Understanding
the basics of your cycle is one of the most helpful things you can do if you have
made the decision to conceive a child. However, there are several more steps
that you can take to ensure that the journey to motherhood isn’t such a long
one, and is in fact as healthy and enjoyable as can be!
So
you’ve jotted down every visit from Aunt Flo for 3 months or more, and are
fully aware of her patterns as well as the expected date of ovulation. We can now proceed to conceiving immediately! **Cheers roar!....followed by scratch on record player.....**
Thing
is, catching that egg can be somewhat of a challenge…as the body beautiful, isn’t
exactly the most predictable thing on planet earth. A woman’s egg has got its
vim and vigor for 24 to 48 hours by most medical calculations. And while timing
that baby-dance accordingly (see Point #3 in “Inviting the Stork…”) is the best
way to go, you never know when your pattern may take a slight shift. Add these tips to your To-Do list, and your very own cuddly cherubic baby should be here much sooner!
·
Have
sex every other day during your fertile period (here, a less-is-more approach
may help!). This is a much debated practice, but logic---and medicine---says this will allow your
partner’s trusty Sperm soldiers to be at peak (in both quantity and quality).
Encourage your partner to save all his
soldiers for love-time with you….and only
this time. Think about it! If he keeps deploying and deploying and deploying
his soldiers…pretty soon the front line will get all tired out, and the scrawny
reserves will be all that’s left…and
Lord only knows what will happen if a draft from the dregs is needed! Slim pickings from the scrawny dudes way at
the back…who shouldn’t ever be called for duty…ever. (I digress…)
·
Learn
to recognize WHEN you are
ovulating. Ladies, you know the deal on this one...but in effort to remain professional, I shall say: As reported by most women,
you will begin to feel noticeably more amorous a few days prior to ovulation. Some women even feel a slight twinge on the side of the pelvis where the corresponding ovary released an egg! It’s
never really a guessing game at this point what you and your partner need to do…
(1) Take heed of your
body’s other signals such as increased mucus production below---in particular,
a change in your normal secretions from watery or lotion-like to the much famed
“egg white cervical mucus”. (It really
will look egg whitish, stretchy….) It is this particular change in consistency
that actually facilitates conception as the environment within the vagina will
become more hospitable to sperm for these few days.
***If this step doesn’t happen quite
this way in your body, invest in an over the counter sperm-friendly lubricant,
like *PreSeed. At this point in your
fertility journey, the trusted favorites have harmful ingredients that are
lethal to sperm and will hinder your efforts at conception. ***
The herbal supplement, *Evening Primrose
Oil is also indicated as having properties that improve the quality and quantity
of fertile cervical mucus during ovulation.
(2) If you like, the
purchase of an over the counter *ovulation predictor kit would help even more.
I suggest this step to those that have not found success by tracking their
cycles alone. Even women who menstruate regularly may have slight variances in
their actual ovulation date. I
discourage the use of this tool IF it happens to increase your anxiety about
the entire process at all though.
(3) If you have a
relatively short cycle all together (read: 23-24 days) perhaps it would be good
to invest in an herbal supplement that may help lengthen your cycle---the luteal phase of your cycle to be exact----, like a
natural *Progesterone cream which supplies 450mg of USP progesterone per
ounce. The use of chasteberry
supplements or tea (that offers 200-400mg a day) has also been purported to
support a longer luteal phase to allow for implantation to occur. Red Raspberry leaf (tea or supplement form)
has also shown similar effects.
-
Start Taking
that Prenatal Now.
ü It is
recommended that women start ingesting 400mcg to 800mcg of Folic Acid up to 2 years
before conception. Check to be sure, but it is found in most multi's for women. This vitamin will help protect baby from birth defects and
it works when taken before and during pregnancy! Some have boasted that this supplement enhances the chances for conceiving twins as well...but hey, um...whatever floats their boat!
ü If you can both
handle this one (I find the pills are generally large), a good fish oil supplement
will benefit both you and your partner during your journey to conception.
ü Continue taking
your multivitamins if you prefer. Discuss any changes in your diet and daily
vitamin/supplement regime as these may interfere with existing prescription medications,
or pre-existing health conditions.
- Watch your weight….sort of.
Sometimes it may simply be the matter of
adding or losing 5 pounds. Do note: now is not the time to start a crash diet
to lose tons of weight. But taking healthy steps towards reaching and maintaining
a healthy weight (read: an optimal *BMI of 20-25%) is crucial to conception. I failed to point this out in Inviting the Stork but...
ü Safflower Oil
supplements
ü Calcium Pyruvate
(1000mg)
ü Chitosan
ü Linoleic Acid Supplements
(6 grams)
ü Try Sunflower
seeds! (3 tsps. of sunflower seeds per day was studied, and doctors indicated
loss of visceral body fat---the tummy kind---in all cases studied.*)
Do
note that the presence of a monthly period does not always indicate functional
ovulation. Some choose to track ovulation
through use of a basal body thermometer and actual online charts…but I will not expound upon this method
here as this idea tends to stress ME out, just typing it! If a year or more has passed during your
journey to conception ---without success, please consort with a physician for
more thorough steps towards achieving your goals.
I
must conclude this nugget of information by saying: this is somewhat therapeutic
for me, as I too am nearing that stage of contemplation, edging forth into
decision really, regarding babies! I am nervously excited about the entire
ordeal (more nervous than excited on some days), and though I feel armed with a
decent amount of information, nothing, absolutely nothing will beat going
through the real thing for the first time…and even after that, as some of you
can attest to. I trust that there will
be comfort in the knowledge that others provide, and shared bliss in knowing
all those books were super-right, and in some instances, so off base! And
finally, the calming support from friends and relatives will be more than
welcomed…it will be celebrated, and I am really looking forward to that. I know this was a lot of info to take in. Leave questions or comments and I will gladly try to help out! And as usual...
Resources/
References/Tools:
-Ovulation
Calculator:
(It
is also available at CVS, Walgreens and some Target Stores.)
-Progesterone Cream: http://www.emerita.com/ or www.amazon.com
-Free
BMI Calculator: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bmi-calculator/NU00597
-The
Belly Fat Reduction Supplements (as featured on Dr. Oz):
**Disclaimer: NO disrespect to those in the army. Front Line, Reserves and all. You are ALL our heroes! **
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