For a woman who is trying to get pregnant, a good starting point is to get the right information. Without proper information you may waste valuable time doing things that are of no proven benefit, or worst still that may be harmful to your health.

Because research has demonstrated that there’s a gradual fertility decline in women beginning in their 30s, it is important to ‘make hay while the sun shines’

In this post, we will be highlighting a few important steps that may increase your odds of getting pregnant and make you get pregnant faster.



Monitor your menstrual cycle



The very first step is get to know your body, specifically your reproductive system and menstrual cycle.

Monitoring or tracking your menstrual cycle simply means keeping a record of when you are menstruating and documenting other information related to your cycle.

The benefits of keeping a record of your menstrual cycles and other monthly changes on a regular basis goes beyond helping you to more accurately time intercourse to try to get pregnant. It may also help you prevent conception, better manage any menstrual symptoms you are experiencing, and understand when there might be a problem in your reproductive or overall health.

Two methods are available for women who wish to monitor their menstrual cycle – the traditional method of using a calendar and pen, and secondly, the use of period-tracking apps.

Traditional method

If you opt to track your period using the traditional way, you simply mark on a calendar the first day of bleeding with, for example, a slash or check mark.

The first day of menstrual bleeding is considered Day 1 of the cycle.

The length of your cycle is gotten by counting the number of days from Day 1 until the day before the first day of bleeding of your next period.

For most women, the average cycle length is around 28 days, but it can vary anywhere from 23 to 35 days. If your menstrual cycle length is 28 days, it means you see your period every 28 days.

Keep a menstrual cycle calendar for a few months and use the average as the length of your cycle.

Period-tracking Apps

There are many great period-tracking apps that make the job of monitoring your period super easy.

These are handy tools that help chart your menstrual cycle, alert you when your next period is on the way, track your ovulation period, track premenstrual symptoms and send you reminders to take your birth control pills.



Track your ovulation



Ovulation is when a mature egg (or ovum) is released from one of your ovaries and this usually happens once every month.

Ovulation is the most fertile time of your cycle.

Tracking your ovulation means trying to predict the time of your ovulation. This can help you plan for sex at the right time and improve your chance of getting pregnant.

There are several methods women can use to track their ovulation.

Use a calendar

This is a very easy method that involves using a calendar and some simple maths.

First you need to work out the length of your menstrual cycle using the traditional method (calendar and pen) already described above.

Since ovulation usually takes place around 14 days before the end of the menstrual cycle, subtract 14 days from the average length of your cycle to determine the approximate day you ovulate.

For example:

• If the length of your menstrual cycle is 28 days, you ovulate around day 14 (that is 28-14)

• If your menstrual cycle length is 35 days, ovulation happens around day 21 (that is 35-14)

• If your menstrual cycle length is say 21 days, ovulation happens around day 7 (that is 21-14)

Ovulation calculators

Most period-tracking apps include an ovulation calculator that can help you calculate ovulation.

They give speedy results, but because only few women have consistently regular cycles, they are not always accurate.

Home ovulation-prediction kits

Sold at drug stores, the ovulation-prediction kits use your urine to identify the time of your ovulation roughly 36 hours in advance. It works by checking your urine for a particular substance, the luteinizing hormone (LH), which increases rapidly just before ovulation. This LH surge triggers ovulation.

All you have to do is pee on the stick and wait for the indicator to tell you whether you’re positive or not.

When you get a positive result, it means you’re approaching ovulation, and you should have sex.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, the three days immediately after a positive test represent the best time to have sex to increase the chance of getting pregnant. This is because ovulation generally occurs a day or two after the LH surge (1).

Compared with other ovulation tracking methods, ovulation kits are the most accurate method being approximately 99 percent accurate when taken correctly.

Monitor cervical mucus

Another method to track your ovulation is by checking both the amount and appearance of your cervical mucus.

Just before ovulation, your cervical mucus – which you’ll notice as discharge from your vagina – will increase in volume, becomes thinner, clearer and has a slippery consistency similar to that of raw egg white. If you try to stretch it between your fingers, you’ll be able to pull it into a string a few inches long before it breaks (just like raw egg white).

