Testing before your period is due is a significant cause of false positive pregnancy test results. When someone says they had a false positive result, it usually means that additional pregnancy tests were not positive like the first one.
Many people fault the quality of the pregnancy test for false positives. Even so, an actual "false positive" test result, due to a faulty home pregnancy test, is very rare. Many of the causes of a false positive result can be linked to early pregnancy loss or not following the pregnancy test instructions correctly.
The following reasons explain situations where positive and then negative test results can occur.
There are rare cases when you can get positive pregnancy test results when you are not pregnant.
If you are trying to conceive, you may want to step away from using weed or being around people who are smoking it. A study from the National Institutes of Health found that female cannabis users could have a more difficult time getting pregnant than their non-using counterparts. The study found that for each monthly cycle, marijuana users were 41% less likely to conceive than non-users.
At this time, there has been no connection established as to how marijuana can affect pregnancy test results. If you smoke marijuana and have a positive pregnancy test, assume that you are pregnant. It is doubtful that you have received a false positive pregnancy test result. If you do get pregnant, you should stop using it for the health of your growing fetus.
There is no safe amount of marijuana to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. In addition to how the chemicals in marijuana can impact your unborn baby, smoking weed can lead to preterm labor, lower birth weight, and increase the risk of stillbirth.
For best results and peace of mind, marijuana, like all drugs, should be avoided in pregnancy for the same reasons that no medication should be used in pregnancy without your doctor's knowledge.
In addition to birth-related side effects that are possible, studies have shown that children whose mothers used weed while pregnant can end up with executive functioning issues. This can cause behavior and learning difficulties as your child grows.
Marijuana users often use other drugs, including alcohol, and it can be challenging to separate the effects of weed from those of other substances. Some scientific studies find that marijuana-exposed babies have physical manifestations of that exposure. The babies respond differently to visual stimulation, have increased tremors, and have a high-pitched cry. These symptoms suggest a problem with nervous system development.
During pre and early-school years, children born of marijuana-exposed women have also been reported to have more behavioral problems and difficulties with sustained attention and memory than non-exposed children.
When a nursing mother uses marijuana, some THC is passed to the baby in her breast milk. This is a concern since the THC in the mother's milk is much more concentrated than that in the mother's blood.
One study has shown that using marijuana by a mother during the first month of breastfeeding can impair the infant's motor development (control of muscle movement).
Remember that marijuana contains many chemical substances, many of which have not yet been identified. There is no doubt that many of these can be potentially hazardous to mothers and babies alike since they are brain-altering chemicals.
If you are trying to get pregnant or have small children, it is probably best to avoid smoking or coming in contact with marijuana smoke.
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If you are trying to conceive, you are dying to see that positive pregnancy test! One of the first signs of pregnancy that you can look for is implantation bleeding.
Before you notice implantation bleeding, several things need to occur in your body.
- Ovulation
Ovulation usually occurs once a month. Your ovary releases the egg into your fallopian tubes about 14 days before your period is due. Once released, your egg survives 12 to 24 hours. If not fertilized in that time, your egg will start to disintegrate.
- Conception
Optimally, having sex as close to ovulation as possible increases your chance of getting pregnant. Healthy sperm can survive up to 5 days in the woman's reproductive tract. If you have sex before ovulation or the day of ovulation, lucky sperm might be waiting to fertilize the egg.
Once conception has occurred, the fertilized egg will travel to the uterus. As the egg moves toward the uterus, the cells will divide and grow in size. When the egg arrives at the uterus, it will attach to the uterine wall (implantation). It starts to produce the hormone that pregnancy tests detect, hCG, after implanting. The time required for the egg to travel to the uterus and implant is usually between 7 and 10 days.
Cramps are a common symptom of implantation. They usually start after implantation. Some women have mild to moderate cramping when the egg implants into the uterine wall.
You may also feel sensations like:
Having intense period-like cramping when the egg implants is not common. Implantation cramping may be accompanied by implantation bleeding.
It is hard to pinpoint when implantation happens. Implantation can happen with no bleeding at all, so don't worry if you don't experience this.
You can get an average date you would expect to see implantation bleeding by doing a bit of math.
The most accurate way is by using the day you ovulated.
The day you ovulated + 9 days = Possible day you would see implantation bleeding if you are pregnant. It may be earlier or later depending on your body, but this gives you a good guess.
If you don't know when you ovulated, you can use the date your last period started.
With that date, you can figure out when you ovulated. You will need to know how long your cycle is and then subtract 14 days (the standard luteal phase) to find out what day you ovulate on in your cycle.
If you have a 28-day cycle, you will ovulate on day 14.
If you have a 30-day cycle, you will likely ovulate on day 16.
After you have the day you ovulated, you add that number to the date your last period started to determine when you ovulated this month.
So, let's assume you have 29-day cycles. Which means you should ovulate on day 15.
Your period started on the 1st of the month. The day you start bleeding is day 1 of your cycle. You will have ovulated on the 15th of the month if you have a 29-day cycle.
To determine when implantation bleeding might happen, add 9 days to the 15th. You may see implantation bleeding on the 24th of the month. Or a little before. Or a little after. Everyone's body is a little different, so it varies.
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The luteal phase is the second part of the menstrual cycle and it is the time after ovulation until your period starts. In ideal circumstances, the luteal phase is about 14 days long but can run from 10 to 17 days long.
During the luteal phase, the production of estrogen and progesterone increase. This increase helps prepare the uterine lining for the implantation of the fertilized egg. If there is no fertilization, the uterine line sheds, and your period starts.
If the number of days between ovulation and your period starting is 10 days or less, doctors classify this as a luteal phase defect. Some doctors consider a luteal phase of 12 days problematic as well.
If your uterus does not have the full 14 days to build up it's lining and utilize the extra progesterone and estrogen, your endometrial lining will not be able to sustain a pregnancy.
There is the possibility that the embryo will not be able to attach itself to the lining at all but, if it is able to attach, the chances of an early miscarriage are great.
A major cause of luteal phase defect is low progesterone. This can be caused by poor follicle production in your ovaries. If your eggs are not developing as they should for ovulation, the related hormones, including progesterone, will be at lower than optimal levels.
Failure of the corpus luteum to last as long as it should after ovulation can contribute to lower progesterone levels. The corpus luteum is the hormone-producing sac that is left, in the ovary, after the follicle has released the egg into the fallopian tubes at ovulation.
If the corpus luteum fails to last as long as it should, the progesterone will stop being produced and a luteal phase defect may occur. Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) can contribute to lower levels of progesterone in your system as well which can lead to a luteal phase defect if ovulation does actually occur.
Progesterone, in the form of injections, pills, suppositories or cream can be used after ovulation until pregnancy is confirmed or your period arrives. Your doctor may advise you to continue using the progesterone into the first trimester to help keep your progesterone levels where they need to be to be.
Vitamin B6 has been shown to help increase your levels of progesterone naturally. 100 to 200 mg of vitamin B6 is typically the amount which doctors suggest to increase your progesterone levels. You can increase your b6 intake with the foods you eat or with supplements.
Vitamin C has also been shown to help increase your luteal phase. A study published in Fertility and Sterility (2003;80:459–61) shows that increasing your Vitamin C intake per day to 750mg can lengthen your luteal phase and increase overall fertility and pregnancy rates over time.
Vitex (Chaste Berry) is an herb that has overall fertility enhancing benefits. It helps the body produce more luteinizing hormone, which causes ovulation to occur and more progesterone produced. Vitex also supports the formation of the corpus luteum which is responsible for the correct hormone balances to sustain a pregnancy.
]]>Abstinence won't improve your chances of getting pregnant. Studies have shown that men with normal sperm count and motility can go a bit over a week without ejaculation, and sperm health doesn't suffer.
If you have sperm health issues, you should only abstain for a day for the best quality sperm.
Additionally, if you abstain for too long, you could cause harm to your sperm. The motility and morphology of your sperm will deteriorate if you abstain for over a week. As you might suspect, this is extremely damaging when it comes to conception.
Thus, the studies state that men should ejaculate between three and four times a week to ensure proper motile, healthy sperm.
Eliahu Levitas, a fertility specialist in the IVF unit of Israel's Soroka University Medical Center, conducted a study to examine sperm samples from approximately 6,000 men. All the samples were from men who had abstained from intercourse for up to two weeks. Most of the men in the study had normal sperm counts. About one-third of the men had low sperm count.
Researchers also discovered that sperm motility decreased through a day of abstinence for men with low sperm counts. Additionally, other changes were occurring concerning shape, a telltale sign that sperm health was rapidly declining.
However, it is essential to note that men with normal sperm counts demonstrated little change in motility following abstinence. They didn't show signs of sperm health decline until much later.
The studies show abstinence is mainly irrelevant for couples with normal fertility.
They also show that men with low sperm counts can benefit from abstaining for a day or two. This ensures there is more healthy sperm available.
Abstinence should not extend beyond the two-day mark as there is no benefit.
Of course, increased frequency of intercourse is ideal for couples trying to conceive, and you shouldn't be waiting for ovulation to occur have sex. Having sex every 2 to 3 days throughout the cycle ensures sperm will be waiting to fertilize the egg.
However, this doesn't mean that intercourse should be excessive because you risk depleting your sperm storage. Instead, you should focus on keeping your system flushed to ensure that sperm are fresh.
Sperm that hangs around for longer than necessary run the risk of damage. The sperm becomes less likely to fertilize the egg. Following ejaculation, it takes one to two days for sperm to recoup their numbers.
Another study shows that 14 days of daily ejaculation leads to lower semen volume, sperm count and hindered motility. All issues that make getting pregnant more difficult.
Since abstinence isn't the answer, what can you do to help improve your sperm quality?
