It’s baby-making time – excitement is at fever pitch and you can’t wait to see two little lines pop up on your pregnancy test saying you’re growing a tiny human.
While some couples are happy to leave it in the lap of the gods, others may have been trying for a while or have their heart set on having a summer baby and want to predict conception.
Read up on these three tips and improve your chances of falling pregnant before slipping between the sheets.
Time it right
When it comes to baby making, timing is everything! There’s a pretty small window to fall pregnant each month, so having sex on the right days is crucial.
Here’s how the fertility window works:
- If your cycle is regular, you’ll ovulate about two weeks before your period.
- The seven days before ovulation is your fertile window.
If your cycle is irregular, things get a little trickier. It makes it a harder to work out when you’re ovulating, but there are a few of ways to narrow it down.
How to work out your fertility window:
Ovulation test: An at-home ovulation test will work out the best days for you to have sex by testing the luteinising hormone in your urine. This hormone increases when you’re about to ovulate. If you get a positive on the test, having sex on that day and for the few days after is advised.
Changes in cervical mucus: The rise in estrogen in your body around the time of ovulation causes your cervical mucus to become thin and slippery – some women refer to it as egg white cervical mucus. When you start seeing your body produce this mucus, start having sex every day or every other day until ovulation. When you ovulate you’ll notice your cervical mucus will change and become thick and sticky, even cloudy.
Saliva test: When you’re about to ovulate, hormones make your saliva form a fern-like pattern, which can be seen under a special microscope you can use at home. The pattern’s visible from about two days before to two days after ovulation – so it gives you your fertility window.
Basal Body Temperature: Tracking your basal body temperature every morning, before you get out of bed might help work out your fertility window. You need to detect a slight rise in temperature for three days in a row – it could be as subtle as half a degree. It’s not a fool-proof method because there are lots of other things that can impact your temperature.
Talk to your doctor: It’s worth having a chat with your GP if you find it difficult to track your cycle.
Get a health-check
Getting your mind and body in the best place for pregnancy is a great way to boost your chances of having a baby. The best place to start is a visit to your doctor with your partner. Your GP can order tests to check your health and may also suggest you give up cigarettes and alcohol and some dietary changes like cutting back on caffeine.
If you’re overweight, it’s worth working towards a healthy weight range and getting some regular exercise into your day. Your doctor will also get you started on taking prenatal vitamins that include folic acid and vitamin D, to help reduce the risk of birth defects.
The top five fertility factors are age, weight, smoking, alcohol and timing – worth keeping in mind!
Stay relaxed
Try and remember to keep things fun! It’s worth focusing on the fact that you’re creating a new life, and it can take time. Some studies have shown that high-stress levels may delay women falling pregnant.
It’s difficult to not get disappointed if you’ve been trying for a few months and still don’t have your positive test result. If you’re at the point that trying for a baby is causing a strain in your relationship and consuming your day-to-day life, it’s time to seek professional help.
This article is written in partnership with Babystart. Mum’s Grapevine is a free site made possible by our sponsors. We limit our sponsored content to brands we know and love. Rest assured, no matter whether a post is sponsored or not, we only write about products and services we think are noteworthy, useful and of interest to you, our awesome readers.
