The decision to start trying for a baby is both scary and exciting. Women spend so much of their lives worrying about getting pregnant that when they actually start to try, they expect it to happen right away.
Contrary to their expectations, pregnancy often does not happen right away. Worries about fertility can cause anxiety and feelings of self-doubt. If you’ve been trying to conceive for a while, follow these five tips to increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels
1) Improve your overall health
The more you do to take care of your own health, the more likely it is that you’ll conceive. Everything from weight and diet to even seemingly inconsequential things like gum health can affect fertility and the health of the fetus post-conception.
Health is an important lifestyle factor during pregnancy as well, so the sooner you make changes for your own health and wellbeing, the easier it will be to practice healthy behaviours throughout your pregnancy as well.
2) Be gentle with yourself
When pregnancy doesn’t happen the moment you start trying, you may begin to feel worried and anxious. Give yourself some grace and remind yourself that your experience is not uncommon and you’re not alone.
It’s also important to remember that conceiving a child takes two. Your partner’s health is just as important as your own. Don’t automatically place blame on yourself when it doesn’t go to plan. In fact, don’t place blame on anyone at all.
3) Track, but don’t obsess
Ovulation trackers can be a massive help when it comes to trying to conceive. While they aren’t 100 per cent accurate, they’ll help give you an idea about when your chances of getting pregnant are highest.
Like calorie tracking, ovulation tracking can unintentionally create obsessive behaviour. If you forget to track or miss your chance on a day you may be ovulating, don’t despair. Tracking apps can help you identify patterns, but there will always be an element of unpredictability in trying to conceive that you simply can’t control.
4) Stop trying
You may have heard stories about couples who tried to conceive for years with no luck, but suddenly became pregnant when they had given up all hope. This is actually a fairly common occurrence.
When you stop trying, you relinquish the anxiety that comes with trying to control things that are, ultimately, largely impossible to control. If you’ve been actively trying for a while, give yourself a break for a few months and you may be surprised by what happens.
5) Consult a professional
If you’ve done everything you can to conceive and are still struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out for professional help. Know that it may take some time to become fertile after quitting hormonal birth control, but that copper IUD side effects don’t include infertility after removal.
Your doctor can answer any questions you may have about infertility and take a look at your medical history to identify possible causes. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) tend to struggle to conceive, but it’s certainly not impossible. Setting up a treatment plan with your doctor for PCOS may inadvertently improve your chances of conceiving as well.
*This is a collaborative post