There are plenty of things that will improve your sperm count, motility, and morphology. Chances are, without knowing it, you are doing things that harm your sperm. If you stop doing them, your sperm health will improve.
What about the things you could be doing but aren't? You can add many things to your day-to-day life that will improve your sperm. Are you willing to do what it takes?
Improved sperm health means you have better odds of getting pregnant.
Pellestor F, Girardet A, Andreo B. Effect of long abstinence periods on human sperm quality. Int J Fertil Menopausal Stud. 1994 Sep-Oct;39(5):278-82. PubMed PMID: 7820161.
Levitas E, Lunenfeld E, Weiss N, Friger M, Har-Vardi I, Koifman A, Potashnik G. Relationship between the duration of sexual abstinence and semen quality: analysis of 9,489 semen samples. Fertil Steril. 2005 Jun;83(6):1680-6. PubMed PMID: 15950636.
Welliver C, Benson AD, Frederick L, et al. Analysis of semen parameters during 2 weeks of daily ejaculation: a first in humans study. Translational Andrology and Urology. 2016;5(5):749-755. doi:10.21037/tau.2016.08.20.
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How Long Alright, ladies, let's get personal. We're going to talk about sperm. Sperm is a vital part of the journey when you make the official "try to conceive" decision. We all know that ovulation is necessary to get pregnant, but sperm plays an equally important role. Women know their bodies intimately when tracking fertility but may overlook the sperm aspect. It's essential to know how long sperm can live inside the female body to optimize your chances of getting pregnant.
Your body is close to the temperature sperm are used to, which helps them survive. Depending on where you are in your cycle, the environment can be more or less friendly to sperm. The closer to ovulation, the more supportive your system will be to sperm survival.
The good news is that research has shown that sperm can be viable 3 to 5 days after ejaculation in an optimal reproductive environment.
The vaginal environment can be pretty acidic. The acidic environment is not the best, most supportive environment for your partner's sperm. Sperm can survive longer once it has battled its way through your vagina.
The environment on the other side of the cervix is much friendlier. Your best bet is to ensure that the sperm gets to your cervix in the quickest time frame.
You will see plenty of places where they suggest that you lie on your back and put a pillow under your hips. This is supposed to help gravity pool the sperm against your cervix. Unfortunately, there isn't any scientific proof that this makes much of a difference in your ability to get pregnant.
If you are dealing with fertility issues, like low sperm count or low sperm motility, it definitely can't hurt to give the sperm as much help getting to your cervix as you can.
After the sperm go through the cervix, they enter the female reproductive tract. Healthy sperm can wait safely in the uterus and fallopian tubes for several days until the egg comes traveling by. Having sex around ovulation ensures they are waiting to fertilize a newly released egg.
Your freshly released egg will only last about 24 hours after ovulation before naturally disintegrating if not fertilized. Sperm can survive up to 5 days in the woman's body, so there is a bit of leeway for having baby-making sex. You can have sex a couple of days before ovulation and still get pregnant.
The sperm's life span helps relieve the stress of "We have to have sex RIGHT NOW!"
While some sperm can survive to 5 days, statistically speaking, the percentage making that long is tiny. Sperm only has about a 5% probability of surviving more than four days.
You only need one sperm to fertilize your egg, but 5% is a pretty low percentage. If you are trying to conceive, it is best to have sex as close to ovulation as possible to have a much higher percentage of sperm available for the fertilization of your egg.
The hardest part of the sperm's journey is right after ejaculation. At most times during your cycle, your cervical mucus is not friendly to the sperm at all.
On the other hand, the cervical mucus around ovulation is very supportive of the sperm. It is slippery and thin like raw egg whites. It provides nutrients that help nourish the sperm and let the sperm move more quickly to your cervix.
You can encourage the slippery aspect by making sure you drink plenty of water. Taking decongestants around ovulation is not recommended. The decongestant drys up your nose and all other mucous-related areas of your body too.
You may have a hormone imbalance if you notice that you don't have egg white mucus consistency during ovulation. FertileCM, a fertility supplement for women, can help encourage fertile cervical mucus.
A hormone imbalance could be causing you to have hostile cervical mucus. Hostile cervical mucus will make it much harder for the sperm to get to where it wants to go. And in turn, lowering your chances of getting pregnant.
The fertile cervical mucus also makes it more comfortable when having sex. If you don't have the correct type of cervical mucus, you might end up reaching for a lubricant to help things along.
If you do, be sure to use a fertility-friendly lube. The sperm friendly lubricants help nourish and move the sperm to the cervix as fertile cervical mucus does.
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You'd think most people would know how to get pregnant, but many couples find out that it isn't as easy as just having sex. Many things can make getting pregnant harder than you expected.
If you choose to follow the advice, these nine tips can help increase your chances of getting pregnant.
Knowing when you ovulate is one of the biggest things you can do to help improve your chances of getting pregnant each month. You are only fertile for about five days each month, with the day you ovulate being your highest fertility day. You will need to have sex during this fertile period if you are trying to conceive. On average, women typically have a 28-day cycle. Cycle length is calculated from the day you start your period to the day before your next period starts. For 28 day cycles, you will ovulate around day 14 of your cycle.
The counting days method of figuring out when you are ovulating is better than guessing, but it might not be as accurate as you need. If you have been using an ovulation calculator or app for a while with no luck, you might need to try a different method. You may want to change to a different method of determining when you will ovulate.
Ovulation test kits are invaluable in determining when you will be ovulating. BabyHopes offers ovulation tests that are inexpensive and reliable. They help predict ovulation with more precision than an ovulation calendar will. Once you get a positive ovulation test, you and your partner need to get busy! ;-) A positive result means you will ovulate in about 24 to 36 hours.
Just an FYI: Sperm can survive up to 5 days after ejaculation. As long as you are having sex around this time, you should be okay. There is no need to create a "We need to do it RIGHT NOW!" situation. :)
In addition to helping you maintain a healthy weight, regular exercise helps lower your stress levels. Excess stress can negatively impact sperm health and semen quality in men. For women, too much stress can lead to a hormone imbalance. Hormone imbalances can cause irregular menstrual cycles and a lack of ovulation. Both are important to have functioning optimally if you want to get pregnant.
Meditation is a terrific way to help you get into a less stressed state of mind. The more relaxed you are, the better your body functions. Meditation has many scientifically proven benefits. In addition to supporting fertility, it benefits emotional health and physical well-being.
If you need to use lubricants, be sure to use a fertility-friendly brand. Lubricants like KY can harm the sperm and make them unable to swim as well as they need to. (Think being stuck in the mud.) Sperm friendly lubricants protect the sperm and help little guys travel to where they need to be.
The convenience diet that we typically fall back on is not necessarily the type of food you should eat if you are trying to get pregnant. You can make a couple of changes to your diet to improve your overall fertility health. (They aren't that radical. I promise!)
- Eat organic whenever possible. Organic foods and organic free-range meats are the absolute best for your overall health. If much of the food you currently eat is high in processed carbs, making the changes below, whether organic or not, will improve your overall fertility and health.
- Limit the number of processed carbs you eat. These include products with white flour-like cookies, white bread, cakes. White rice is another processed food to avoid. (Brown rice is a suitable replacement.) Replace the "bad" processed carbs with fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
- Shift your protein from high-fat red meat to more plant-based protein like nuts, beans, and tofu. These protein sources are lower in calories and usually higher in healthy fats. If you are a diehard meat eater, go for the leaner types of meat like turkey, chicken, and lean beef.
- Believe it or not, all those low-fat yogurts you are eating may be affecting your ability to get pregnant. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that switching a low-fat version with a full-fat one can help improve your odds of getting pregnant. Just keep in mind the calories you are taking in. Adding full-fat dairy products to replace the low or nonfat varieties will also up your daily calorie intake.
- Add foods with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids to your menu rotation. Salmon, sardines, and herring have high levels of fatty acids. You can also find them in non-fish sources like flaxseed, walnuts, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. If these options don't appeal to you, your local store will carry omega-3 supplements. Omega-3 fatty acids help increase blood flow to reproductive organs.
If you smoke, drink alcohol to excess, or take drugs, you should stop if you want to conceive.
In regards to actually getting pregnant, smoking lowers your chances. Statistics show that women who smoke are 60% more likely to be sub-fertile or infertile. Men who smoke have sperm that can be less able to fertilize the egg. If they manage to, the resulting fertilized egg has a higher chance of failing to develop properly.
These habits can also harm your developing baby. Smoking, drinking, and taking drugs have been linked to lower birth weights, miscarriages, and premature labor.
Sorry to tell you, but if you drink more than a cup or two of coffee, you may be increasing your chances of a miscarriage.
A Danish study showed that women who drank 8 cups of coffee a day had double the risk of stillbirth than non-coffee drinkers. Studies show that 200 mg of caffeine a day is generally considered a safe limit.
Caffeine isn't just in coffee. Read the labels and do your research. Each can of Coke or Pepsi has about 40 mg of caffeine. Some over-the-counter medicines like Excedrin are also caffeine culprits. Oh, and let's not forget chocolate is also a caffeine carrier.
Watch your intake, and you should be fine.
Studies show that underweight women with BMI less than 20, or overweight, BMI over 30, typically have a more challenging time getting pregnant. Loving your body into a healthy BMI range of 21 to 29 will help with your goal of becoming a parent. (You can get a reasonable estimate of your BMI by using the National Institute of Health's BMI calculator.)
Sorry, Guys, you aren't off the hook. Men who are overweight can have lower testosterone levels, making the desire to have sex lower. Having sex is a vital part of getting pregnant. If you don't do it, you won't have a baby in the future.
Being overweight can also lower the quality of your semen, resulting in lower sperm count and reduced semen volume upon ejaculation. If you are concerned about your sperm health, some supplements can help while you are trying to get to a healthier weight.
