeding as ‘day 1’ of your Menstrual cycle. Make note of your longest and shortest menstrual cycles. Later subtract 18 days from the length of your shortest cycle and note this as the first fertile day. Subtract 11 days from the length of your longest cycle and you will arrive at the last fertile day.

• Cut out caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes.
• Stop over-exercising.
• Achieve your ideal weight.
• Reduce stress and depression.
• Discontinue using birth control pills. Stop taking them at least one full cycle before you start trying to conceive. Time intercourse.
• Optimize nutrition intake through a balanced diet.
• Consume a diet rich in folic acid.
• Begin making healthy changes 3 months to a year before you conceive.
• In addition to a healthy diet, encourage supplements to increase the probability that you get all the nutrients you need.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners.

For example: Count the number of days between day 1 of one period and day 1 of the next period.

In this example, the shortest cycle is 27 days and the longest is 31 days. Subtract 18 from 27 to get the first unsafe day—that is day 9. Subtract 11 from 31 to get day 20 as the last unsafe day. Hence, days 9–20 are the fertile time.

Cervical mucus
Cervical mucus (one of the vaginal discharges) plays a vital role in fertilization of the egg and also helps to estimate the fertile time. The consistency of cervical mucus changes during the Menstrual cycle. Mucous changes are recorded on a chart, and previous cycles are used as guides.

The mucous in the first phase is generally white, creamy and sticky which indicates low fertility. Later the mucous becomes wetter and more plentiful. Right before Ovulation the mucous changes into a thinner and slicker consistency, which indicates high fertility.

Basal body temperature
Keeping a track of your basal body temperature helps you estimate your fertile time. Measure your temperature with a thermometer every morning immediately upon waking and before any activity. This gives your basal body temperature (BBT).

Note the temperature on a graph paper to see the rise and fall of body temperature. Just before the ovulation, the temperature drops briefly.

Within 12 h of Ovulation the BBT increases several tenths of a degree and remains high until the next menstrual period. When your temperature remains high for 3 consecutive days, the fertile period is over.

Cervical observation
During the course of your Menstrual cycle the position of your Cervix (narrow outer end of uterus) changes. In the first few days after menstruation, your Cervix is fairly low and firm. The Cervix begins to move up, become more soft, wet, and open, when the wet cervical fluid begins to secrete. Your Cervix is most open and is at its highest point during the process of Ovulation. After ovulation, the Cervix returns to the firm, low, and closed position.

Apart from the changes mentioned above, other physical changes include:

• Cramps in the lower abdomen.
• Tender breasts.