Tips and Tricks for Trying to Conceive

[Kaymara]

For all those trying to conceive questions and for those that have info to post it!!

I did a ton of reading during my 9.5 year infertility journey...These are a little of the facts I read about.


*I found with all my years of TTC E that knowing your cycle is very important. It was knowing my cycle that alerted me (besides the years passing by) there was a problem. Also many Dr's like it when you come in armed with info. Because usually the first step if you need to see a Dr is to track your cycle. They will usually test your spouse and have you track your cycle to determine if you are ovulating.

*I also found ovulation predictor kits to be great. I actually paid the money for a clearplan easy fertility monitor and used that. That was GREAT because it helped me learn my cycle extremely well. The old way of thinking that we ovulate on day 14 is no longer accurate. Women can ovulate later or earlier depending on their cycle. Like I ovulate on day 16-17. If you have an irregular cycle you can still figure out ovulation with kits or a monitor. Just start testing around day 9ish of your cycle.

*Sex every other day or every day is optimum for TTC. This allows sperm to recharge since it takes around 24hrs

*Robitussin, Plain ole robistussin with guifessin. Or even that mucenex stuff that is out now...Taking this from around day 9ish of your cycle (day 1 the first day of bleed) until ovulating actually helps your cervical mucus. It makes it nice and thin and stretchy which is the eggwhite so commonly referred to.

*Elevating the hips after intercourse for around 15-20 minutes is said to help. I did do it when I conceived E and my Dr actually suggested it..

*position doesn;t actually matter except it is rumored that rear entry (doggy) is optimum because it is deeper penetration and deposits the sperm closer to the cervix

*You are fertile around 5-6 days out of the month. Your most fertile time being a couple days before, day of and day after ovulation. It takes sperm 24 hours to swim to where it needs to be. And the egg is good for 24 hours. So it is best to have sex leading up to ovulation to have sperm there and waiting. Sperm can also live inside for up to 3-5 days.

*Healthy young women under 30 should give TTC a year before seeking help. Over 30 should give it 6 months before seeking help. It's ok to seek a Dr's advice. That is what they are there for!

*taking prenatals while TTC is a good way to get your body ready for that lil bundle.

*There is only a 25% chance in any given month, even if conditions are right, to get pregnant. So if it doesn't happen that first month or 2 do not get discouraged!!

[Jill]

while we were TTC, every time we had sex the thought of making a baby was on my mind. i would then stress to see if i was pregnant. after i relax and realize that if i get pregnant that is okay and if i dont that is okay. as soon as i started to enjoy sex we were pregnant!

[froglove]

What I did to get pregnant was a suggestion from sandiegonavywife, after you have sex(when you are ovulating) put a pillow under your butt to lift up your hips It is supposed to help the sperm swim "upstream"


It worked for me the very first time I tried it. That is how I got Jacob.

HTH

[MW5M]

Orange juice is said to cause acidity... killing off male sperm. If you are trying for a girl, you and your dh should both drink 2 glasses a day starting at the beginning of your cycle. This little tidbit of information from my RE

[April]

To (help) choose the sex, douching to change the ph of your vagina is supposed to work. A couple of days before you ovulate, before you start having sex every other day, you need to douche.


For a girl, douche with water and vinegar. The more acidic pH kills male sperm.

For a boy, douche with water and baking soda. The more basic pH kills female sperm.



So I guess in a few months dh and I will be drinking OJ by the gallons and I'll be douching with vinegar

[MW5M]

Go April~!

[mary79]

Me and my hubby are TTC . With our son it toke about a year. So this time I went to GNC and they have this fertility blend supplement. I tried it for a few weeks,then my breast got tender,I was thirsty,and tired. I dint even ovulate. I had all the symtoms that I had when I was pregnate with my son. But I wasnt pragnate. Has any one else tryed these supplements?

[Kaymara]

Originally Posted by mary79 Me and my hubby are TTC . With our son it tolk about a year. So this time I went to GNC and they have this fertility blend supplement. I tried it for a feww week,then my breast got tender,I was thirsty,and tired. I dint even ovulate. I had all the symtoms that I had when I was pregnate with my son. But I wasnt pragnate. Has any one else tryed these supplements?

Yep. I probably tried every herbal supplement out there during the 9.5 years of TTC I did. (vitex, Don Quia, false unicorn root, fertility supplement, soy etc etc)They didn't help me. But I was told that it did take time for them to work and I know they did work for some people. If I remember right it has vitex and some other stuff in it which has been known to help with ovulation. But from my research it took most people a few months on it. G'luck

[amandalaine]

I was a lucky one...It only took us 8 weeks. I just checked my cycle and we just had lots of sex the weekend before I ovulated and the day I ovulated

[harrisonsdream]

i am not ttc but i read online that if either of you have a lot of soy in your diet it can affect your chances to get pregnant. for the woman it makes it harder for her to conceive and for the man it makes his sperm less efficient.