Making all these changes can seem pretty daunting, but you don't need to do a complete lifestyle redesign all at once. If you make positive changes slowly but surely, you should see your fertility improve.
Improved fertility = positive pregnancy test sooner.
Change isn't easy, but really, is it as hard as not getting pregnant? This journey to parenthood is full of all sorts of twists and turns. BabyHopes is here to help you and provide an ear when needed. We do care about helping you get pregnant.
Green NS. Folic acid supplementation and prevention of birth defects. J Nutr. 2002 Aug;132(8 Suppl):2356S-2360S. doi: 10.1093/jn/132.8.2356S. PubMed PMID: 12163692.
Kala M, Nivsarkar M. Role of cortisol and superoxide dismutase in psychological stress induced anovulation. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2016 Jan 1;225:117-124. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.09.010. Epub 2015 Sep 21. PubMed PMID: 26393311.
Chavarro JE, Rich-Edwards JW, Rosner B, Willett WC. A prospective study of dairy foods intake and anovulatory infertility. Hum Reprod. 2007 May;22(5):1340-7. Epub 2007 Feb 28. PubMed PMID: 17329264.
Greenwood DC, Alwan N, Boylan S, Cade JE, Charvill J, Chipps KC, Cooke MS, Dolby VA, Hay AW, Kassam S, Kirk SF, Konje JC, Potdar N, Shires S, Simpson N, Taub N, Thomas JD, Walker J, White KL, Wild CP. Caffeine intake during pregnancy, late miscarriage and stillbirth. Eur J Epidemiol. 2010 Apr;25(4):275-80. doi: 10.1007/s10654-010-9443-7. Epub 2010 Mar 21. PubMed PMID: 20306287.
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Identifying when you are most fertile is essential for timing intercourse for getting pregnant. Many women become stressed when trying to determine their most fertile days. The stress increases when they get a positive ovulation test 2 days in a row.
They become worried that if they do not time intercourse just right, their chances of getting pregnant are small. While this is true, there are ways to track your fertility to better time having sex.
One of those ways is to use an ovulation predictor kit or test, often referred to as an OPK.
An ovulation test works by identifying the increased presence of the luteinizing hormone (LH) in your body. Although this luteinizing hormone is always present in your urine, it increases 24 to 48 hours right before ovulation occurs.
In fact, according to the American Pregnancy Association, the luteinizing hormone triggers the release of the egg from your ovary, and ovulation tests can detect the LH surge with 99% accuracy.
Although most ovulation tests can be used at any time of the day, there are very sensitive ones that require you to test with your first morning urine. Typically, you should test after 10 am so the LH surge can reach your urine.
Be sure to read the instructions on your OPK carefully. Regardless, it is best to test at the same time every day and make sure that you have not had anything to drink for at least four hours beforehand.
You should not be too concerned if you have been taking an ovulation test for a few days straight, and they have all been positive for each of those days. It would be best if you only relied on the first positive test because that test showed the start of the LH surge.
Once the ovulation test tests positive for the LH surge, it will continue to test positive throughout the surge. One true positive is all you need to know is that you will be ovulating within 24 to 48 hours. If your surge is two days long, you will have a positive ovulation test for two days in a row. After that first positive test, you can stop testing.
One caveat here, make sure that you are reading the test correctly. A positive result is when the test line is as dark or darker than the control line. If you are not sure, then test again in a few hours. Ideally, test at 10 am and 8 pm each day.
A woman might have increased LH in her body before she actually surges in some situations, and an OPK may notice this and display a positive result. Double-check the results by charting your basal body temperature and checking your cervical mucus.
By tracking your fertility and menstrual cycle every month, you will better understand how amazing your body is. Tracking will help you determine your fertile phase and know what nuances are unique to you. By paying attention to your cycles, you will be better in control of your fertility.
The LH surge signals that ovulation will occur at some point within the next twelve to forty-eight hours. The timeframe is considerable because every woman's system is different. Some women ovulate the same day as the LH surge, and some ovulate two days after the surge.
You should have sex as soon as possible to increase your chances of getting pregnant this cycle. Ideally, the LH surge will occur each month. There are cases when it is delayed or missing. Stress or medical conditions can cause ovulation not to occur regularly. If you do not ovulate regularly, you should talk to your doctor to figure out what is happening with your system.
After you ovulate and the egg is released from your ovary, you are fertile for about 24 hours. Sperm has a longer lifespan. It can survive up to 5 days in the woman's reproductive tract for up to 5 days. You can increase your chances of getting pregnant by having sex frequently in the time frame before you ovulate through to ovulation. This will ensure there are sperm available to fertilize the egg after it is released.
When you combine the sperm life span and the day of ovulation, you are fertile about six days each month. Having sex during this timespan will improve your chances of getting pregnant.
]]>As the name suggests, evaporation lines appear due to urine evaporation within the testing area of your pregnancy test. These lines show up in the result window of the test, exactly where a positive sign would be. An evaporation line develops when the urine on the test area begins to dry, leaving a faint line.
These lines show up due to the particular urine specimen's composition and may appear on any test regardless of brand. You may see a clear-ish line if you read the results after the time frame the instructions stated or if you took the test incorrectly.
Evaporation lines are pretty standard on all brands of pregnancy tests. If you are unaware of this, you may think you have a positive result when you don't. The best way to avoid confusion is to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Read the results of your pregnancy test within the time frame recommended.
Sometimes, it is tough to tell. Here are some general guidelines to help you figure it out.
An evaporation line is usually a grayish color on pregnancy tests that use pink dye.
An evap line may be grayish or a very light blue on tests that use blue dye. The TTC community finds that the blue dye tests show evaporation lines more often than pink dye tests.
It might look like a colorless streak similar to an indentation in your pregnancy test result area.
Usually, an evaporation line will be thinner than the width of the control line.
Here are a couple of guidelines to help you determine what you see.
Yes - Possible early positive result
No - It could be an evap line.
Yes - Possible evap line
No - Possible positive result
Yes - Likely an evaporation line
No - Positive result possible
Remember: You will only see an evaporation line if the test is negative or if you tested too early. If the test were positive, the color of the dye would fill in the space where you see the evaporation line.
Ultimately, if you are confused, take another pregnancy test in the morning and see if the results have changed. If the line gets more colored, the suspected evaporation line was a very early positive result.
Ultimately, you can't stop the formation of these types of lines. Any brand of pregnancy test can have them (except for the digital tests that say pregnant or not pregnant.)
You should always read the literature that comes with the test and look for instructions on interpreting your results. Usually, home pregnancy tests have a reaction time of three to five minutes. If in doubt, test again a few days later.
If you don't see a clear positive result in the amount of time that the manufacturer states, you should not rely on that test result. Letting your test sit and reading it later can be not very clear. The chances of an evaporation line forming increase when you do this.
]]>Men also have a biological clock – they too experience a natural decline in their testosterone levels as they age. This causes a decrease in their sex drive and energy levels, and makes it difficult for them to achieve and maintain an erection.
According to Dr. Harry Fisch, the author of "The Male Biological Clock", male infertility increases with age, along with a decline in testosterone levels, and decreased sperm quality .
Older men are more likely to father children with a significant genetic abnormality than younger men. This genetic abnormality arises in the babies that are born of the sperm of older men. As with women, men's biological clocks also start ticking around the age of thirty to thirty-five.
When men get older they often experience a decrease in their ability to produce quality sperm. This means it will take an older man much longer to conceive a child than a younger man.
If both partners are over the age of 35, they should consider genetic testing to make sure there are no issues with their ability to conceive.
Sperm cells constantly renew themselves. Nevertheless, this continual renewal of sperm cells can cause a genetic mutation.
As a man ages, there is an increase in abnormalities present in his sperm. Not only is there a decrease in the number of normal sperm produced, there is also a decrease in the quality of those sperm that are produced.
It is possible to slow down your biological clock by leading a healthier lifestyle.
Healthy lifestyle changes include giving up smoking and drinking, and eating a healthier more balanced diet. Also recommended is taking care of varicoceles, which are enlarged veins in the scrotum that can cause problems with sperm production in men.
Being overweight or obese lowers a man's testosterone levels and increases his risk of having infertility problems, especially if he is over 35. A man's waistline is a good indicator of his testosterone levels. The larger his waist, the lower his testosterone level.
Being underweight can also affect your sperm negatively. If you have a BMI of less than twenty you increase your chances of having low sperm count.
Environmental toxins such as heavy metals are also known to cause problems of male fertility — large concentrations of lead and cadmium caused by smoking decrease sperm. Mercury derived from fish plays a part as well.
Another form of pollution that affects men is environmental toxins such as heavy metals. These can cause problems of male fertility — large concentrations of lead and cadmium caused by smoking decrease sperm. Mercury derived from fish plays a part as well.
If you are older and want to start a family, making lifestyle changes can improve your overall fertility and improve your chances of conceiving successfully.
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Starting a family is one of the most exciting moments in anyone’s life. There is something so special about bringing a new life into this world and you and your partner are probably taking all the necessary steps to prepare for conceiving a child. However, something that is often overlooked in this process is dental care.
You and your partner’s dental health can play a big role in fertility, especially if you are suffering from gum disease. That’s why it’s so important to have a dental checkup before you start trying to conceive. I have been practicing dentistry for more than 20 years and have helped many couples with their dental health so that they can be as healthy as possible when they begin trying to conceive a child. Here are three things that you need to remember about your dental health before trying to conceive.
One of the main reasons for visiting your dentist before trying to conceive is so that they can uncover any dental issues you or your partner might have. Crowns, fillings and most dental work can safely be completed during your pregnancy, but it’s best if you can get them done before conception to avoid any complications. If you do need dental work during your pregnancy, it’s best to wait until your second trimester. If it is not a pressing dental emergency, most dental work will be postponed until after you give birth.
