Body Weight

Being outside the normal healthy weight range for your height (whether underweight or overweight) can have an adverse effect on ovulation, with both groups displaying disruption. Steps should therefore be taken to get within the healthy weight range. If you are overweight, even slightly reducing body fat can help and if underweight, just a little gain can trigger ovulation.
Alcohol and Drugs

If both parties regularly drink, fertility can decline by around 50%. Alcohol is know to have an adverse effect on an early pregnancy so it makes complete sense to avoid it throughout pregnancy. It goes without saying that illegal drugs should be avoided. With regard to over the counter and prescription drugs, always mention to the pharmacist that you are trying to conceive and check that the drugs are safe. Less considered is the potential effect of caffeine. It is known that caffeine (as found in coffee, tea, chocolate and some fizzy drinks) can reduce the chances of conception so keep consumption to a minimum.

Smoking

For couples wanting to know how to get pregnant fast, smoking is best avoided. Men who smoke have a sperm count which is 17% less than their non-smoking counterparts. In women, fertility is reduced by around 30%. Therefore, if becoming pregnant is your priority, it is sensible to avoid smoking altogether.

Taking Exercise

Regular exercise is the key to good overall health and an active couple are much more likely to achieve conception. However, it should be noted that overexercising in women can adversely affect fertility as it can cause ovulation to stop.

Diet

Eating a well-balanced diet containing all essential nutrients, including trace elements, is important for both parties. Taking a good multivitamin supplement recommended for pregnant women can prove beneficial. Try to avoid foods with artificial additives, processed meats and always wash fruit and vegetables to clean off pesticides.

Ovulation

Knowing when ovulation is likely to occur will massively help couples wanting to know how to get pregnant fast. The best way to determine this is to use an ovulation predictor as it takes away the guesswork of using the cervical mucous method or taking basal body temperature. Once you know which days of the cycle you are likely to ovulate, ensure that you have intercourse a couple of days before the day, on the day itself, and for a day afterward.

There is no doubt that although these tips will not guarantee a quick conception, they should certainly improve the odds of this happening. Despite researching and putting into practice tips on how to become pregnant quickly, naturally, some couples still do not conceive after several months. Rather than leaving matters completely to chance, it makes sense to implement a tried and tested method which is guaranteed to work.

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Tip #1 – Insulin Check – Many women who find it difficult to get pregnant often suffer from a “silent” condition called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is sort of like a pre-diabetes state in which the body no longer responds properly to the amount of insulin that is produced. High amounts of blood glucose is produced which is why only extremely high amounts of insulin needs to be produced, since the body no longer responds to regular amounts of insulin. These spikes in blood glucose and insulin levels can interfere with ovulation, therefore making pregnancy nearly impossible.

Many fertility specialists and gynecologists will test fasting blood glucose levels in order to check for diabetes or other problems involving blood glucose levels such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, which could also cause infertility. Oftentimes, though, in insulin resistance, the fasting blood sugar is normal, especially early on in the condition. If the fasting glucose levels are normal then most doctors feel that there is no need to check insulin levels. This is a total misconception. A simple fasting blood insulin test can detect the problem, and some doctors even choose to use a glucose tolerance test, which is also a great diagnostic tool.

If insulin resistance is diagnosed, the proper diet, which would most likely consist of low carbohydrate or low GI foods, and possibly medication, can have you on your way to being a mom in no time. As soon as glucose and insulin levels are normalized, fertility should be restored, in many instances, as soon as one month.

Tip # 2 – Love your Liver- With so many “quick” meal options available, such as processed and fast foods, many women choose to take advantage of these quick options because of their convenience. Although these foods may taste good and provide convenience, they aren’t very healthy. These foods often contain unhealthy ingredients like MSG (monosodium glutamate), preservatives, trans-fats, etc. These artificial ingredients cause toxins to build up in the body due to the fact that the liver can’t get rid of the toxins quickly enough. A toxic body can severely alter fertility.

If you look forward to the convenience and ease of using these quick methods of preparing meals, you may not have to give them up completely in order to detoxify your body enough to restore fertility. Adding super foods like “perfect food” from Garden Of Life, or juicing fresh fruits and vegetables is a great way to detoxify the liver. Another way to eliminate harmful toxic buildups is by purchasing convenient, ready-to-eat foods from your local health food store instead of eating the unhealthy foods that so many people are used to purchasing. Health food stores offer wide varieties of ready-to-eat meals that actually taste excellent. Some of the larger ones even offer a hot food bar and sometimes a juice bar, where you can purchase freshly squeezed juice.