This build up of fertile-quality cervical mucus just before ovulation help the sperm survive and swim its way to the egg (ovum).

It is your body’s way of telling you that you are about to ovulate and you have to have sexual intercourse if you want to get pregnant.

In one study, women who checked their cervical mucus consistently were 2.3 times more likely to get pregnant faster, over a six-month period (2).



Know your fertile period



Pregnancy is technically only possible if you have sex during the five days before ovulation or on the day of ovulation. This 6-day interval is your fertile period or window (3).

This is because the sperm may live in the fallopian tubes for only three to five days.

Also, the egg dies off within 12-24 hours of release.

The implication is that by 12-24 hours after ovulation, a woman is no longer able to get pregnant during that menstrual cycle

You have the best chance (30 percent chance) of getting pregnant on the three days leading up to ovulation and day of ovulation. These days are your most fertile days.

If you have sex five days before ovulation, your chance of getting pregnant is about 10 percent.

On the other hand, if you have sex six or more days before ovulation, your chance of getting pregnant is virtually zero.

However, these are average figures and depend on a woman’s age.



Have sex regularly – every 1 to 2 days



Having identified your fertile period, you may be interested in knowing when and how frequent you should have sex around this period.

A research involving 221 presumably fertile couples show that there is no big difference in pregnancy rates between couples who had sex every day during the fertile period (37%) compared with couples who did it every other day (33%). However, pregnancy rates is significantly reduced in couples having sex only once a week (15%) (4).

Therefore, experts advise that you have sex once every 1 to 2 days during your fertile period for your best chance of getting pregnant.

However, beyond your fertile period, it is important that you should still continue to have sex regularly, just to maintain the sperm quality in good condition.

Evidence from latest research show that frequent ejaculations help to maintain normal sperm quality, sperm count and movement (5).

Ejaculating at least every other day is good and every day ejaculation is best for sperm production, even for men with pre-existing reduced sperm quality (5). If you and your partner find this difficult to pull off, remember frequent ejaculation doesn’t have to be from intercourse every time.

On the other hand, research show that abstinence greater than 5 days may reduce sperm quality.

In a nutshell, fertility and your chance of getting pregnant increases with the frequency of intercourse and is highest when intercourse occurs once every 1 to 2 days (5).




Work towards a healthy weight



Scientists have established that your weight can also affect your chances of getting pregnant.

Research has demonstrated that being overweight or underweight may hinder your ability to become pregnant.

Similarly, research show that male obesity can impair the male sex hormones, reduce sperm count and viability and negatively impact the couple’s ability to become pregnant.

A 2017 study involving 501 couples trying to conceive showed that couples in which both partners were very obese (BMIs of at least 35), took approximately 59% longer to become pregnant, compared with couples who have normal weight (6).

In another research involving 1,651 women, scientists examined the association between women’s body size and how long it took them to get pregnant. They found that, compared with women with normal weight:

• overweight women (with a BMI of 25 to 29) had a 17 percent longer delay in getting pregnant

• obese women (a BMI of 30 to 34) had a 25 percent longer delay

• extremely obese women (with a BMI of 35 or higher) had a 39 percent longer delay, and

• underweight women (with a BMI of less than 18.5) had an 18 percent longer delay to getting pregnant if they’d never been pregnant before (7).

How do you know if your weight is healthy?

One easy tool that can help you check if your weight is healthy (normal), overweight, obese or underweight is the body mass index (BMI).

The BMI is calculated based on your height and weight. Measure your weight (in kilograms) and height (in meters) at any nearby health centre or pharmacy store, then use an online BMI calculator to check your BMI.

For adults, WHO defines overweight and obesity as follows (see table below)



The good news about fertility and body weight is that even moderate weight loss (losing 5 to 10 percent of body weight) can significantly improve fertility in women and men who are overweight or obese (8, 9, 10). You don’t necessarily have to reach an ideal weight (or a BMI under 25) before seeing benefits.





Take multivitamins



Experts recommend that women who are trying to get pregnant start taking a daily multivitamin pill that contains at least 400 mcg (0.4mg) per day of folic acid.

