Getting pregnant: Your 7 step guide

Getting Pregnant: Your 7-Step Guide

We all know what we need to do to get pregnant! So let’s focus on a few key things you ought to know in order to ensure that when you wish to have a child, you do it right.

1. Get Off the Pill

If you’ve been on the pill, stop taking it now. Ideal time to stop would be about a few months before you plan to start trying to conceive. This also goes for other forms of hormonal birth control. It usually takes your body a few cycles to start ovulating regularly and be primed for pregnancy. This will also give you time to track your ovulation cycle to figure out exactly when your egg comes into the field.

2. Time It Right

Having sex a couple of times a day, every day, isn’t necessarily the best tactic. What’s important is knowing when you’re ovulating. Most doctors recommend using ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) as an accurate measure of ovulation. OPKs work by detecting a surge in the levels of Luteinising Hormone (LH), which peaks around 36–48 hours before you ovulate.

3. Before You Ovulate, Make Sure You Copulate!

Once the egg is released, it stays in the field for just 12–24 hours, while sperm can survive in the uterus and fallopian tubes for 2–3 days. Having sex before you ovulate increases the odds that when the egg makes its grand entrance, there will be sperm ready to greet it. For a typical 28-day cycle, start having sex a few times a week as soon as your period ends, and every day from day 10 onwards.

4. Do It Right

• Have sex regularly — after all, what do you have to lose?

• Lie on your back after sex — the vagina naturally slopes downwards, so resting on your back allows sperm to pool inside the uterus

• Have sex just before bed — this ensures you lie on your back for an extended period, enhancing your chances of fertilisation

• Make healthy lifestyle choices — maintaining a healthy weight, moderate physical activity, a healthy diet, and limiting caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol are imperative to improving your chances of conception

• Consider preconception planning — assess your carrier status for genetic conditions that may not affect you but could be passed on to your child. If your partner is also a carrier for the same condition, there is a 1 in 4 chance your child would have the disease

• Take folic acid — starting a daily prenatal vitamin or folic acid supplementation regimen a few months before conception greatly reduces the risk of neural tube defects

5. Don’t Even Think About It

• Stub out that cigarette — smoking ages your ovaries and depletes your eggs prematurely

• Limit alcohol — research suggests drinking decreases fertility and can harm a developing baby

• Don’t self-medicate — even over-the-counter pills can interfere with conception

• Avoid vaginal lubricants — they can decrease fertility

• Don’t overdo strenuous exercise — five or more hours a week of vigorous aerobic activity can impair fertility

6. Time to Test!

There are many DIY pregnancy tests that allow you to start testing as early as 10 days post ovulation. Home pregnancy tests work by detecting levels of human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) in your urine. Testing too early is quite likely to yield a false negative — wait a few days after your missed period for the most accurate results.

7. The Plus Sign Isn’t Showing Up Yet

Don’t panic. Even miracles take a little time! More than 50% of couples get pregnant by the 6-month mark, while around 85% get pregnant around the 1-year timepoint. If you’re a young couple (under 35) and both in great health, try for at least a year before seeking medical help. If you’re over 35, or have a family history of infertility, consider seeking help a little earlier. Speak to your doctor or a genetic counsellor.