A very potent yet safe herb that helps to rejuvenate and detoxify the liver is milk thistle. This wonder herb can be taken alone or as part of a liver tonic that is combined with other beneficial herbs. An excellent book to read is called “The Liver Cleansing Diet,” by Dr. Sandra Cabot. She also has several health tonics, one of which is called “Livatone.” This supplement contains milk thistle as its main ingredient, as well as other powerful constituents. These products can be purchased online at: http://www.weightcontroldoctor.com.

Tip # 3 – Effective Stress Relief – Everyone knows that stress can make us sick in various ways. Since stress can wreck so much havoc on the body, fertility is often one of the first things to be affected in women. Stress can prevent you from ovulating, and it can also cause hormonal imbalances, which causes further chaos in the reproductive system. Even if you aren’t currently trying to get pregnant, it’s of extreme importance to keep stress in check.

If your job is rather stressful, perhaps taking some time off work would be a good idea. Most jobs offer paid time off for a reason. Many employees choose to get extra money in their paychecks instead of taking regular vacations, but this isn’t always a good idea. Changes at work, employee conflict, and unfair supervisors are only a few work-related problems that can make you feel more stressed than usual. This is why taking a break from things can be very favorable for your overall health—and your fertility. An extended vacation isn’t always necessary; sometimes even brief one or two day retreats are just as healing as longer vacations.

Even simple things like taking up a new hobby, beginning an exercise regime or curling up with a good book at the end of each day work great to reduce stress. There don’t have to be any major changes in your routine in order to see and feel results. Just make sure that you take time for yourself on a daily basis and you will see a difference in your attitude, your outlook on life, and hopefully, soon your fertility.

Tip # 4 – Blood clotting – Some women have no problem at all becoming pregnant, but unfortunately, many, if not all of their pregnancies result in miscarriage. If this is something that you are experiencing, then you should consider having your blood clotting factors tested. Many women unknowingly suffer from genetic disorders that cause their blood to clot too quickly, resulting in the formation of blood clots throughout the body, and possibly in the placenta during pregnancy. Protein S deficiency, Protein C deficiency, MTHR and similar conditions make people more at risk of pulmonary embolisms and DVTs (deep vein thrombosis.) Pregnancy alone increases the risk of developing blood clots, so coupled with one of these preexisting conditions, carrying a baby can be really risky.

Although these conditions are quite dangerous, many women with “thick blood” are able to carry a baby full-term. In order to safely do so, genetic testing is suggested, as well as seeing a hematologist or a high risk obstetrician as soon as you discover you are pregnant. Early precautions can be made to help increase the chances of you carrying your baby to term. Ultrasounds, blood tests, baby aspirin, and even daily injected blood thinners may be part of your preventative protocol.

Hopefully these methods work for you and you are finally able to have the baby that you’ve always wanted. Nothing is guaranteed, though, so if it doesn’t happen now, it doesn’t mean that you won’t ever get pregnant. As the old saying goes, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Sometimes, if you stop focusing all of your attention on becoming pregnant, the unexpected could happen: you’ll conceive!

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I remember steeling my nerves, or trying to, before getting out of the car to go shopping on a Sunday, when it seemed all the pregnant women in the world were out and about. The jealousy and searing pain when one would waddle by me like an emotional landmine. The sadness and animosity I felt toward women I didn’t even know – and the overwhelming self-pity that consumed me.

I remember the sting of hearing about babies thrown in dumpsters, of pregnant 12-year-olds and crack addicts. Why them and not me? Why was it “their time” and not mine? Even announcements of friends’ and family members’ pregnancies: reacting with apparent joy, then breaking down completely in private. Avoiding baby showers and christenings. Sending a gift instead – a children’s book, so I wouldn’t have to shop in the baby department. Thinking there was something seriously wrong with me because I couldn’t even be happy for the people I loved any more, and feeling so petty and ashamed. Wondering WHY I couldn’t share their joy. Asking God to please, PLEASE let me be a mother, so this pain would go away.

I remember each new treatment: the pain, hassle, and embarrassment – but also the sweet glimmer of much-needed hope. The nasty and uncomfortable side effects of the drugs. The two weeks of excruciating wait – did it work this time? The flutter of excitement, against my better judgment, as my morning temperature stayed up. The despair of my temperature plummeting suddenly during the last day or two of each cycle. The denial, maybe it will go back up. Endlessly searching the Internet for success stories. The crushing blow when my period finally started, signaling yet another failure.

I remember the look on my husband’s face when our friends excitedly told us they were pregnant – I’ve never seen him look like that, so hurt, trying to mask the pain with a smile. Seeing daddies out pushing their babies in strollers or playing catch with older kids, and feeling the ache of the unknown: would I ever get to give my sweet husband that gift? Having to tell him every cycle, over and over and over again, “Not this time, Honey” … and feeling his helplessness as he tried to comfort me while I sobbed and sobbed.

