MAIN Health Pregnancy How To Get Pregnant

With increasing numbers of married couples on their own career track, it may not be too surprising to learn that their inability to conceive may all come down to ... stress.

A couple, for example, who spent several years trying unsuccessfully to have their first child were eventually given what they consider the best advice from their doctor. Stop trying so hard!

The two overachievers finally went away for the weekend with nothing on their mind but relaxation and - you guessed it - were the proud parents of baby John nine months later.

Of course, there are other things you can do to increase your chances of getting pregnant naturally, and even control the timing of conception, with a few tips & tricks from the experts:

How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

• Baby making basics: women who are actively seeking to get pregnant are usually advised to adopt a more healthy lifestyle. Get enough sleep, eat healthy and exercise.
  
  
• To increase your chances, some experts swear sexual activity timed to when you're most fertile - ovulation is likely to begin about 14 days after the day your last period began. But since this varies with each woman the best method, others advise, is to have sex 2-3 times a week. You're almost certain to hit a fertile period at some point.
  
  
• For the guys - remember that increased body temperature lessens sperm production, so for now avoid tight jeans and the "tighty whities" in favor of loose fitting pants and boxer shorts.
  
  
• Ask your doctor if you may be taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs that may interfere with fertility.
  
  
• Tobacco decreases fertility, and increases the chance of miscarriage later. If you smoke, stop now.

If all else fails, see your doctor who may suggest fertility tests or follow-up fertility treatments. For most otherwise healthy couples the time-tested adage applies: if at first you don't succeed - try, try again.

Getting Pregnant After 35 or 40

Today, the number of women who are putting off pregnancy has nearly doubled. But the earlier you get pregnant, the better chance you have for a risk-free pregnancy. Complications associated with pregancy in older women include :

• low birth weight
• miscarriage
• prolonged labor, resulting in increased chances of cesarean birth or c-section.
• high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or gestational diabetes
• Down syndrome babies
  

For most women over 35, optimun prental care - along with a healthy diet and a regular exercise regimen - all contribute to helping decrease the chance of risk.

More about pregnancy & fertility around the Web:

How to Get Pregnant - Mayo Clinic.com - Expert advice on baby making basics including how to know when you're most fertile, how often to have sex, health & diet do's and don't, and when to seek professional help.

How to Get Pregnant Fast : Tips on Conception and Fertility - Extensive guide to fertility issues, timing your pregnancy, a pre-pregnancy to-do list, how to prepare physically and emotionally, pregnancy myths & facts.

Healthy Pregnancy - Trying to Get Pregnant? - Womenshealth.gov guide to pre-pregnancy nutrition, pro's and cons of the ovulation & symptothermal fertility planning methods, related advice on home pregnancy tests, facts sheets, links & resources.

Getting pregnant : trying, tricks & treatment - Comprehensive advice from UK Babycentre including tips on actively trying for a first baby or successive pregnancies, boosting your baby making chances, preparing for a healthy pregnancy, major causes of fertility problems, ovulation calendar, and related advice for dads-to-be.

Berkely Parents Network - Pregnancy After 40 - Real life been-there advice from moms with tips on diet, exercise and other health advice, FSH level concerns, fertility drugs, and personal success stories.

Trying Again: Getting Pregnant After Miscarriage - WebMD advice column with expert advice in extensive question & answer format.

also see -> Fertility & Reproductive Health

Baby's First Year | Baby Names | Fetal Ultrasound

Labor | Multiple Births | Natural Childbirth | Nursery Themes

Nutrition | Pregnancy Chats & Forums

Pregnancy Stages | Postpartum Depression

This information is intended as reference and not as medical advice.
All treatment decisions should be made by medical professionals.