Trying to Conceive? Here's top 10 do’s and don’t

Some people are fortunate and can get pregnant almost immediately once they decide to. For others, that’s not the case. In some couples, aged below 35, it might take almost a year to get pregnant and the same figures can go up to 3-4 years with ageing. 

You would want to give the best of everything to your child. Starting a healthy lifestyle with proper eating habits and avoiding conditions like smoking, drinking, too much exercising, unknown medications can go along way to help you in smooth pregnancy.

Here are some tips from us which can help maximizing fertility in couples who are trying to conceive:

Maximizing fertility: Things to do

1. Have sex regularly:

Having sex regularly (every 2 to 3 days) during the menstrual cycle will make sure that you have sperms always in the system to attach with the egg as soon as it is released. This will increase chances of the fertilization and in turn pregnancy.

The highest chances of pregnancy are in the couples who will be involved in unprotected sex every day or every other day.

2. Have sex at the right time:

There are only a few days in the menstrual cycle when a woman can get pregnant which is known as the fertile window. These are the days leading to ovulation and the day of ovulation.

You can use the ovulation kit, fertility calculator and other methods for identifying when you are ovulating to increase your chances of pregnancy.

3. Maintain a normal weight:

Staying fit and maintaining ideal weight (Body Mass Index between 18.5-24.9) can help increase chances of getting pregnant as underweight and overweight women are more susceptible to ovulation disorders.

Exercising, in general, helps to improve mood and energy levels. It will also help reduce stress so that you will feel positive before conceiving. The pregnancy puts a lot of strain on one’s body so if you maintain a healthy lifestyle before conceiving you can make sure to be active throughout the pregnancy.

It is important not just for the women but also for the men to stay active and adopt healthy lifestyle before conceiving.

4. Take Folic Acid:

Taking folic acid prevents certain neural tube defects in the baby. If you are planning to get pregnant you should start taking folic acid ideally around 3 months before conceiving and continue to do so throughout the first trimester.

You can get folic acid through some food items as well like rice, cereals, green leafy vegetables, beans, citrus fruits like orange juice etc. but is generally not enough so taking a supplement is still recommended even if you follow a healthy lifestyle.

5. Eat Healthy Foods:

Even before getting pregnant and conceiving it is the best idea to have a balanced diet, regular food intake, including fruits and vegetables and cutting down on processed or fast food.

Include whole grains, cereals in diet rather than white bread, cakes etc. Milk and milk products help in bone development so should be included throughout the pregnancy.

Maximizing fertility: Things to avoid

1. Stop Contraception:

With some physical contraceptive methods like male or female condoms, diaphragm, the cap or natural family planning the menstrual cycle will not be affected and you can plan to get pregnant almost immediately once you stop following these.

With some other chemical methods like pills or injections, it can take sometime to regularize the menstrual cycle. You can still plan to get pregnant but some people prefer to wait for few months to regularize the cycle, take folic acid and prepare the body.

2. Avoid some food items:

• Raw eggs & raw and uncooked foods should be avoided as they might contain salmonella and can result in food poisoning.
• Unpasteurized dairy products, liver or liver products should be avoided.
  
• Some fruits like papaya, pineapple as the enzymes present in these fruits might cause miscarriage during 1st trimester.
  

Need to take extra precautions in case of medicines including the vitamin supplements as well. As a general rule if the medication doesn’t specify ‘Safe to use in pregnancy’ it is best to avoid them. In case of emergency consult your physician for a guide on “safe to use” drugs in pregnancy.

3. Stop drinking alcohol:

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to long term harm to the baby. The heavier the drinker you are, more chances of risk for the baby. Women who drink heavily have a higher incidence of premature placental separation, antepartum bleeding, amniotic fluid bacterial infection, tetanic uterine contraction, and anemia .

So, if you are planning to get pregnant or know that you are pregnant, the best approach is to avoid alcohol altogether. You can talk to your physicians to help you quit alcohol.

4. Quit Smoking:

Tobacco has adverse effects on general health, apart from that, tobacco can affect fertility, as well as can, affects the health of the baby. Even if it’s just your partner who is involved in the smoking habit it is best to reduce or abstain from it during your pregnancy as even in passive smoker it can have adverse effects.

The studies suggest that smoking is associated with stillborn and with an increase in the number of cigarettes the risk increases.

5. Avoid strenuous exercises:

Over straining yourself in the gym can affect ovulation. So, consulting your healthcare provider for suggestion on what is good to do and what is best to avoid is a good idea.

Intense workout of >60 mins/day is associated with increased risk of anovulation and various ovulation changes.

REFERENCES

Ernest L. Abel, Consumption of Alcohol During Pregnancy: A Review of Effects on Growth and Development of Offspring, Human Biology (1982) 54: 421-453.

Hakimi, O. & Cameron, LC. Effect of Exercise on Ovulation: A Systematic Review, Sports Med (2017) 47: 1555

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm