Getting Pregnant Doesn’t Have to Be Hard — Really!

Getting Pregnant Doesn’t Have to Be Hard — Really!

Why is it so hard to get pregnant? If you’ve been trying to conceive but been unsuccessful, then you’ve certainly asked yourself this at least once… or twice. But the truth is, it isn’t that hard to get pregnant. If you lead a healthy lifestyle, aren’t too stressed, and know when to hop into bed, your odds of getting pregnant are extremely high. Our expert is answering your burning questions about the difficulties that may arise when you’re trying to conceive, and how to overcome them.

1. Is It Hard to Get Pregnant?

I’ve been trying to get pregnant for nearly four months, but I think I’m doing something wrong. I always have sex about 1-2 days after I ovulate (or I’m supposed to ovulate). That’s what a close friend of mine advised me to do. Do you think I might be infertile?

Expert Answers:

First — no, you’re not infertile. The problem is that you aren’t hopping into bed at the right time. I’m not sure why your friend advised you to have sex after ovulation when, in fact, you should get busy a few days before ovulation, and within 24 hours after you ovulated. In order to get pregnant, your partner’s sperm must unite with your egg. If there’s no egg, fertilization can’t occur.

There are a few important points you need to remember, and the most noteworthy one is timing. Your egg survives for just 24 hours after it’s been released by your ovaries. Then it disintegrated, and is ultimately shed along with your endometrium when you’re on your period. So you need to have sex right before ovulation, or right when ovulation occurs, so one of your partner’s sperm cells can swim to the egg and fertilize it.

Interestingly, sperm cells can survive up to 5—6 days in your system, so you can have sex about one week before ovulation and still get pregnant. That’s because they’ll be still hanging around when the egg is released, ready to fertilize it.

My advice? Get to know your menstrual cycle, and once you calculate the approximate time of ovulation, you’ll know when to get busy and conceive!

2. I Want to Conceive Twins. What Do I Have to Do?

I Want to Conceive Twins. What Do I Have to Do?

Hello, I’m the mother of a beautiful baby girl, and have had this weird desire for some time already: I want twins! Is there any chance to conceive twins? If yes, can I increase the odds?

Expert Answers:

Congratulations for your beautiful baby! As for your other question — natural twins happen in about 1 in 89 pregnancies, so the odds to conceive twins is quite slim. But there are a few conditions that may apply to your case. You have a higher chance of getting pregnant with twins if you:

• have been pregnant at least once;
• have someone in your family who gave birth to twins;
• are a twin yourself;
• are older than 35 years old;
• have sex straight after you stopped taking birth control pills;
• eat sweet potatoes;
• get your partner to eat oysters or other foods that are rich in zinc (e.g. wheat germ, cereals and leafy green vegetables);
• take a folic acid right before conceiving;
• take fertility drugs.

I suggest that you talk to your doctor about this matter, and I’m sure she will give you a complete answer about your options for conceiving twins.

Find out more about this topic here: Getting Pregnant with Twins: What Should You Know?

3. Do I Have PCOS?

I’ve been trying to get pregnant for two years now, however, not one time have I been successful. I’ve started believing that there’s something wrong with me, and I read about PCOS. Is there any chance I have PCOS? Is it treatable?

Expert Answers:

It’s no use to jump to conclusions before you get some tests done. There are many factors that might interfere with your ability to get pregnant, including your age, your body weight, the time of the month when you have sex, and even the male factor. That’s why I suggest that you schedule an appointment with your ob-gyn first to have the problem further investigated.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome experience irregular or missed periods. That’s because they ovulate irregularly or not at all. Have you been getting your periods rather randomly? If yes, then you might have PCOS. Another factor that plays an important role is your body weight. Increased levels of insulin can result in your body producing more of the male hormone testosterone, and less of the female hormone estrogen, which leads to irregular (or no) ovulation.

PCOS also runs in families, so if your mother, grandmother or someone else in your family has had this condition, then you may inherit it as well.

Find out more about this topic here: Getting Pregnant with PCOS: There’s Still Hope