It is very important that the multivitamin pill contain folic acid because scientists have long established that taking at least 400 mcg of folic acid for at least one month before getting pregnant help prevent serious birth defects in your baby.

Folic acid can reduce birth defects of the baby’s brain and spinal cord by 40 to 80 percent. These birth defects are called neural tube defects (NTDs). NTDs happen when the spinal cord fails to close properly (11, 12, 16).

In addition, some research show that folic acid, a few other vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants contained in some multivitamin pills may also improve female and male fertility and also improve pregnancy outcomes (13, 14, 15).



Eat healthy



As someone who is planning to conceive, experts advise that you eat a healthy diet as this will help you maintain a healthy body weight and prepare your body as a safe and supportive home for your baby’s nine-month stay.

Eating a healthy diet means eating a mix of fruits and vegetables, wholegrains like wheat, maize and rice, legumes like lentils and beans, with some foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and milk).

This will help your body obtain adequate supply of critical nutrients such as folic acid, iron, calcium, protein and other important nutrients.

Furthermore, some research have linked adherence to healthy diets to improved fertility in women and better semen quality in men (17).

Cut down on “unhealthy diets” such as foods high in fat, particularly the wrong kinds of fat, like saturated and industrially-produced trans-fat (examples – processed meat, fast foods, fatty cut of meat, butter, cakes, sausages, cream, biscuits) and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages because some research suggest they may have negative effects on fertility (18, 19, 20).

Similarly, cut down on the consumption of high-mercury fish, such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish. This is because mercury can accumulate in the body and harm a developing baby’s brain and nervous system (21). Also mercury consumption may impair female and male fertility (22).


Adopt healthy lifestyle



Moderate physical exercise

Research show that regular, moderate physical exercise can reduce the risk of fertility problems and miscarriage (23).

On the other hand, too much, intense or vigorous physical exercise may interfere with ovulation and increase the risk of infertility (23).

Moderate exercise means any exercise that makes you breathe hard and fast, yet you’re still be able to talk without pausing for breath. Examples include brisk walking, water aerobics, dancing and gardening.

Whereas vigorous exercise makes you breathe hard and fast to such extent that you will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath. Examples include running, jogging, walking up stairs, skipping a rope, and sports like football.

Quit smoking

Several research have shown that men and women who smoke are more likely to have fertility problems and take longer to conceive than non-smokers. Smoking also increases your risk for a miscarriage and can cause birth defects (24).

The chemicals in cigarettes (such as nicotine, cyanide, and carbon monoxide) damage the genetic material in the eggs and sperm (24).

The good news is that the effects of smoking on eggs and sperm and fertility are reversible. Whether it’s the male or the female (or both) who smokes, quitting will increase the chance of conceiving and having a healthy baby

Abstain from alcohol

Although research findings on the impact of alcohol consumption on fertility and miscarriage have been largely inconsistent, health authorities in many countries advise women trying to conceive and pregnant women to abstain from drinking alcohol (25).

This recommendation is based on some evidence which suggests that heavy and moderate alcohol consumption can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant. Also, heavy drinking in men can reduce sperm count and movement (26).

Experts say that for pregnant women, no amount of alcohol is safe.

Avoid marijuana

The use of marijuana has been linked to reduced sperm count and movement (26).

Avoid sperm “unfriendly” lubricants

Avoid water-based vaginal lubricants such as K-Y Jelly or Astroglide that are known to reduce the movement of sperm. Also avoid lubricants that contain spermicide, which is a chemical that kills sperm or stop it from moving.

Rather use sperm friendly lubricant that won’t affect sperm movement such as Pre-Seed.


Know when to seek medical help



Experts advise that if you are under 35 you should seek medical help if you are unable to achieve pregnancy after one year of unprotected intercourse.

However, if you are 35 or older you should seek medical help if you are unable to achieve pregnancy after six months of unprotected intercourse.

The reason for the more aggressive approach in the later age group is that it is known that after age 35, a woman’s success with fertility treatments starts fading.

In conclusion, we have discussed practicable and science-proven tips that can improve your fertility and help you get pregnant as quickly as possible.

Your comments, suggestions or questions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.