Step1
Find a partner. For some, this is the hardest part.
Step2
If you are currently on the pill as a form of birth control, discontinue taking it. Most doctors recommend that women wait three cycles while their bodies adjust to being off the pill before trying to conceive.
Step3
Start taking a prenatal vitamin before getting pregnant. Medical professionals recommend that women get a daily dose of 400 micrograms of folic acid starting at least a month before trying to get pregnant and at least 600 micrograms a day once pregnant. Research has indicated that doing so can reduce the risk of neural tube defects in babies by up to 70 percent.
Step4
Balance your hormones with good nutrition and herbal supplements. Zinc, calcium, magnesium and B6 are great for sustaining hormonal balance. Various herbs associated with balanced hormones include chamomile, raspberry leaf, ginkgo biloba, saw palmetto, ginseng, licorice root and black cohosh. Consult your doctor if you are unsure of the effects of any herbal supplements.
Step5
The best time to develop a healthy lifestyle is before pregnancy. Maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, eat healthy foods, reduce stress and don’t smoke, consume alcohol or do any other recreational drugs. These good habits may help you get pregnant more easily and will certainly serve you and your baby well during pregnancy.
Step6
Determine when you ordinarily ovulate. For most women, this is in the middle of their menstrual cycle, around day 14, although the exact timing varies among women. There are a number of ways to determine when you are ovulating, from tracking your basal body temperature and watching for changes in cervical mucus to simply purchasing an ovulation calculator at the drug store.
Step7
Have regular, unprotected sex around the time you ovulate. Since sperm cells can survive in the reproductive tract for two to three days, it’s best to have sex every day for at least a few days leading up to ovulation. So for example, if the average woman ovulates on day 14, it’s best to have sex on days 12, 13 and 14 of her menstrual cycle.
Step8
On the first day of a missed period, take an early pregnancy test and find out if all of your hard work has paid off.
Step9
Repeat these steps each month until you are pregnant.
Comments
TPonce said
on 7/16/2008 Eeka is ridiculous. OBVIOUSLY you have to have a heterosexual relationship to create a child naturally, so that was not necessary. Get over it already.
eeka said
on 4/12/2008 This is heterosexist. Some females looking to get pregnant have a partner, but not one who can impregnate her.
Also, it's not very sound advice to simply say "avoid taking antidepressants or other drugs." Some people's brain chemistry is such that stopping an antidepressant or other psych med can really make them unable to function and might put them in serious danger of harming themselves or others. Better advice is to be aware of the effects that meds can have, and to talk to your prescriber about what the best options are for you.
mhel said
on 4/3/2008 can i get pregnant when i have sex while i have my period?
mhel said
on 4/3/2008 can i get pregnant, when i have sex while i have my period?
dragonfly72 said
on 2/17/2008 my problem is that when we are trying it becomes stressful on me and people around me pop up pregnant quicker than I. They can plan and boom "they're pregnant". It has not been easy for us and I've gotten frustrated with the whole thing. I work in a Pediatric office and see babies and little one's all day long. I sit and listen to women complain about motherhood while pregnant with their 3rd or 4th child. I will never understand how they are so fertile and take motherhood for granted. While others who value that and want to be mom's are having a hard time getting pregnant. I've been told to stop trying it will happen and I've been told to count days, know your temperature etc.....the whole nine yards and nothing. When I count and tell my husband it becomes psychological because then he can't perform and I loose the mood to even try. It's been 4 years and I find myself questioning why?