How to boost your chances of pregnancy

There are a few things you can do to improve your chances of having a baby.

More sex will help you conceive

Frequent sex is the best way to conceive. This means having sex every 2 to 3 days throughout the month.

The most likely time to get pregnant

You are most likely to get pregnant if you have sex around the time of ovulation. If your cycle is 28 days long, ovulation usually happens around 14 days before your next period. It can be difficult to know exactly when ovulation occurs, so the best advice is to have frequent sex.

Get a health check

You are more likely to get pregnant if you are both in good health.

If you are planning to get pregnant, it is a good idea to visit your GP for a health check. This is important if you have any health problems or are taking any medication.

Maintain a healthy weight

Being overweight or underweight can mean you are less likely to get pregnant. Also, men who have a normal weight produce better quality sperm.

Measure your Body Mass Index (BMI). If your BMI is between 20 to 25, your weight is healthy. If your BMI is over 30, this can impact your ability to get pregnant.

If you are overweight, losing as little of 5% of your body weight can improve your fertility.

Smoking can lower your chances of becoming pregnant. Women who smoke are more likely to be infertile and take longer to conceive. Smoking can also damage a man's sperm.

Find help to stop smoking

Nourish your body

Eating healthy foods will help you manage your weight and improve your health. Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, protein, whole grains and healthy fats. Taking a folic acid supplement, also known as vitamin B9, is also very important.

Regular moderate exercise is good for your body and your mind. Avoid very intense exercise as this may lower your fertility. For example, athletes participating in marathons may notice that their periods stop.

Try and keep your stress levels low

Stress can affect your sex drive and this can mean you end up having sex less often. It can also affect sperm production. When trying to get pregnant, relaxing and avoiding stress can help.

Review any drugs you take, legal or illegal

Illegal drugs can reduce your fertility and are dangerous during pregnancy.

Some medications are not safe to take during pregnancy. Some of these may also reduce your fertility.

Before trying to become pregnant, talk with your GP or pharmacist about any medications or supplements you are taking.

Prevent sexually transmitted infections

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), like chlamydia, can reduce your chances of becoming pregnant. If you are not yet trying to conceive, practice safe sex and use a condom each time you have sex.

Are you trying to get pregnant?

It’s not just about having sex without contraception. You need to have unprotected sex on the right few days of the month when you are most fertile. You also can boost your chances of conceiving if you and your partner improve your diet, lifestyle, and weight.

Here are 5 changes you could make to increase the odds of getting pregnant.

If you’ve decided the time is right to become a parent, then the odds are that you’re eager to get pregnant as soon as you can.

It’s rarely as simple as throwing the condoms away, though. For every 100 couples trying to conceive, 80-90 will achieve a pregnancy within one year. The remaining 10-20 couples will find it takes longer or that they need help to conceive.

There are things you can do to improve your chances of getting pregnant. It involves identifying your most fertile days each month and having sex then. You and your partner can also boost your fertility by improving your diet, weight and lifestyle.

Here are 5 top tips to improve your chance of getting pregnant.

1. Know When You’re Ovulating - and Have Sex Then

You’ve probably never really thought about when you’re ovulating until now. When you’re not trying to conceive, you mainly pay attention to when your period is due so you’re not caught unprepared.

Now, though, it’s time to pay attention to what happens in the middle of your cycle. Around two weeks before your period is due, your ovaries release an egg. This is called ovulation.

It’s your most fertile time of the month, when you have the best chance of getting pregnant. That’s because your egg has been released and, for a short few days, is ready to meet sperm and create a baby.

How do you know when you’re ovulating? You can get tester kits from a pharmacy or ovulation thermometers. Or you can pay attention to your vaginal secretions. Around the time of ovulation, you’ll notice it looks a bit like egg whites – clear, stretchy and slippery.

Sperm can live in your body for up to 5 days, while your egg only lasts 12-24 hours. So, if you have sex in the three days before you ovulate or on the day of ovulation, the sperm will be there waiting to meet your egg. Hopefully, you’ll get pregnant.

2. Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

Being at a healthy weight makes it easier to conceive. That’s true for both men and women. For women, being underweight or overweight affects your hormone levels, egg quality, and menstrual cycle. For men, it reduces sperm quality and may make it difficult to get an erection. 

About two-thirds of Australians are overweight or obese. Dropping even a few kilos will boost your fertility. The Live Lighter website offers many tips to help you lose weight.

3. Eat Well

There are several benefits to developing healthier eating habits before you conceive. It can help you manage your weight, improves your chances of conception, and paves the way for good eating habits during pregnancy.So, what should you eat when you’re trying to get pregnant? Aim for 4-5 servings of vegetables each day (at least two should be leafy greens) and two serves of fruit. Cut back on refined carbs (cookies and pastries) to limit your sugar intake and focus on whole grains and fortified cereals. Add some fish in too.

Those changes alone mean you’re getting a bigger dose of important nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, folic acid and magnesium, potassium, fibre and Omega-3 fatty acids.

It’s also helpful to cut back on caffeine. If you smoke or drink alcohol, now is a good time to quit.

4. Start Taking Prenatal Vitamins

Your diet should provide the vitamins and minerals you need. That said, you need more of certain nutrients in pregnancy – and may not be getting everything you need from your diet, no matter how well you eat.

Prenatal vitamin supplements are particularly important sources of:

●      Folic acid, which prevents neural tube defects like spina bifida

●      Iron, which helps your body supply oxygen to your baby in the womb.

Most prenatal and pregnancy vitamins also include many other nutrients such as  calcium, zinc, iodine and vitamins, A, B, C, D and E.

If you have an underlying medical condition like diabetes, anemia, or a thyroid disorder, ask your doctor what you should take. You may need a higher dose of folic acid or iron or you may need a prenatal vitamin that does not contain iodine.

5. Know When You Need Help

Getting pregnant proves more complicated for some people. Depending on your situation, you may need to see your GP before you start trying to conceive. Or you may decide you need professional advice because you’ve been trying for a while without getting pregnant.If you or your partner are taking any medication,ask your doctor to review your prescriptions before you try to conceive. That’s because many medications that are fine in ordinary circumstances are not recommended if you’re trying to conceive or if you’re pregnant.Similarly, see your GP before trying to conceive if you or your partner has an underlying condition that could affect your fertility (like endometriosis, fibroids, thyroid disease or previous treatment for cancer) or a family history of genetic conditions that could affect your baby.

If you’re under 35 and have been having regular unprotected sex for over a year without getting pregnant, then it’s time to talk to your GP. If you’re over 35, see your GP after 6 months of trying to conceive.

How Can Peregian Family Medical Centre Help?

We’re a family medical centre and our GPs love nothing more than helping create new families. 

If you’d like to start a family, or have another baby, then please make an appointment with us (ideally bring your partner too) so we can help increase your chances of success. We will take a detailed history, review any medication that either of you is taking, and organise any tests you may need to check your overall health.

If you’ve been trying for a while without conceiving, then please come to see us. We can listen to your frustrations, investigate, advise and, if necessary, refer you to a fertility specialist who may be able to help you conceive.

Once you are pregnant, your GP will be involved in your pregnancy care. And once your bundle of joy is in your arms, your GP will help you adjust to parenthood, keep an eye on your baby’s health, and walk alongside you as your child grows. That means that this preconception period is a great time to find a GP you like and trust.