Planning for pregnancy - Conceiving a babyConception
For some women, conception is an elusive goal that seems to take forever; still other women report that their partner only needs to look at them sideways to get them pregnant. (Of course, there is more to it than that!)
And while you may share many characteristics with family members, until you fall pregnant, you can’t really predict how quickly – or slowly – conception will happen.
Fertility
There are many things that affect our fertility. One very significant one is age: both men and women are thought to be at their most fertile around the age of 24.
But while many men can conceive a child well into their sixties and beyond (although their fertility does decline gently with age), for most women, fertility drops off sharply after the age of 35.
Even at a woman’s most fertile peak, in her early twenties, the chance of a successful conception has been estimated at around 25 percent in any one cycle. The odds drop as you age; a woman in her late 20s and early 30s has an estimated 15 percent chance of a successful conception, while in her late 30s, the rate is about 10 percent.
Among couples having intercourse regularly without contraception, 25 percent of women will conceive in the first month, 60 percent within six months, 75 percent within nine months, 80 percent within a year, and 90 percent within 18 months.
Of course, these are all averages – your own experience may fall well outside these estimates and still be quite normal.
It’s useful to know that the most fertile period for a woman is from four days before ovulation to 24 hours afterwards.
And while sperm are fairly hardy, surviving for around 72 hours after ejaculation, an egg usually survives for just 12 to 24 hours after ovulation.
Stopping Contraception
Barrier methods, like condoms, diaphragms and spermicide, can be stopped immediately.
If you are taking the oral contraceptive pill, finish the current packet before stopping.
There are two schools of thought on trying to fall pregnant after stopping the oral contraceptive pill; sometimes, fertility levels can be quite high just after stopping the pill which some suggest makes it a good time to try to conceive. Other medical professionals advise waiting for several months for your body to return to its natural pattern. Talk to your own doctor if you are unsure.
You will need to see your doctor or health centre to stop several other contraceptive methods – such as an IUD (intra-uterine device), contraceptive injectable hormones like Depo-Provera or progesterone implants.
While the IUD is unlikely to affect short-term fertility, both Depo-Provera and progesterone implants may take some months to wear off; discuss your plans with your doctor to find out the current information for your particular case.
Knowing Your Menstrual Cycle - ovulation
The first step in getting pregnant is to understand your most fertile times – and making sure that you have intercourse at these times.
The secret to conception is timing: by tracking the changes in your body throughout each menstrual cycle you will start to understand the best times to conceive.
It is a good idea to keep track of your menstrual cycle, noting the first day of your period in your diary (this is Day One.) The cycle ends the day before your next period starts.
Although much medical literature talks about a menstrual cycle as being 28 days long, in real life, women have widely ranging menstrual cycles, most between 21 to 40 days.
Some women’s menstrual cycle will vary each month – in which case, counting days doesn’t really help to understand when you are ovulating.
The most likely times for intercourse to lead to a successful pregnancy are in the three days immediately before ovulation and the day of ovulation.
For most women, days 10 to 18 of their cycle is the most likely time of ovulation; having sex every second day during this time may help your chances of falling pregnant.
There are some natural indicators that will help you understand your ovulation; there are changes in vaginal mucus that occur during the menstrual cycle, with mucus that is thin, slippery and clear (a bit like egg-white) occurring around the time of ovulation.
You can also chart your body temperature over the course of your cycle. Temperature should be taken each morning before getting out of bed. Just before ovulation, your body temperature will drop and then rise at the time of ovulation, remaining at that level until your next period.
There are also a number of ovulation testing kits available in pharmacies which identify the time of ovulation, helping you to get your timing spot-on.
Some involve testing saliva for the increased oestrogen levels apparent several days before ovulation; others allow you to test your urine for the increased luteinising hormone (LH) that occur the day before ovulation.
Boosting Fertility
Can you make yourself more fertile? There are all sorts of products and services that promise to boost your fertility; but do be wary of those that involve a large sum of money or untested medical claims.
Research has shown that a healthy diet will improve the fertility of both men and women. Sperm take an average of 74 days to mature, so it is worth preparing both of your bodies for at least three months before conception.
Some research suggests that iron and other mineral deficiencies can reduce female fertility; commercially produced multi-vitamin supplements are available to address this, so do investigate vitamin supplements if you are concerned.
Meanwhile, a raised body temperature may affect sperm production so men are advised to avoid tight-fitting pants, spas, saunas and hot baths.
There are strong links between certain street drugs (like marijuana and anabolic steroids) and reduced sperm production.
Many drugs (both medicinal and recreational) can impact fertility; it’s important to discuss these with your doctor or pharmacist.
Both alcohol and tobacco are drugs which have a significant impact on fertility, with smokers taking around 30 percent longer to conceive than non-smokers.
You can also check information on drugs and fertility with the Mothersafe unit at the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick, on 9382 6539 for Sydney residents or freecall on 1800 647 848.
What happens at the time of conception?
Changes in the mucus lining the canal of the cervix around the time of ovulation makes it easier for sperm to swim through the cervix, into the womb and then along one of the fallopian tubes towards the egg.
During this time, rising hormone levels prompt the ovaries to release an egg (or sometimes two) and the lining of the uterus swells with blood, preparing to nourish an embryo.
The egg and sperm, which each contain 23 chromosomes, join in the fallopian tube and the new cell divides rapidly, hopefully moving back into the uterus where it becomes implanted. A new life has begun!
Conceiving a Boy or Girl?
Can you choose the sex of your baby? There’s some statistical evidence suggesting that you can influence the likelihood of conceiving one gender rather than another, but there are no guarantees.
Conception is something of a miraculous event and it is impossible to predict which of the millions of sperm deposited will fertilise the egg, then determining your baby’s gender.
However, statistics suggest that the timing of intercourse during your cycle may have some correlation with the gender of the baby.
Male sperm swim faster but die sooner, so boys are slightly more likely to be conceived from intercourse on the day of ovulation.
Meanwhile female sperm swim slower and live longer, so you may have a better chance of conceiving a girl by having intercourse a couple of days before ovulation – and then abstaining until a day after ovulation.
Other suggestions involve changing your diet to increase or decrease the acidity of the vagina (more acidity is believed to favour female sperm) and changing the frequency of intercourse to promote the development of a particular sperm.
Frequent ejaculation is thought to increase the proportion of female sperm in the semen; the reverse is thought to be true for male sperm.
By Fran Molloy – journalist and mum of 4
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