Fertility is complex and subject to factors that vary greatly for each person and each couple. Women over the age of 30 and men with low sperm count are more likely to have difficulty getting pregnant. Some ulcer medications, marijuana, cocaine and alcohol are known to lower sperm count. Too much caffeine may reduce a woman's chances of becoming pregnant. Consult a physician if regular sexual activity during the time of ovulation does not lead to conception within a year.
Basal Body Temperature
For conception to occur, live sperm must meet and fertilize a live egg. This can only happen during a few days a month, since eggs only live for one or two days and sperm can survive up to five days. Sperm count is the highest after two or three days of abstinence. The exact time of ovulation cannot be pinpointed precisely, but it can be estimated. One technique is for the woman to take her temperature with a basal thermometer, which measures temperature fluctuations as small as 0.1 degrees F. Basal body temperature (BBT) when taken first thing in the morning at the same time every day will be low during the follicular phase (before ovulation) and rise at least 0.4 degrees F during luteal phase (after ovulation). A woman who keeps track of her temperature will notice a rise in mid-cycle and know it's a clue that ovulation has just occurred.
Monitor Mucus
Another way to narrow down which days are fertile days is to monitor vaginal mucus. Dry, sticky, yellow or white mucus is normal during regular days. Fertile mucus has the consistency and look of egg whites. It nourishes sperm and assists movement toward the egg. It is there to promote conception, and it is relatively easy to detect on a trip to the bathroom.
Herbal Help
According to Susun Weed, herbalist and author of "Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year," herbs used to encourage pregnancy can nourish and tone the uterus, balance hormones, relax nerves and support sexual desire. Vitamin- and mineral-rich red clover flowers are thought to balance vaginal pH in favor of conception. Alfalfa has similar properties. Stinging nettle and red raspberry leaves promote fertility and are valued tonics during all stages of pregnancy. Each of these herbs is a good source of calcium and magnesium--two minerals thought to be important to a woman's ability to conceive and maintain a pregnancy. Make teas with these herbs and drink them liberally.
Lunaception
Prior to the widespread use of electricity, women were known to ovulate during the full moon and menstruate on the new moon, according to Lara Owen, consultant for the Whole Earth Review and author of "Her Blood is Gold." Like many animals, human ovulation is affected by light. Leave a bright light on in your bedroom for three nights midway through the woman's cycle and keep the room in total darkness on other nights. Intimacy during the three nights of bright light is likely to result in conception.
References
- "Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year"; Susun S. Weed; 1986
- "Her Blood is Gold"; Lara Owen; 1993
- "A Cooperative Method of Natural Birth Control"; Margaret Nofziger; 1992
