When the call of motherhood knocks on your door, your whole life begins to hover around this idea. You stop taking care of yourself, you start recording your cycles on the calendar, taking folic acid and even looking at baby clothes. And you try hard, but with the passing of the months you get disappointed to see that the much desired pregnancy does not arrive.
The obsession is not the best advisor at this point, so if you don't get pregnant, let's review if you are doing all the "homework" well, what steps to follow, how and when to achieve the pregnancy you are looking for.
Recognize your ovulation days
You think your time has come to be a mother. If until now you had no idea how that was going ovulation, now you will become a true expert in this phase of your menstrual cycle.
What is ovulation?
The woman's menstrual cycle has two distinct phases: the follicular phase and the luteal phase. Between the two, ovulation occurs, the fertile days you can get pregnant.
The follicular phase it occurs between the day that menstruation begins (day 1) and half of the cycle (day 14 approximately), at which time the ovulation. During this first part there is an increase in estrogen and between day 1 and 6 approximately (although it can last between 3 and 7 days) menstruation occurs.
The ovulation It occurs since the mature ovum, female gamete, is released by the ovary and descends through the fallopian tubes into the uterus. On this trip, which lasts approximately two or three days, the egg waits to be fertilized by a sperm.
The luteal phase It begins after ovulation and lasts until the possible pregnancy is implanted or until menstruation occurs and the next cycle begins. If fertilization does not occur during the period of time in which the ovule is arranged, the woman's body is preparing to eliminate the ovum with the following rule. During this phase there is an increase in progesterone, which can cause nervousness or irritability until the arrival of your next period.
Your fertile days
Fertile days are those in which the woman is ovulating, this usually happens in the middle of the cycle, approximately about 14-15 days from the first day since menstruation in cycles of 28-30 days.
But since sperm can live within a woman's body for 48 to 72 hours, if you have sex the days before ovulation, they could wait for the ovum to come out and fertilize it.
That is, even if the ovulation lasts a few hours, if you maintain relationships during the central 6-7 days of your cycle you increase the chances of getting pregnant.
Seek pregnancy with irregular cycles
The menstrual cycle has an average duration of 28 days from the first day of menstruation, but it is considered normal to last between 21 and 35 days.
There are women who have longer cycles, in which ovulation occurs after day 14 and others with shorter cycles in which ovulation is advanced. There are even those who experience different cycles every month.
Keep track of your menstrual cycles It is a tool that will help you identify your periods of maximum fertility, combined with the observation of the signs of ovulation that we discuss below.
Ovulation signs
Whether you have regular or irregular cycles, there are some signals that your body sends you during ovulation that you they will help identify your fertile days. There are three variables included in what is known as the syothermal method.
Take the basal temperature: it is the woman's temperature as soon as she wakes up, without moving from the bed, which rises between two and five tenths when ovulation occurs. Here we explain how to take it.
Observe vaginal discharge: during ovulation the cervical mucus acquires an egg white appearance, is elastic and glassy in appearance and indicates the best moment of fertility.
Opening of the cervix: during ovulation the cervix rises inside the vagina, it will cost us to reach it, but if we get it we will see that it is much softer and we can even appreciate it somewhat open.
Ovulation tests
You can always resort to fertility control devices such as ovulation tests capable of detecting the period of ovulation through the increase of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) in the woman's urine.
These small devices measure the highest peak of the hormone LH, which is secreted about 24 to 36 hours before ovulating. In this way, calculating that you are approaching those days, you start using them daily to identify the moment when in theory sexual relations are more likely to give way to conception.
How to favor conception
Sexual positions that favor conception
The preferable ones are sex positions with deep penetration that allow sperm to be as close as possible to the cervix and in which gravity plays in favor.
Many experts agree that the best position to achieve pregnancy is one of the classic ones, that of the missionary, that is, with the man on top of the woman.
Two other recommendations, because they make the penetration deeper, are the position of the prayer (the man behind or on top of the woman) and lying on his side with the man behind the woman.
Other tricks
There is no scientific basis, but there are many couples who have done so with favorable results, although we do not know if we have done it, but as with trying we do not lose anything, you can try.
There are those who say that lying with your legs elevated after intercourse helps the sperm to begin their journey through the uterus.
Also as for orgasm, they say it is important that the woman has it because the contractions that occur in the uterus facilitate the race of the sperm to the ovum.
How many times make love
There are those who say they make love 104 times to conceive a baby, an average from when they decide to have it until they get pregnant. It is an average of 6 months with about four sex sessions per week.
As for the frequency, according to the World Health Organization, to raise the chances of having a child, the optimal withdrawal time is between 2 and 7 days.
Healthy habits and visit the gynecologist
He lifestyle of mother and father It is essential to achieve the conception and good development of pregnancy. Good general health is essential to achieve it, so bad habits such as alcohol, tobacco, obesity, and of course drugs, can interfere. Likewise, stress, fatigue and anxiety can alter the woman's periods and the man's sperm and make pregnancy difficult.
A preconception visit to the gynecologist is a good way to start your pregnancy search on the right foot. If you have not done so, it is very important. The doctor will evaluate the health of the woman and her partner, will prescribe a folic acid supplement, assess family history, and will surely explore the woman and perform a blood test to rule out possible problems that may interfere with her fertility such as infections, diseases, problems in the uterus, endometriosis, etc.
What if I still don't get pregnant?
What if I do all my homework and still not get pregnant? Don't despair
Yes, despite following all the advice we have mentioned and having maintained relationships during your fertile periods for more than a year without success You don't get pregnant, it's time to see a specialist.
There may not be any problem that prevents conception and is only a matter of continuing to try. There are healthy couples who just get it after the year, and it is also absolutely normal. There is a 90% chance of becoming pregnant in one year and 95% in two. But if you are anxious about the difficulty of becoming pregnant, or there is no time to lose, it is better to prevent and see a specialist.