Also, if you or your partner suffers from gum disease it can affect your chances of becoming pregnant. It can take women seven months or longer to conceive if they have gum disease compared to five months for women who do not. Similarly, men with poor oral health are more likely to face male factor infertility due to the elevated levels of bacteria in their mouth. If you can have a deep cleaning and treatment completed before trying to become pregnant you can raise your chances of conceiving and be healthier for your pregnancy.
The second reason that it’s important to visit your dentist before trying to become pregnant is dental x-rays. Dental x-rays are taken to make sure that the structure of your mouth is good and that you don’t have any serious dental issues. These are typically part of your twice a year dental checkup. However, you should try to schedule any upcoming dental x-rays before you become pregnant. While the radiation exposure from an x-ray at the dental office is extremely low, it’s best to avoid exposing them to your baby at all costs. I recommend this to all women trying to conceive as it is better for you and your baby’s safety.
Pregnancy causes your hormones to change tremendously, and in turn, can affect your oral health. Pregnancy hormones make you more vulnerable to mouth bacteria and decay and raise your chances of developing pregnancy tumors and pregnancy gingivitis. This is serious because if left untreated, gingivitis can cause preterm birth and low birth weight which again, is why it’s better to deal with these issues before becoming pregnant.
One way to work to prevent gingivitis before, during, and after pregnancy is by having an effective oral care routine. Your routine should consist of brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and rinsing with an antimicrobial mouthwash. Also, your diet will be helpful in maintaining a healthy mouth. Stay away from sugary drinks and snacks and focus on incorporating vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and dairy into your diet to help protect your teeth.
Bringing a new life into this world is a beautiful thing that you will cherish forever. As you begin your journey towards conceiving a child, it’s important that you and your partner are as healthy as possible and this includes you and your partner’s dental health. Oral health can play a major role when it comes to conceiving a child. Be sure both of you receive a dental checkup before you conceive to uncover any issues and resolve them in a timely manner so that you can have the healthiest mouth before your baby comes along and help yourself prepare for parenthood.
]]>1. Before Ovulation (lower chance of getting pregnant)
In the first days following your period, you will notice very little discharge and the vulva area can be dry. During this phase, the possibility of pregnancy is low.
2. Approaching Ovulation (increased chance of getting pregnant)
At this stage, the discharge is moist or sticky and white/cream colored. When performing the finger stretch test, the mucus will break apart after a little distance (less than 1 cm). As this phase progresses, you will notice an increase in volume. The color becomes more opaque, and you can stretch your fingers farther apart before it breaks.
3. During Ovulation (highest chance of getting pregnant)
Right before ovulation, you should see cervical mucus that resembles egg whites. It will be at its thinnest, most transparent, and plentiful during this time. The mucus will stretch several centimeters before breaking apart if it does so at all. The volume continues increasing until it reaches a point called the ‘mucus peak.’ Ovulation occurs around the peak, and the chances of getting pregnant are the highest. Due to the mucus quality, the sperm can survive up to 72 hours, which increases the chances of fertilization.
4. After Ovulation (decreasing probability of getting pregnant)
During this phase, the cervical mucus returns to its previous, tacky consistency. The mucus volume decreases, and the dryness returns to the vulvar area.
A woman's cycle is run by a delicate dance of hormones that ebb and flow over about a month. As your body gets approaches ovulation, there is a surge of estrogen, created by the maturing follicle in your ovary that will eventually rupture and release your egg. It's this surge of estrogen that prompts your cervix to secrete the slippery clear cervical mucus to produce a more sperm friendly environment.
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Tracking your mucus through your cycle can give you an idea of then you are getting close to ovulation.
There are several ways to collect cervical mucus samples. Always wash your hands before attempting any of them so you can prevent unwanted spread of bacteria or other harmful germs.
Listed below are the most common ways to get a sample of the cervical mucus:
1. Insert a finger into the vagina and sweeping around the entrance to gather an adequate amount of secretions.
2. Wipe the vaginal entrance with toilet/tissue paper and analyze the discharge collected.
3. Insert a finger or cotton swab into the vagina and sweep the cervix (or as near as you can get) to get a mucus sample.
Egg white cervical mucus is a sure sign of fertility. When you see it, your chances of conception are the highest.
After you collect the cervical mucus, place it between the thumb and index finger, and stretch it apart. If you can stretch it a considerable distance without it breaking, ovulation is likely near. When you have sex at this stage, your chances of getting pregnant are the greatest.
Cervical Mucus Chart
Some prescription medications can affect your cervical mucus, as well. The fertility medicine Clomid (clomiphene citrate) can make your cervical mucus hostile. It can make your mucus thick and sticky, which prevents the sperm from making its journey to fertilize your egg.
Antihistamines can also dry up your cervical fluid. Think about it. When your seasonal allergies are in full force, your nose tends to run non stop. When you take allergy medicine (antihistamine), it dries your nose and runny eyes up. Well, it does the same thing to other mucousy areas too.
Hormones, contained in birth control pills or hormone therapy, can change cervical mucus too. If you are concerned, talk to your doctor. They can help you find medications that play nice with your cervical mucus. They may also have some suggestions on improving your cervical mucus so you can get pregnant.
Your fertile cervical mucus helps to nourish and protect the sperm as it travels to fertilize your egg. The egg white cervical mucus helps to do several different things, including:
Ideally, your cervical mucus will change based on how your hormones shift throughout your cycle. Lack of fertile cervical mucus makes it harder for you to get pregnant. The sperm can not swim as well and are not supported and protected on their journey. There are several things you can try to help improve the quality of your cervical mucus.
Several supplements can help improve your cervical mucus. FertileCM and Arginine Gel both contain L-Arginine. L-Arginine supports the production of nitric oxide and helps improve blood flow to the uterus, ovaries, and genitals. Studies have shown that supplementing with l-arginine can help promote fertile cervical mucus. Additionally, increased nitric oxide production helps improve your uterine lining and boost your sex drive. That's a nice added bonus!
Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) is often used to help increase cervical mucus. It is an essential fatty acid that is also an anti-inflammatory. EPO not only increases the quantity of your cervical mucus but also improves the quality. Take EPO from the first day of your cycle until ovulation, and you should only take 1,000 IU per day. You do not want to take evening primrose oil after you have ovulated just in case you are pregnant. That’s because it might cause the cervix to soften. Not something you want happening until you have reached a full term pregnancy. It also can encourage contractions, and this could make implantation difficult.
Guaifenesin helps prevent the production of hostile cervical mucus. Also, it helps to promote the creation of egg-white cervical mucus. You can get guaifenesin at your local drug store.
Licorice root is another excellent herb that has progesterone and estrogen-like effects. The mucus has better fluidity with licorice root, and it also helps clean the colon.
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Resources:
Mahran A, Abdelmeged A, Shawki H, Moheyelden A, Ahmed AM. Nitric oxide donors improve the ovulation and pregnancy rates in anovulatory women with polycystic ovary syndrome treated with clomiphene citrate: A RCT. International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine. 2016;14(1):9-14.
Mörlin B, Hammarström M. Nitric oxide increases endocervical secretion at the ovulatory phase in the female. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2005 Sep;84(9):883-6. PubMed PMID: 16097981.
Hamilton-Fairley D, Taylor A. Anovulation. BMJ : British Medical Journal. 2003;327(7414):546-549.
Katsikis I, Kita M, Karkanaki A, Prapas N, Panidis D. Anovulation and ovulation induction. Hippokratia. 2006;10(3):120-127.
Shamim N, Usala SJ, Biggs WC, McKenna GB. The elasticity of cervical-vaginal secretions is abnormal in polycystic ovary syndrome: Case report of five PCOS women. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2012;16(6):1019-1021. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.103030.
Melo AS, Ferriani RA, Navarro PA. Treatment of infertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: approach to clinical practice. Clinics. 2015;70(11):765-769. doi:10.6061/clinics/2015(11)09.
Check JH, Adelson HG, Wu CH. Improvement of cervical factor with guaifenesin. Fertil Steril. 1982 May;37(5):707-8. PubMed PMID: 6896190.
Luck MR, Jeyaseelan I, Scholes RA. Ascorbic acid and fertility. Biol Reprod. 1995 Feb;52(2):262-6. Review. PubMed PMID: 7711198.
Effects of vitamin “C” on the endometrial thickness and ovarian hormones of progesterone and estrogen in married and unmarried women KAAJ Sami R. Al-Katib, Meissam MH. Al-Kaabi American Journal of Research Communication 8 (1), 24-31
Home pregnancy tests use a sample of a woman's urine to detect the 'pregnancy hormone' – Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). The growing placenta produces the hCG hormone soon after a fertilized egg has implanted in the uterine lining. Since hCG is present so early in a woman's pregnancy and continues to rise, it is one of the best indications of pregnancy. If you are testing before your period is late, you may end up with a very faint second line on your test.
Ultimately, the answer is yes, if you see a faint colored line on the pregnancy test, you are pregnant.
Even though there are many different home pregnancy tests, they all operate on the same testing principle. Your home pregnancy test results should be accurate, as long as you have followed the directions.
There may be times when a home pregnancy test will show a faint line. As long as you followed the test instructions, a faint colored line will indicate pregnancy. If you see a colorless line, you can't interpret that as a positive result. It could be that you see an evaporation line on your pregnancy test.
There are many reasons for faint lines:
There are three different formats of home pregnancy tests - midstream, pregnancy test strip, and cassette.
All formats of test work well and are accurate. The only differences are the method of wetting the test with your urine and the cost of the tests.
Midstream tests require that you urinate on them. Test strips and cassette tests require that you collect your urine in a clean, dry container. You then either dip the test or use a dropper to transfer the urine into the test.
The best time of day to take a home pregnancy test is first thing in the morning. The hCG in your urine will be more concentrated at that time. If you want to take the test later in the day, be sure to limit the liquids you drink before you use the pregnancy test. The pregnancy hormone will be more concentrated at this point.
If you are drinking a lot of liquids, you may dilute the level of hCG so it will not show up as a positive result.
Ultimately, the best time, during your cycle, to take a pregnancy test is when you have missed your period. However, most women don't want to wait. You can begin using a pregnancy test about four days before your period is due.
Remember that the accuracy of home pregnancy tests can vary between women for several reasons.
If you get a negative pregnancy test result before your period is late, it does not mean that you aren't pregnant. It could mean you are testing too early.
A positive result will typically show up between three and five minutes. Yet, the reaction time of most tests is five to ten minutes. You need to read the instructions that came with your pregnancy test to determine the actual time frame for reading it. Interpreting your results after the specified time in the instructions can lead to inaccurate results.
All home pregnancy tests will have a control color line that indicates whether the test is working or not. A second colored line will show up when hCG is detected. If the second line on your pregnancy test is very faintly colored, it can still be read as a positive sign, although we recommend you retake the test within the next day or two.
Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome who are trying to conceive are willing to do just about anything for the joyous occasion of seeing a positive pregnancy test.
Luckily, there are some relatively simple ways to get started treating your PCOS without any dangerous drugs or side effects. Keep in mind that PCOS should be treated and without treatment, serious long term health risks may occur. However, in the short run, there are a few ways to deal with the hormonal imbalance that may help rectify the PCOS and help you conceive.
One option is EPO, evening primrose oil. This particular oil, when taken by women, can help balance the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the woman’s body. PCOS is known as a hormonal imbalance, so any kind of supplement that helps restore the balance between female hormones is worth trying.
Many women with PCOS have a ratio of estrogen to progesterone that is elevated. The easiest way to determine if you are suffering from this hormonal imbalance is by taking a saliva test that is capable of measuring hormone levels.
Women looking for this type of test should first visit a holistic medical doctor or naturopathic physician. It should be accompanied by blood testing to ensure that the results are considered as a whole rather than in part.
Some women may be taking Glucophage (Metformin) for their PCOS, and there does not appear to be any problem taking Glucophage in addition to evening primrose oil.
However, it is prudent to talk with your doctor first to ensure that is the case before you begin mixing any drugs. Remember, too, that you can conceive with PCOS. It just might take some time to restore your body’s hormonal balance!
Just as each woman’s body is unique, so too are their signs of ovulation.
The cervix is the passageway into your uterus, and you can feel it change throughout your cycle. Checking on these changes can help you determine where in your cycle you are.
During different phases of your cycle, your cervix will behave differently. There are two main phases for the cervix – the infertile phase and the period where the cervix is approaching ovulation.
Most women have a menstrual cycle of 28 days, but it is also reasonable to have anything from 21 to 35 days. Some women have irregular menstrual cycles, which can significantly affect their chances of conceiving.
There are those who have more than one menstrual period a month (shorter menstrual cycles) and those who have longer menstrual cycles with fewer menstrual periods a year.
The cervix position and firmness changes throughout the menstrual cycle. You can check the position and texture of your cervix by inserting your clean, middle finger into your vagina up to at least your middle knuckle. Notice how it feels, and then continue checking your cervix throughout your cycle.
During this period, the cervix seems to be elongated and off-center so that it can rest against the vaginal wall. The cervix will feel firm, similar to the tip of your nose. Furthermore, the opening will feel dry. Finally, the cervix is easily reached at this time, as it lies low in a woman’s vagina.
Increasing estrogen levels force the cervix further up into the vagina the closer a woman is to ovulation. As a result, the cervix comes across as positioned more centrally in the vagina.
It also appears shorter and straighter in addition to feeling softer. Rather than feeling like the tip of a nose, the cervix now feels like your lower lip.
The role of your cervix is to create fertile cervical fluid during ovulation to help the sperm travel easily, as well as to block the entrance to the uterus when you are not fertile.
After menstruation, you will experience little or no discharge. Your first cervical discharge will appear moist or sticky, will be either white or cream colored, and will continue for a few more days.
As you get closer to ovulation, you will notice the consistency of your cervical mucus changes. It becomes thinner and less sticky. The amount of cervical mucus will also increase.
This thin cervical mucus will gradually increase until you hit your ‘cervical mucus peak.’ When you are at your most fertile, your cervical mucus looks like ‘egg whites’ and is indicative that you are about to ovulate.
This discharge will be slippery and colorless and indicates your best chance at conception.
You are probably here because you had unprotected sex while you were still having your period. You thought it was a "safe" time, but now you are concerned about the possibility of getting pregnant. While you can get pregnant at that time, it isn't likely. It all depends on how your cycle works.
It is surprising how many women do not fully understand the mechanics of getting pregnant. For the majority of women, their menstrual cycles are 28 days long. Menstrual bleeding is only the beginning of the full cycle.
Finding out how long your cycle is, is easy. All you need to do is count the days between when two previous periods started. Most women have cycles that are between 23 - 35 days long.
Having unprotected sex around the time you are ovulating can result in you getting pregnant. For women with a 28-day cycle, ovulation usually happens around day 14 or two weeks before your next period starts. The possibility of getting pregnant is present if you have sex during days 11 to 15 of your cycle.
Let’s take a look at what happens in a woman’s body. At ovulation, your egg travels into the fallopian tubes. Ovulation occurs at about 14 days before a woman’s period starts.
This is your most fertile period and the time that you have the highest chances of getting pregnant. This is the only time during the month that you will be able to get pregnant. Ovulation is the key here though, not the cycle day. If you have had sex around the time you ovulated, you can end up pregnant.
The egg travels to the uterus (or womb) and can be fertilized anywhere along the route. The life of an unfertilized egg in the womb is a short one, and in the absence of conception, menstruation will come next. Menstruation is when your uterus sheds its lining, and you bleed.
Ovulation is an integral part of a woman's monthly menstrual cycle. You can only get pregnant if you are close to ovulating or have just ovulated.
During ovulation, your ovary releases a mature egg into the fallopian tube. Fertilization of the egg can happen only a day or so after ovulation. After that, the egg begins to disintegrate. If there is sperm there to fertilize the egg, it will then travel to the uterus and implant. If the egg is not fertilized, it leaves the woman's body during menstrual bleeding. Your period will start about two weeks after ovulation.
Ovulation has three distinct phases: pre-ovulation, ovulation, and post-ovulation. These are sometimes called the follicular phase, the ovulation phase, and the luteal phase.
The follicular phase begins on the first day of menstrual bleeding and continues until ovulation. As your period progresses and your hormones change, the eggs in the ovary prepare for release. The uterine lining begins to thicken, and you will notice changes in your cervical mucus. For the first few days following your period, you will not see much of a change in the cervical mucus. When you are ovulating, the mucous becomes stretchy and clear and resembles raw egg whites.
The next phase is the actual ovulation phase. You can calculate the ovulation phase by starting with the first day of the last menstrual period. Most women ovulate sometime between day 11 and day 21. Some women will notice a slight twinge of pain in the abdominal area while ovulating, but many others don't recognize any other symptoms. The typical length of this phase is from 24 to 48 hours and is when a woman is fertile.
The luteal phase begins on the day of ovulation and lasts until the start of the next period. On average, the luteal phase is 14 days long but can be between 10 to 14 days long. During this phase, the pituitary gland releases LH or luteinizing hormone, which is the precursor of ovulation. If an egg is fertilized, it then implants into the uterus. If not, the egg slowly stops producing hormones. The uterine lining breaks down and your cycle will restart with menstrual bleeding.
The average woman has a 28-day cycle and will ovulate around day 14. Unfortunately, these numbers are not set in stone for every woman. Some women have longer or shorter menstrual cycles and may have a shorter luteal phase. If a woman has a 32-day cycle, and a luteal phase that lasts 12 days, she will ovulate on day 20 of her menstrual cycle.
The chances of getting pregnant during your period are minimal if you have a 28-day cycle.
If you aren't sure how long your cycle is, you can calculate the length if you know when your period started during the last two months. As long as you have regular 4 to 7-day menstrual bleed, you should not be fertile during that time.
While uncommon, it is possible to get pregnant from having sex during your period. Cycle length and how long the menstrual bleeding lasts can play a part in an unexpected pregnancy. It all comes down to a numbers game.
Women usually will ovulate about 14 days before their next period starts. If your cycle is shorter in length than 28 days, there could be an increased chance of getting pregnant from having sex during your period.
For example, let's say your cycle lasts 25 days instead of 28 days, and your period bleeding lasts for six days. Healthy sperm can survive up to 5 days after ejaculation in the woman's reproductive system. If ovulation occurs 14 days before your period is due, it would happen on day 11 of your cycle.
If you had sex on day 6 of your period bleeding, the sperm could potentially survive until day 11, ovulation day. Having the sperm present and waiting at the time of ovulation could most definitely end up in a pregnancy.
Another time when you could get pregnant from period sex is when you have irregular cycles. When a female is in the early and late years of menstruation, her cycle often varies from month to month as well. Any of these reasons, combined with unprotected sex, makes it possible for a woman to get pregnant during her period.
Sources:
Length and variation in the menstrual cycle--a cross-sectional study from a Danish county. Münster K, Schmidt L, Helm P Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1992 May;99(5):422-9.
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If a couple has been trying to conceive a child for a while, they may become worried that the man might have a low sperm count. If this is a concern, he can go to the doctor for a sperm count and motility assessment.
Optimally, a couple will want the results of the assessment to show that the man has sperm count levels that are between 40 and 300 million sperm per milliliter of semen. A semen sample with less than 20 million sperm per milliliter is considered to have a low sperm count.
Receiving a diagnosis of low sperm count can be very hard for any man to hear. It can affect his feelings about himself and his fertility and can make him less likely to want to have sex with his wife.
Discussing the issue openly with your partner will help overcome the mental aspect of the diagnosis. While not what you wanted to hear, at least you now know and can take steps to try and improve the situation.
Once you recover from the "sucker punch" feeling of the diagnosis, you can refocus and make changes that can improve the situation.
The first thing they can do is avoid having sex too often or too far apart. If a man already has a low sperm count, having sex too often may deplete his sperm stores without giving his testes a chance to make more. Between 48 and 72 hours is an ideal time frame between sexual encounters while trying to conceive.
Next, the man should make sure that his testicles have room to regulate their temperature. Wearing underwear that is too tight, wearing pants that don't breathe, or spending too much time in hot baths or hot tubs may decrease the testicles’ ability to keep their temperature stable and maintain ideal sperm production.
A balanced, healthy diet and ensuring to stay well hydrated can also be useful in improving sperm count. Your diet should be high in good-quality fat and protein and low in sugar and junk food. Mild to moderate daily exercise can help improve a man’s overall health as well as his hormonal and testicle health. He should, however, avoid heavy or excessive exercise, especially while wearing restrictive clothing.
It is always a good idea for him to avoid alcohol, smoking, and street drugs while trying to conceive, as those can all harm sperm production as well.
In addition to making these lifestyle changes, there are herbal fertility supplements like Fertilaid and Countboost for men that have an excellent track record of improving sperm health and sperm count. Trying a supplement like this is worth a try first.
Give the supplements three months to work to see how much they improve your sperm count. Visit your doctor if the improvement is not enough to help you get pregnant. The doctor can help you form a more in-depth medical treatment plan to help you get pregnant.
The doctor may recommend a more invasive and expensive course of action if none of the changes you've made helps improve the couple’s ability to conceive, and low sperm count is suspected,
IUI— Intrauterine insemination is typically the first procedure recommended. With this procedure, the sperm is sampled, cleaned, and inserted into the cervix to fertilize the egg.
The second option is IVF—in-vitro fertilization. This medical procedure is when the sperm is harvested and combined with the egg in a petri dish. The resulting fertilized egg is then implanted into the uterus. Both of these methods have relatively high success rates but also have a very high price tag.
A diagnosis of low sperm count doesn't necessarily mean that the couple will have to resort to these invasive procedures. With an overall improvement in the man's health, his sperm count may naturally go up. It only takes one strong, healthy swimmer to fertilize the egg.
]]>Unfortunately, if you don't have the right cycle length or if your period is not normal, the calendar won't work well for you. For now, that is. Chances are you have a hormonal imbalance but we have help for that. It will take a bit of time and patience and we can help you get your cycle back on track. Our fertility supplements are great at getting your hormones balanced again and you on track for getting pregnant.
You need to be aware of the dates that your period has started for at least two months. The length of your cycle is the number of days from the first day of your period to the day before the next one starts.
So, if in the first month, your period started on May 28th and the next month it started again on June 25th, you would have a 28-day cycle.
Counting with a calendar not working for you? Click here to enter your dates and we will calculate the number of days for you. Give our ovulation calculator a try and let us know if you have any problems. We'd love to hear your feedback!
Making the decision to try to have a baby is easy; the hard part is actually conceiving the child. Most people think it happens easily and for some it actually does, unfortunately, it does not go that smoothly for everybody.
It can be extremely frustrating figuring out the length of your cycle or even pinpointing the exact date of ovulation. In addition, if you were on birth control, it may take a bit of time for your cycle to return to its natural state.
As such, once you make the decision to have a baby the key principle you will need is patience as chances are you will be waiting for a while. Luckily, you can cut down this waiting period using a few natural remedies that will assist in getting your cycle back to its initial hormonal balance.
Also known as agnus-castus, chaste berry, or chaste-tree berry, women who have had success with it often refer to is ‘herbal Clomid’. Vitex works by stimulating the ovulatory hormones, creates a hormonal balance, and boosts the frequency of ovulation.
Vitex controls the functions of the pituitary gland, as well as aids in balancing the levels of progesterone and estrogen. This herbal supplement is often used to treat infertility and can help regulate menstrual cycles and ovulation. It has also been shown to lengthen the luteal phase.
A standard dose of vitex or chasteberry extract is 20 mg taken 1 to 3 times per day. In liquid form, the suggested dosage is 40 drops every morning. The longer you use this supplement, the stronger the effects will become over time.
Red Clover is said to nourish the uterus as well as restore and stabilize hormonal functions. It consists of isoflavones, a compound that promotes the production of estrogen, which helps improve female fertility.
Red Clover can also increase estrogen levels for those women suffering from deficiencies. Two other important ingredients of Red Clover are calcium and magnesium; these relax the nervous system, which prompts fertility.
Red Clover most commonly used to aid in restoring irregular menstrual cycles and to promote pregnancy by balancing the acid-alkaline levels inside the vagina.
This traditional Chinese medicine is used to reinforce the chi or vital energy your body requires. Siberian ginseng has been proven to normalize hormone levels, tone the muscles of the uterus, aid in maintaining healthy uterine function and increase fertility.
Ginkgo Biloba has also been a traditional form of medicine over the years. Used to treat memory and circulatory disorders, scientific findings indicate that using this antioxidant will improve the circulation of blood in your body. It also helps improve the peripheral blood flow to the reproductive organs, supporting healthy blood vessel tone.
Red Raspberry Leaf is extremely popular for toning the pelvic muscles and uterus. It is a very potent fertility-enhancing herb, especially when it is taken alongside Peppermint.
This herbal tonic is used to regulate a woman’s monthly cycle, as well as toning the cervix.
Another plant that promotes improved reproductive health is Nettle Leaf. It is comprised of a variety of minerals and vitamins that promote fertility. These include Vitamins A, C, D, K, Iron, Potassium, Sulfur, and Phosphorous. Nettle Leaf is also a good source of Calcium, which increases conception chances and helps maintain healthy pregnancies.
Two of the most important antioxidant vitamins are Vitamins C and E. These cleansing antioxidants help by repairing environmental damage, as well as damage caused by aging. They also block any cellular damage created by free radicals.
As a fundamental antioxidant, Vitamin E is essential to reproductive wellbeing. During one scientific trial, couples with infertility who were asked to add Vitamin E to their diet demonstrated a substantial improvement in fertility.
This B Complex vitamin is synthesized within the body and it is thought to boost the power of estrogen to improve fertility. However, it also helps increase the chances of pregnancy in some infertile women. After adding PABA to their diet over a certain period, a clinical trial showed evidence that 12 of 16 previously infertile women were able to conceive.
One of the most powerful antioxidants is Green Tea. Its main function is to improve reproductive health by repairing any naturally occurring oxidative damage due to aging and environmental toxins.
The American Journal of Public Health published a study that stated that by just drinking at least 1/2 cup or more of green tea per day, chances of conceiving each cycle was doubled. Do note, however, that Green Tea does contain a small amount of caffeine, which is equivalent to 1/25th of a cup of coffee.
Be sure to consult your doctor before taking any of these natural remedies, especially if you are already taking prescribed medication to increase fertility, as there is a small change that they might contraindicate each other.
]]>Knowing your natural fertility signs can help you when it comes to conceiving. Many women are under the misconception that they can just get pregnant whenever they want. That is just not true.
With conception, timing really is everything and in order to determine the correct timing to have sex, you need to be able to identify your natural fertility signs. Learning your fertility signs can make all the difference when planning to become pregnant.
One of the best ways to determine whether you are fertile is to pay attention to your cervical mucus. Secreted by the cervix, your cervical mucus alters throughout your monthly cycle.
Right after you have stopped menstruating, you will have a few days with no visible cervical mucus. From then until ovulation, your cervical mucus will change color and texture. It will go from being opaque and sticky, and then change to being translucent and slippery right before ovulation occurs.
When your body is at its most fertile, you will find that your cervical fluid resembles raw egg whites and will stretch between two fingers.
You can check your cervical mucus in the following ways:
An important component to notice is the color of the cervical fluid. It should be white, creamy, opaque, or clear.
The first cervical mucus that you will experience in your cycle will be minimal and what you do notice will be thick and sticky. It will also be either white or opaque in color.
As your cycle progresses, you will experience increasing amounts of cervical mucus that is thin, cloudy and a little bit stretchy.
Just before ovulation occurs, your body will enter its high fertile stage. This is when your cervical mucus will be at its most; it will also be thin, transparent, and very stretchy. It will most likely resemble raw egg whites.
Throughout your cycle, your cervix is continually changing its position. By monitoring these changes, you can better track your fertility.Start by checking your cervix when your period ends, and then try to check it every day at about the same time each day.
You can check the position of your cervix in many ways. You just have to find a position that is conformable for you. Once you have found a comfortable position, you should stick to it. Many women have success while sitting on the toilet; others find that squatting or lifting one foot up onto the toilet or bathtub is better.
Use one hand to hold back the vaginal lips and insert the middle finger on your other hand into your vagina. Keeping moving your finger up until you touch your cervix, it will resemble a rounded cylinder-shaped mass within your body. Next, note the position you find it in.
Is it high up, or lower down? Both at the beginning of your cycle and after ovulation, your cervix will be in a low position. However, just before and during ovulation, your cervix will rise to a higher position.
It can be confusing at first to figure out what position is high and what is low. A good rule of thumb is that when you can barely reach your cervix with your fingertips, then you can consider your cervix being in the ‘high’ position.
