According to the book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility, it can take up to one year for a couple trying to conceive to become pregnant. Stress, life circumstances and medical issues can push this time frame back further. Before a couple considers medical intervention, physicians often advise that they try some natural alternatives to boost their chance of conceiving.
Charting
Charting involves recording the daily changes in temperature, cervical mucus, cervical position and the overall health of an individual in order to monitor for ovulation. A woman can keep track of these changes by a calendar, printable chart, online website or just a simple notebook on her bedside table.
To correctly chart for ovulation, a woman should take her temperature before getting out of bed in the morning. A digital thermometer is the best option since the design allows for easy reading. Once a woman takes her temperature, she should document it immediately. It is important that she checks her temperature at the same time everyday since the temperature of the body fluctuates constantly throughout the day.
Timed Intercourse
The general rule is that a woman is fertile around the 14th day of each monthly cycle. The only true way to determine her fertile period, however, is with the use of ovulation tests, or by monitoring for ovulation signs while charting. During her fertile period, a woman's uterus thickens to prepare for a possible pregnancy, and one of her ovaries releases a mature egg. Timing intercourse to occur around this period increases the chance of conception since the egg is only available for fertilization for approximately 24 hours.
Lose Weight
Extra weight can cause a diversity of health issues, including fertility problems. For a woman who is overweight, pregnancy can be difficult to achieve since the ovaries are suppressed and the hormones associated with ovulation can be affected. A weight loss of 10 percent can jump-start a woman's reproductive system and increase her chances of conceiving, says Toni Weschler, author of Taking Charge of Your Fertility.
References
- Mayo Clinic: How To Get Pregnant
- Taking Charge of Your Fertility; Toni Weschler; 2006
