FAQs on getting pregnant

Does age matter?

Fertility decreases with age. Women in their twenties are more fertile than women in their thirties and on an average, it gets far more difficult for a woman to conceive after the age of 35. Fertility is at its peak when a woman is in her twenties, and when she is between 30-35, fertility is down by around 15 to 20 percent. This is not very much lower, and it probably means just a few more months of trying to get pregnant. However, once a woman reaches the age of 35, it is harder for her to conceive, and if she is trying to have her first child after 35, chances of it being born with Down's Syndrome are greater. All this really means is that the mother will have to take more care during her pregnancy, and if she is careful, she can give birth to a happy, healthy baby at any age. Also, the chances of a woman giving birth to twins, peak between the ages of 35 to 39!

Can diet play a part in increasing chances of getting pregnant?

Yes, what you eat can render you more fertile, or less so. If you have been trying to get pregnant without much success, try staying away from tea, coffee and other caffeinated drinks and beverages. Also, avoid alcohol and cigarettes.

Preconception Tips

How often should we have sex?

Whether you will get pregnant or not doesn't depend on how often you do it, but on when you do it. Timing of intercourse is more important than frequency. If you get the timing right, you can get pregnant at once, otherwise you may have to try a number of times before you get pregnant. A lot also depends on the sperm count of your husband. If your husband has a high to normal sperm count, you could have sex everyday during your fertile period. However, if your husband has a low sperm count, you may want to have sex every other day during this period.

Am I Pregnant?

Will taking a hot shower affect my husband's sperm count?

No, taking a hot shower will not affect his sperm count, but lying down in a tub of hot water for around 10 minutes, will. Similarly if you are trying to get pregnant, your husband should avoid using the sauna or steam bath. Remember, if he uses the steam bath now, his sperm count will affected adversely for around three months after that. It takes sperm 10 to 11 weeks to be produced, so bear that in mind. Also, tell your husband to switch to cool and loose boxers instead of wearing tight underwear. He should also avoid wearing biker shorts for at least two months prior to when you plan to conceive.

What are the best sexual positions to get pregnant?

Avoid any woman on top position, since in such positions the sperm has very little chance of reaching the cervix. The missionary position is probably your best bet, and you can alternate this with rear entry positions with the man on top, if you have a tilted cervix. Keep a pillow under your hips for a while during or immediately after intercourse, to allow the sperm to travel to your cervix.

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How Long does it takes to be Pregnant

Many women are surprised when they do not become pregnant the first month they are trying. There's no reason to be concerned, though. That's because it usually takes several months to become pregnant.

For couples having unprotected intercourse:

• 50% will be pregnant in 4 months
• 75% will be pregnant in 8 months
• 90% will be pregnant in 1 year

• Am I Pregnant?

Plan on the process taking several months, relax, and enjoy.

If you and your partner have been trying for more than a year without success, it is a sign that there may be a problem. You should make an appointment with a gynecologist or an infertility specialist for a complete exam and testing. Many problems are easily treated once they are identified.

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My period is late. Does that mean I'm pregnant?

Although most women who are pregnant will miss their period, every woman who misses her period is not pregnant. Determining the odds that you might be pregnant or identifying other possible reasons for missing your period depends in part on whether you are trying to get pregnant or whether you are taking steps to avoid pregnancy. You may be in any one of the following situation:

I'm trying to get pregnant.

I hope I'm not pregnant.

I'm trying to get pregnant. If you are trying to get pregnant and you miss a period, you are naturally excited that you might be pregnant. There’s no way to know, of course, until you take a pregnancy test, but there are several symptoms that are suggestive. These include breast tenderness, nausea and bloating. Since these can also be premenstrual symptoms, though, they are not definite signs of pregnancy.

Preconception Tips

Suppose you’ve taken a pregnancy test, though, and it is negative. What does that mean?

First, it is possible that you have simply tested too soon. Home pregnancy tests can detect the presence of HCG (the pregnancy hormone) once it has reached a certain level. Therefore, it is possible to be pregnant, but have a negative test result because you took the test before your HCG level was high enough. Although some tests claim that they can turn positive several days before you miss your period, they are not always accurate. If the test is positive, you can believe it, but if the test is negative, it may simply be too soon. Since the level of HCG should double approximately every 48 hours, you can retest again in 2 or more days.