A great way to monitor your fertility is to track your basal body temperature or BBT. This is your resting temperature, your body’s baseline temperature – the temperature of your body prior to doing any activity, including talking and walking. Therefore, it is important to take your temperature at the same time every morning before you get out of bed in order to get an accurate reading.
During the first part of your cycle, your temperatures will be relatively low, but it will rise between 0.4 and 0.8 F on the day of ovulation. Your temperature should stay at an elevated level until right before your period starts when it will drop suddenly.
However, if you conceived, your temperature will stay elevated past your expected period start date. It is also important to use a special basal thermometer. An oral temperature ranging from 96 to 98 is considered normal prior to ovulation, just as a temperature ranging between 97 to 99 degrees is normal after ovulation. However, your temperature changes by small fractions fluctuating between 1/10 to 1/2 of a degree. In order to best record these tiny fluctuations, you will need to use a basal thermometer, as they can be accurate within 1/10th of a degree.
Another, albeit painful, natural fertility sign is mittelschmerz, aka ovulation pain. Some women experience ovulation pain when their body is releasing an egg. This pain will be on the side that you are ovulating on. Many women can use this pain to correctly predict when they are ovulating and can then time when to have sex.
Your body, when ovulating, releases a hormone into your urine, which can be tested on strips to determine whether you are ovulating. These ovulation test strips are generally inexpensive and testing for ovulation can occur at any time of the day, although it is best to test twice a day - preferably at 10 am and 8 pm.
When testing with ovulation strips you will notice that on many days that you will get both lines. However, this is not like a pregnancy test. Just because you get two lines, it does not mean that you are ovulating. You will need to wait until the second line is as dark as or darker than the control line. As soon as it is, you have 24 to 36 hours to have intercourse.
You can keep track of all of your natural fertility signs by recording them in a chart or calendar. There are many websites that offer fertility-charting applications, as well as apps that you can download onto your smartphone.
Charting will enable you to collect data, such as your last missed period, your temperatures, the condition and quantity of your cervical mucus, as well as any other symptoms, and show you where you are at in your cycles.
Knowing all your natural fertility signs will help you in timing your baby-making efforts.
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Most women are fully aware that their period can come with pain and cramping, but what about the cramping (mittelschmerz) that occurs during the middle of your cycle, around the time of ovulation?
About 1 in 5 women will experience ovulation related cramping, mittelschmerz, about two weeks before their period is due to start. For most women, this condition is associated with a sharp pain that diminishes into a dull ache.
The word, mittelschmerz, is German in origin and literally means:
Mittle = Middle or Medium |
Schmerz = Pain |
It is a very accurate description of what is going on for some women - pain in the middle of your menstrual cycle.
Mittelschmerz is pain or cramping, either dull or sharp that you feel around the time you ovulate. The exact cause of ovulation-related cramping and pain isn't fully known.
One theory is the growth follicle may cause the stretching of the ovary causes the pain. Alternatively, it's assumed that you feel the pain when ovulation occurs and your egg breaks out of the follicle. Minor leakage of blood from the ovary during ovulation might cause mittelschmerz to occur. The assumption is when it does leak, it irritates the abdominal wall or nearby nerves and causes painful ovulation. Depending upon your unique pain threshold and the amount of blood that does leak, mittelschmerz might affect you differently than others.
The University of Melbourne conducted a study that presented another possible cause of ovulation pain. The research suggests that the majority of women feel the pain before they ovulate. The pain seems to be associated with the luteinizing hormone (LH) peaking and causing the ovarian muscle to contract.
No specific treatment is usually required for ovulation pain, as this only occurs for a short time. If it isn’t over quickly, and the pain lingers, there are ways to make this time of your monthly cycle much more comfortable. Take plenty of time to rest until the pain is gone, taking warm (not hot) baths to feel relaxed, and drink plenty of fluids to keep you properly hydrated. You can try anything that you usually use when you have period cramps.
For women with severe ovulation pain, over-the-counter pain relievers, like ibuprofen or aspirin, and a heating pad applied over the abdomen will usually provide relief from the pain. You can also try pain relievers made for menstrual pain such as Midol.
However, if the pain becomes severe and intolerable, and pregnancy is not something you want to achieve soon, a doctor can prescribe oral contraceptives that will stop ovulation and the resulting monthly mid-cycle pain.
Endometriosis, ovarian cysts, or even appendicitis, can also cause ovulation pain. If you have pain every month during ovulation, you should talk to your doctor. It may be indicative of another medical problem, which can often be treated. Your doctor can do an exam, use blood tests, ultrasounds, and more to help diagnose what exactly is going on.
Talking to your doctor will help get to the root cause of the cramping around the time you ovulate. If there is a fertility-related condition going on, your doctor will have the necessary tools to address it.
One of the most common reasons for a positive result one day followed by a negative result the following day is due to a chemical pregnancy, which is commonly known as an early miscarriage.
According to Baby Centre, early miscarriages are miscarriages that occur within the first trimester of pregnancy and is predicted that as many as 25% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage. Early miscarriages are an extremely common occurrence and may explain why historically, there has been a tradition of not announcing a pending birth until after the first trimester.
The signs of an early miscarriage are simply heavier periods and some women can go through their cycle without a clue that they have miscarried.
Home pregnancy tests work by testing a woman’s Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or hCG levels. This hormone is one of the first to increase during pregnancy. Many women who have been trying to get pregnant for a long period of time have access to high-end technology and testing methods which are able to pick up the slightest increase in the level of the hormone.
If you are testing shortly after conception, the level of hCG in your system will be very low. Testing at different times of the day or drinking too much liquid before testing can produce a negative pregnancy test result when the hCG levels are extremely low.
Another reason why the second test may have a negative result is that the home pregnancy test may have been faulty and not worked properly. While this is not typically the case, it can occur on rare occasions.
Instead of taking a pregnancy test as soon as possible, it is better to wait until your cycle has run its course. Waiting until a period has been missed is much more accurate than taking a pregnancy test shortly after conception.
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For many couples, the process of trying to conceive is stressful. It gets frustrating to try month after month, only to be disappointed. If we’re not careful, we can even turn the fun part of trying to conceive into a stressful chore.
It’s not unusual for it to take time to conceive a child. Even if you time your fertility cycles perfectly, have sex regularly during your fertile period, and don’t happen to have any fertility issues, you only have about a 25% chance of becoming pregnant in any given month.
So, you might as well relax and have fun with the process.
Doctors believe that up to 30% of infertility cases are stress related. Doctors haven’t positively identified a reason why high stress inhibits conception, but they do have a few ideas, including:
Stress can reduce your chances of conception whether you are using natural means only or using fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Conversely, reducing your stress can improve your chances of conceiving a child.
When you are trying to conceive, you should be careful about the types of medications and medical treatments they take for stress reduction as some medications can be harmful to you and your baby, should you become pregnant.
It’s easy to say, “Just relax.” It’s a lot harder to do it, especially when you consider the emotions that go along with trying to become pregnant for a long time. Stress reduction methods which many women find effective and which do not pose a danger to you or a developing baby include:
While reducing stress is not a guarantee that you’ll become pregnant, it does improve your chances significantly. Perhaps just as importantly, it can help you enjoy yourselves while you’re in the process of trying to have a baby.
If you’ve done what you can to conceive for six months or longer, consider seeing your health care professional to see if there are any medical reasons why you have been unable to conceive. Most causes of infertility are medically treatable and simply knowing what’s causing infertility can go a long way towards reducing your stress.
If you are planning to get pregnant, you may be wondering how often you need to have sex to accomplish this goal.
Some couples trying to conceive think if they have sex every day, then they will undoubtedly get pregnant while others who are ttc believe that they should reserve sex for ovulation, so they know when they conceived.
It's really up to you, but there are some methods you can use to help you get pregnant faster!
First of all, you should have frequent sex if you want to get pregnant. This is especially so if you are not charting your basal body temperature, luteal phase, or anything like that to know when you are ovulating. A good goal is to have sex three times per week. Sperm can live for up to five days inside a woman so if you are having sex every other day you pretty much cover your bases that sperm will be around when ovulation occurs.
If you want to get pregnant, it’s best to focus on having sex before you ovulate and not after. You can’t get pregnant after ovulation, so there is no need in wearing yourself out unless you want to.
It’s better to know when you ovulate, have lots of sex during this time frame, and then enjoy intercourse throughout the rest of the month as the mood strikes.
You don’t want to assume you will ovulate on day 14 of your cycle because many women don’t. Using an ovulation predictor will be helpful in figuring out when you are ovulating. Once you have this knowledge, you will be able to plan to have sex as close to ovulation as possible to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
Another tip is to have sex in positions that will help sperm make it to the egg.
Missionary position is one of the best positions for this, and if the woman remains in that position with her butt on some pillows for half an hour or so afterward, it will also help the sperm to get to where they need to be for conception to happen.
Follow the tips outlined here and have fun. Sex should be enjoyable, but it can't be if you are always stressing out over getting pregnant. Just relax and have fun!
]]>Testing for ovulation can be frustrating when you never receive a positive result. There may be many reasons why you continue receiving negative ovulation tests results. Some of these problems you can eliminate on your own while others will need to be discussed with your doctor.
Many women only test for the hormone surge once per day for several days before ovulation is anticipated to happen. However, the hormone surge may occur within 10 hours, and if you tested before these 10 hours and then again afterward, even though you were checking once per day, you very well may have missed the hormone surge.
The way to determine if this is the problem or not is to test twice per day approximately 10 hours apart and for several days before the anticipated ovulation. This is the best way to ensure you do not miss the hormone surge and know when you are likely to ovulate.
If you try this method and still receive negative ovulation test results, then you might consider some of the other techniques or talk with your doctor.
