Have You Decided to Conceive a Child?
What should you do to have a baby? First, cancel contraceptives, secondly, make up your mind about pregnancy and relax, and thirdly, have patience and wait.
If you have used any contraceptive except hormonal, you can begin trying to conceive a child immediately. If you have used birth control pills, according to the doctors, you should not plan the child’s conception in the next menstrual cycle.
It is believed that the hormones that you take can affect the future child’s reproductive system. However, Euopean experts do not insist on this precaution before conception: there are well known cases when a woman accidentally forgot to take another pill and as a result fell into the “delicate” condition. Her pregnancy was no different from any other and the baby has developed as it should.
How Conception Happens
From the first day of menstruation until the fourteenth day of the cycle (if it lasts 28 days) thanks to hormone FSH (follicle stimulating hormone of the pituitary gland) inside each ovary develops about ten follicles, the walls of which produce female hormones estrogens. When one of the follicles reaches maturity, the pituitary gland receives the signal and sends a “down” one more “messenger” – the hormone LH (luteinizing hormone pituitary gland), which causes ovulation. After 12-36 hours, the only follicle reaches maturity and ruptures, releasing an egg cell, which travels into fallopian tube and waits there for appearance of sperm. If the sperm is already there or will appear, conception happens.
By the way, unlike the tailed centenarians (sperm does not lose its power for 48 hours or more) the egg’s “patience” is good only for 24 hours, during which the most important thing should happen. Thanks to this srict schedule we can say that a woman is ready to conceive only three days a month. Upon which of them such an honor should fall depends on the length of the menstrual cycle. If the egg cell exit happens in the middle of the cycle. And if it lasts 28-30days you should expect ovulation in fourteen days after the menstruation begins or in case if menses come every 25 days – the egg cell exits on the eleventh day.
Before Conception of a Child
To conceive a child it is important to be healthy (this is true both to men and women). For expecting mothers a particular importance has the condition of the Fallopian tubes (they need to be flexible, with no restrictions and no sorts of obstacles) and the uterus – healthy and ready to receive the egg. Besides that a woman should have enough cervical mucus of good quality that would help sperm to quickly get to the cherished goal.
If you are thinking about a child, it is not necessary to undergo a full medical examination. Exceptions are those women who have ever faced the gynecological problems, such as infections. In this case, they need to undergo tests and receive confirmation that all the problems have passed before they decide on pregnancy. For the rest of expectant mothers a simple consultation is enough before conception, during which the obstetrician may give some guidance.
- Losing weight (of course, we are not talking about two or three kilograms, that casually emerged during the holidays). Excessive weight as well as severe thinness often disturbs hormone production and, as a consequence, the mechanisms of ovulation.
- Stop smoking beforehand. As is known, smoking and pregnancy are not the best of combinations. Not to mention that nikotine misuse increases risk of preliminary birth.
- Remember your right to rest and have a good rest before conception: it is known that fatigue and stress can interfere with the child’s conception.
As for the rest, you need to live a normal life. It is not necessary to adhere to any special regime. For example, there is no need to have sex as often as possible. On the contrary, frequent relationships do not increase but reduce chances of becoming happy parents: the concentration of sperm during ejaculation decreases with every episode. An ideal option is regular sexual intercourse three days before and three days after ovulation.
Before Conception: Determining the Ovulation Day
Remember that even if you strictly implement all the doctor’s recommendations to maintain physical health and state of mind at the highest level, the chances of getting pregnant in the first month are 25%. This is considered normal, you just need to remember that and not worry. But in case if you can not conceive for a year or a half, you should consult a doctor. First, the doctor will advise you to make the schedule of basal temperature – it is a very simple but effective way to find out how and when yor ovulation occurs. Every day, before getting out of bed, take the temperature in the rectum, and make a schedule of these figures.
Prior to ovulation, the temperature will stay below 37 C°, but on the day of the egg release it rises sharply because of the progesterone hormone, which is produced in the second phase of the cycle. If the temperature difference is 0,5 C° then ovulation occurred.
Basal body temperature chart speaks volumes. If we combine the results and “health history” of the expectant mother, it will be easier for the doctor to help a woman, prescribe treatment or offer examination. One of them is called hysterosalpingography – a test to assess the condition of the Fallopian tubes and uterus. In order to determine the mobility and quality of sperm, experts advise future father to make semen analysis.
The man’s sperm remains super active for up to 40-45 years, although the quality and quantity of it decreases and undergoes some changes. But representatives of the stronger sex can conceive a child even later. Who hasn’t heard about men who became fathers at the age of 60.
According to doctors, it is better to make up your mind to have the first child before 30 years since starting from 35 a woman may have difficulty not only conceiving (at this age cycles without ovulation can happen rather often), but also with the pregnancy development.
