The first step to trying to get pregnant is taking better care of your body. But, what else can women do to up their odds of having a baby? For some, it’s a lot harder than others to conceive but it’s important to recognise that it doesn’t only take a quick romantic night in with your partner to get pregnant.
Once you are ready to start a family, waiting is the last thing you want to do. Although Mother Nature has a hand in the timing, there are some things you can do or not do, to help increase your chances of getting pregnant. It goes without saying that turning to Allah is the ultimate number one top tip but here are a few more to point yourself in the right direction.
Here’s 10 tips that can help increase a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant –
- Get a preconception check up- Before you officially start trying, get a check-up. Ask your doctor about prenatal vitamins and anything else you should be considering.
- Get to know your cycle – How much do you know about your menstrual cycle? Really understanding helps you know when you’re most fertile. Ovulation is the best time to get pregnant. Ovulation prediction kits can also help you predict the best time to get pregnant, or it can be as easy as downloading an app on your smartphone to track your cycle.
- Stop bad habits and make sure he does too! – try to maintain a healthy weight with a balanced diet, stop drinking alcohol and do not smoke or second hand smoke- it’ll help if your partner does this too. It goes without saying that drinking is haraam but only Allah can judge. If this is something you do you may want to consider stopping to help improve your chances.
- Have a cervical screening test if you haven’t had one in the last year – this can be arranged by your GP.
- Stay active – this has been shown to improve fertility and will make your pregnancy and baby healthier. Get your blood pumping!
- Watch your caffeine intake – Limit it to 200 milligrams per day, which is equivalent to two 6-oz cups of coffee – we’re not talking Venti size here! Soda, tea, and energy drinks count, too.
- Go at your own pace after a miscarriage – it’s rumoured that you need to wait three months before trying again, but really that isn’t true. As long as you’re emotionally ready and feeling up to it physically, there’s absolutely no reason to delay trying again.
- Be realistic about your own chances of conceiving past 40 – We all see celebrities getting pregnant with twins when they’re in their 40s and think it can happen to anyone that age. Although this is true your chances to conceive significantly decrease and it is important to consider other options such as IVF, adoption etc if you find that getting pregnant is no longer an option naturally. It’s important to manage your expectations and be open to various options for motherhood.
- Stop stressing about being stressed- Anxiety over fertility is totally normal and it’s not likely to be harmful in the long run. The stress that comes along with fertility challenges has not been shown to affect whether a woman can become pregnant or not. If your feeling overly stressed over conceiving, try different forms of relaxing, from meditation to a stroll at the park.
- Know when to look for help with fertility- If you have not become pregnant within a year of regular unprotected intercourse, see your GP. If you are 36 or over, talk to your GP after 6 months.
Good luck baby making and remember, this is going to be one of the biggest things in your life so take it at your own pace and Inshallah Allah will bless you in whichever way he has decreed.
Have you struggled to conceive in the past? Please share your stories and help others.