I remember Mother’s Day, the worst day of the year for anyone who longs for children the way I did. The commercials on TV, the cards, the sentimental celebration of a bond that I so desperately wanted, yet was unsure that I’d ever have. Vowing each year that this would be my last childless Mother’s Day … and then laughing bitterly at my foolishness when I was still childless by that time next year.

I remember feeling worthless as a female, because I couldn’t seem to do what my body was biologically designed to do. Feeling like a desert when everyone else was a rainforest, a square when everyone else was a circle. Like an outcast, someone people felt sorry for, the poor infertile woman. So angry with myself and with my body for not living up to its potential, for not doing what it was supposed to do. So broken and hopeless.

I remember the well-meaning comments that were better left unsaid: “Give it time, you’re young,” “Just relax and it will happen,” “Why don’t you try to adopt?” “Maybe it just isn’t meant to be.” The unsolicited advice to just go on vacation, or get drunk and screw in the backseat of the car. The miracle stories about so-and-so’s second cousin who was infertile and then as soon as she adopted, bam! She got pregnant. The unintentionally hurtful jokes: “Take my kids for a while, then you won’t want kids any more,” “Are you sure you’re doing it right?” The women who would try to make their super-fertility seem like a curse: “Ugh, all my husband has to do is LOOK at me and I get pregnant.” Why couldn’t someone just hug me, and try to sympathize?

I remember all this because it was a part of my life for years. The BIGGEST part of my life. It was all-consuming, overwhelming, permeating every aspect of my day-to-day existence and every relationship I had. Because of our infertility, I lost friends, I withdrew, I hurt more than I had ever hurt before. I took it all very hard. Even now, there are parts of myself that I feel I can never reclaim. I think I will always consider myself infertile, strangely enough, as little sense as that makes. If there’s one thing I wish for, it’s words to comfort those who are still on this long, arduous journey.

But, really, there are no words to make it any better.

Keep plugging along, sisters. You have reserves of strength that you aren’t even aware of. Sometimes you’ll feel like you can’t do it any more, but you can – whether it’s immediately, with each new cycle, or after a break. Don’t put yourself through unnecessary stress just to do the “right” thing: if you don’t want to go to that baby shower, don’t go. Do what you can to protect yourself, because infertility is painful enough without rubbing salt in the wound. Know that you aren’t a bad, selfish, or defective person. And remember this, the one thing that I clung to during my journey:

Every failed cycle is a cycle closer to success.

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IVF is going to test you both and having people you can talk to, for advice or just to sound off to, will be invaluable.  You will have each other but try to confide in supportive friends and family members as well to get a perspective from someone not directly involved in the process.  Don’t underestimate the support you can also get from complete strangers by joining one of the numerous IVF / infertility internet groups and messageboards to learn from others’ experiences and ask questions in a safe environment.  Many websites have sections for members to publish treatment diaries so you can understand what is involved in each step of IVF.

Tip #2:  Clear your schedule.

The lead up to IVF is very time-consuming with many appointments, blood tests, scans and injections.  The timings for these are often very precise and determined by the woman’s menstrual cycle.  Do as much as you can to ensure that these can be accommodated by not planning long trips away or big events.  Your life shouldn’t be put on hold, just calm it down for a few months!

Tip #3:  Consider complementary therapies.

Consult your clinic and your doctor to find out if they recommend any therapies to support your IVF procedure.  Acupuncture has been shown in many studies to increase the success rate of IVF by building up the lining of the uterus, helping follicles to develop and encouraging implantation.  If you are considering acupuncture, make sure you consult an acupuncturist who specializes in fertility issues.  Other therapies, such as hypnotherapy and reflexology, can help by reducing overall stress levels.

Tip #4:  Take steps to improve your health.

Tobacco smoke has been found to contain at least 30 chemicals that can adversely affect fertility so cutting down smoking or ideally stopping altogether must be one of your top priorities.  Both men and women should also reduce their alcohol and caffeine intake to improve overall health and fertility.

In terms of healthy eating for women, protein is important for egg production and egg quality.  Women need approximately 60-70 grams of protein a day making up 20% of their diet.  The main sources of protein are meat, fish, eggs and dairy produce as well as lentils, peas, beans, nuts and seeds.  For men, a diet rich in zinc and vitamin C can be beneficial for sperm quality.

Following these steps will help ensure that you are properly prepared for IVF, will reduce the stress often associated with the process and could also improve your chances of successful conception.

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