Some women believe they know their cycle and so they begin testing for ovulation based on this supposed knowledge. However, it is really easy to miss the hormone surge if you are not 100% sure of your regular cycle.
The best way to determine this is to chart your cycle for six months and note the shortest and longest cycles you have. Keep in mind that ovulation may occur earlier in your cycle than you thought or perhaps later in your cycle.
Keeping up with your cycle and noticing some natural signs of ovulation like an increase in basal body temperature, cervical change, and cervical mucus may be enough to let you know when you should be testing for ovulation.
The conclusion most women jump to when they continuously have negative ovulation test results is that they are not ovulating. For most women, this is not the case, but it is for some.
So, if you have tried all of the above remedies and still keep receiving negative ovulation test results, then it is time to talk to your doctor. Your doctor can help you determine if you are ovulating or not and then give you some tips and instructions on how to help your body begin ovulating again.
To get pregnant, you need to have sex at the right time during your cycle. You need to know when you will be ovulating so you can make sure the sperm will be there to meet the egg.
Many women have a typical 28-day cycle, but not everyone does. Unfortunately, calculations based on this assumption could have you missing your fertile period if you are not part of the norm. You will need to calculate your cycle length.
You will need to keep track of when your period starts each month. Do not assume. Tracking the date for three or four months will give you the best estimate of when you ovulate.
The length of your cycle is not the number of days you bleed during your period.
Once you have the dates, you will need to count the number of days between the two dates on a calendar. "Day One" will be the day you start bleeding and the final day, of your cycle, will be the day before your period started the next month. If you would rather have us calculate the number of days for you, you can visit our menstrual cycle length calculator. You will still need to have the past two dates that your period started, but at least you don't have to dig out a calendar to count manually!
The resulting number is usually between 21 and 35 days. If you have numbers that consistently fall outside of this range, you need to discuss the issue with your doctor.
If you have recorded the start dates for several months, you will want to repeat the calculation to make sure your cycle usually is the same number of days each month.
Occasionally, your cycle length can be thrown off by life issues like stress, starting or stopping medications, illness, and other issues.
Unless you have medical issues that affect your ovulation, like PCOS or a luteal phase defect, you should be able to figure out when you will ovulate, based on when your next period should start.
Women typically ovulate 14 days before their period starts. Time to get your calendar out again and do the counting. Start at the day your period should start, and count backward 14 days. That should be when you will ovulate.
You can also use an ovulation calculator to give you a range of potential fertile days for the coming months. All you need to do is plug in your cycle length, and the rest is done for you.
Now that you know when you should ovulate, you need to plan the babymaking dates. With optimal sperm health and friendly cervical mucus, sperm is quite hardy. After ejaculation, you may find that there could be sperm waiting for the egg five days after ejaculation.
With that in mind, to hedge your bets for successful fertilization, you will want to start having sex three days before you are due to ovulate. If your partner has no known sperm issues, like low sperm count, you should plan to have sex every day up to the day you ovulate.
Keep in mind, even if you had timed everything perfectly, only about 20% of couples get pregnant during the first month of trying. If you have been trying for a year with no success, and are under 35, you should consider visiting your doctor.
If you are 35 or older and haven't gotten pregnant after six months, a visit to your doctor is in order.
]]>Your ovulation test gave you a positive result, and you and your partner got busy. The timing seemed pretty good, and if all goes well, you will be able to take a pregnancy test soon.
Many women start testing way too early in their eagerness to know. The urge to test is strong. Doing that can line you up for disappointment and false negative results. You will have to spend more money and endure more stress when you have to test again. It takes a while to get from conception to the point where a positive pregnancy test result is possible.
For example: Let's say your fertilized egg implanted at 8 days past ovulation (DPO). If you have a regular 28-day cycle, that will be 6 days before your period is due. By the end of the day, your hCG level could be at 5 mIU. If you wait two days (4 days before your period), your hCG level should be around 10 mIU. You might be able to get a very light positive result at this point. It depends on the sensitivity of the test you are using. It's not likely, but it is possible. If you were able to wait two more days (2 days before your period), your hCG levels would be around 20 mIU. Your chances of getting a distinct positive result are much better at this point. Most of the pregnancy tests available today can detect at about 20 - 25 mIU of hCG. Not every woman will get results this early. If your fertilized egg is slow moving, it may not implant until 10 DPO. You wouldn't get a positive result until closer to when your period is due in this case. The doubling rate of the hCG is a variable too. The hCG typically doubles every 2 to 3 days. If it takes 3 days, a positive result might not show up until later. |
Maybe you're a glutton for punishment. Perhaps you have tons of money laying around. If so, by all means, test early.
Waiting until 2 or 3 days before your period is due to take a home pregnancy test is a better option. The chances of a positive result are better at this point. Keep in mind, a negative result at this point doesn't mean you are not pregnant. It could mean you are still testing too early. Negative results could mean your baby implanted later than calculated.
Sadly, it could also mean you are not pregnant this month. The best answer to when should you take the pregnancy test is simple. Be strong. Wait until your period has not arrived. You will get the most reliable results at this point.
If you can't wait, you might be able to get quicker results by visiting your doctor. Blood pregnancy tests will measure the hCG in your blood. It bypasses the chance that your urine is not as concentrated as it needs to be.
Home pregnancy tests rely on the hCG in your urine to produce a positive result. The more liquids you drink, the more dilute the hCG will be. When your urine is too dilute, it might not trigger a positive result on your pregnancy test.
Depending on the lab, a positive result will be between 5 mIU and 25 mIU of hCG. If the result is at the lower end, another test will be in order. You will have to go back and get another blood test to make sure the hCG is increasing.
For many women, there is a connection between how much they exercise and their fertility. Exercise can affect fertility in several ways. In most cases, exercise is a part of a regular healthy routine that can help a woman in all areas of her life, including fertility.
If you are obsessive and hardcore about exercising and your body fat percentage drops too low, infertility and not health may be the outcome.
Over-exercising is one of the more significant causes of infertility for women. If a woman exercises too much, she is at risk of losing too much of her body fat. Body fat plays an essential role in the production of estrogen. Without enough estrogen, a woman who over-exercises might not ovulate. The technical term for not ovulating is anovulation and is a significant cause of fertility problems.
On the other hand, women who don't get enough exercise can impact their fertility negatively as well. By not getting enough exercise, a woman runs the risk of becoming overweight or obese. An overweight or obese woman, because she has more fat cells, can have too much estrogen. This overproduction of estrogen can negatively impact ovulation and conception. Also, being overweight puts you at risk for insulin resistance, which can ultimately keep you from ovulating.
Regular exercise that is not over-exerting can be of a great benefit to anyone. A woman who wishes to become pregnant will likely have more success if she exercises.
Exercise can help to reduce stress, which is another major cause of infertility among women. Several clinical studies have suggested that stress can negatively affect fertility. When you are under pressure, your body produces more and more stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine and at the same time, slows the production of sex hormones.
Chronic stress can change your ovulation schedule, making it much more challenging to get pregnant. In this regard, yoga works best as a part of an overall stress-reduction program that may increase your chances of getting pregnant. Besides, regular exercise can help to regulate your body weight, to avoid becoming overweight or obese.
Ultimately, doing regular exercise of 30 minutes a day three or four days a week can help to increase your fertility.
]]>You have recently given birth and you are already wondering when you will be fertile again? You may have heard that you will not be fertile for a while after birth but that's not true.
Many women have gotten pregnant within a couple of weeks of giving birth. You probably know of families with VERY closely spaced siblings. You can conceive again within a couple of weeks after giving birth, even if your period has not returned.
There are many factors that come into play when getting pregnant again after having a baby is concerned. The most important factor is whether you are breastfeeding your newborn.
Although it is possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding, breastfeeding itself is about 98 percent effective as a form of birth control if the following statements are true:
Breastfeeding alters the way the luteinizing hormone is secreted and helps prevent ovulation from occurring. In order to get pregnant, you have to ovulate. If there is no ovulation, there will be no chance of getting pregnant.
The time it takes for fertility to return will vary from woman to woman and will be contingent upon your infant’s nursing pattern and how your body reacts to the lactation hormones.
Exclusively breastfeeding is usually effective in preventing pregnancy for about six months. After that point' you will want to consider a form of birth control if you are not wanting to add to your family just yet.
If you are not breastfeeding your infant, then it is quite possible that your fertility can return within a few weeks of giving birth; although for most women it can take many months for their bodies and hormones to return to normal.
On average it takes about 14 months for a menstrual period to return. If your periods do return prior to 14 months, it is most likely that you are not actually ovulating.
Even if you are breastfeeding, it is important to realize that it is completely possible to conceive soon after giving birth. It is therefore suggested that you practice birth control starting right after the birth of your baby.
Getting pregnant soon after you have a baby can cause problems for you and your baby. You may find that you are overly tired and lack the energy that you need. If you are breastfeeding, and pregnant again, your breastmilk supply may dwindle.
Of course, many women have had successful pregnancies after getting pregnant quickly after childbirth. Be sure to weigh the pros and cons. The Office on Women’s Health, US Department of Health and Human Services believes that you should wait at least 12 months between having your children to ensure your body’s full recovery.
Sources:
Fertility after childbirth: pregnancy associated with breast feeding. McNeilly AS, Glasier AF, Howie PW, Houston MJ, Cook A, Boyle H. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1983 Aug;19(2):167-73. Bonyata, K. (2017, January 03).
Breastfeeding and Fertility • KellyMom.com. Retrieved March 14, 2017, from http://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/fertility/
Breast-feeding alters LH secretion pattern. [No authors listed] Fam Plann Toda. 1992 May;3(1):2.
"Contraception." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 09 Feb. 2017. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.
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