Second, it is possible that you have had an extremely early miscarriage, sometimes known as a chemical pregnancy. You got pregnant, but the pregnancy may have stopped growing even before you miss your period. You might experience this as a particularly heavy period, or a period that is a few days late. It is possible to have a positive pregnancy test if you have a chemical pregnancy, but it is equally possible that the HCG level was never high enough to register on the test.

Third, if you recently went off the Pill or Depo-Provera (the shot) in order to get pregnant, it can take months for your periods to return to normal. During that time, you may not get a period at all. You will not be able to get pregnant until you start ovulating again. That will happen approximately 2 weeks before your period restarts.

Finally, stress, illness, eating disorders and recent weight loss can also lead you to skip a period. Of course, if you have a history of irregular periods, this may not be unusual for you to miss a period.

In summary, if you miss a period, it is not a guarantee that you are pregnant. If you are not pregnant, it does not mean that anything is wrong with your body. If you are not pregnant in this cycle, it is bound to happen in the coming months.

I hope I'm not pregnant. The only way to know for sure if you are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. However, you can get some idea about the odds by considering several factors.

Emergency Contraceptive Pill

First, you must have had sexual intercourse, or close genital to genital contact in order to get pregnant. Kissing, fondling, masturbation (“hand jobs”), “dry humping” (rubbing against each other with clothes on), oral sex or anal sex will not lead to pregnancy.

Second, using a form of birth control can significantly lower the odds of pregnancy. If you are taking the Pill faithfully, using Depo-Provera (the shot) or an IUD, or have had a tubal ligation, or your partner has had a vasectomy, the chance of pregnancy is very low. It is not zero, however. That’s why you need to check a pregnancy test to be sure.

If you are using withdrawal (the “pullout” method), the chance of pregnancy is high. Withdrawal is a very ineffective method of birth control.

If you are on the Pill, but not taking it every day, your chance of pregnancy begins to rise. If you miss one pill, but take two the next day, your chance of pregnancy is still low. However, if you miss several pills in one cycle, your chances of pregnancy may be as high as if you were using no birth control at all.

Why might you miss your period if you are not pregnant? If you usually have irregular periods, you may have missed a period because you did not ovulate in this cycle. If you have recently gone off the Pill or Depo-Provera (the shot), it may take months for your periods to return to normal. During that time, you may not get a period at all. Stress, illness, eating disorders and recent weight loss can also lead you to skip a period.

In summary, if you miss a period, it does not necessarily mean that you are pregnant or that anything is wrong with your body. You need to check a pregnancy test, though, to be sure.

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Pregnancy Check

Perhaps, your period is late, or maybe you have noticed some symptoms, and now you are wondering "Am I Pregnant?"

If you have had intercourse or intimate genital contact within the last several months, you could be pregnant. The chances rise dramatically if you are not using birth control, but it is also possible to get pregnant even if you are using birth control, especially if you are not using it regularly or exactly as prescribed.

The most common symptom of pregnancy is a missed period. Other pregnancy symptoms include breast tenderness, bloating and nausea. Symptoms are not reliable for diagnosing pregnancy, however, because many pregnancy symptoms are also premenstrual symptoms. If you are wondering "Am I Pregnant?", you must check a pregnancy test to find out.

Preconception Tips

Then chance of getting pregnant in any one cycle is 20%. That means that if you have had unprotected intercourse around the time of ovulation, there is a 20% chance that you are pregnant. It is also possible to be pregnant even if you are using birth control. It is rare if you are using a medically approved form of birth control, but it becomes more likely if you don't always use your method every single time, or take your birth control pills every single day. Withdrawal (the pull out method) is a very unreliable form of birth control. If that is your choice of birth control, your chance of pregnancy rises dramatically.

Keep in mind, the only way to answer the question "Am I Pregnant?" is to check a pregnancy test.

Remember pregnancy tests will not be accurate before the day that you expect to get your period.

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