Pregnancy Trying to conceieve

Conception is easy for highly fertile couples, but can take years for other couples. Because in Western society, most women now work and build careers, pregnancy is often delayed until the 30s, when fertility starts to decline. However, this often means it just takes longer to get pregnant, so patience is crucial. The key is to understand ovulation cycles and try to keep the sex fun so you'll have it regularly and frequently. If you are over 35 and have been trying to get pregnant for half a year without any luck, it's time to see a physician. 

There are several key things to keep in mind when trying to conceive. First of all, try to make sure both of you are as healthy as possible. This means not taking drugs, not drinking or smoking, exercising regularly, sleeping well, and eating a balanced, healthy diet. Also if possible, buy organic produce, or at least wash your produce very thoroughly, because xenoestrogens found in pesticide residues can cause hormonal problems that reduce a woman's fertility. A diet low in fat, and high in fiber is recommended. Also both of you should be consuming lots of vitamin C and antioxidants. For improved sperm, zinc, calcium and vitamin D are important.

The next step is learning about ovulation cycles. The truth is you can get pregnant from sex at many times during your cycle, but the best time to have sex is just before and during ovulation. Since sperm can live inside your body for over 3 days, having sex several days before ovulation can sometimes result in pregnancy, however, the odds increase the closer you get to ovulation.

For most women, the menstrual cycle is 28 days, however this can vary among women by several days, and some women have irregular periods, where the cycle can vary in length from month to month. The first day of a period is day one of the cycle and for a typical woman, ovulation happens around day 14 of the cycle. Since the egg can live for 48 hours, conception can happen a day after ovulation, although this is not very common. This means that for most women, the most important time to have sex if trying to conceive is from about day 10 to day 15 of the menstrual cycle. However, for a minority of women, ovulation occurs a few days earlier or a few days later, so it can vary.

If you are uncertain when you typically ovulate in your cycle, there are several tests that can be performed to determine this. One of the most common is basal body temperature, since temperature typically rises by 0.5 to 1.5 degrees during ovulation.  Some women have  an ache in their abdomen when they are ovulating, which can last as little as several seconds, or several hours. Some women also get spotting when they are ovulating. There are also several other tests available to determine when a woman is ovulating.

Then there is the question of how often to have sex. For most couples, having sex every two or three days should result in a pregnancy within a few months. However, to maximize the odds, you may want to have sex once a day during the days leading up to ovulation. For men with a low sperm count, every second day will improve the odds, since sperm levels are depleted slightly when having sex once a day. Also, some believe sperm counts and motility are highest in the morning, so morning sex might increase your odds slightly.

And finally there is the question of sexual position. Most doctors agree that the missionary position maximizes the chance of conception. If the woman remains on her back for a while after the sex, then this may also help. Some women even prop their hips up with a pillow for half an hour after sex to encourage the sperm to flow into the body, but it is uncertain whether or not this helps.

Some claim that certain herbs can boost fertility, but not everyone agrees. Two herbs sometimes recommended for fertility are chasteberry for men and women and dong quai for women.

If you've been trying to conceive for half a year or more without results, you should see a doctor. You may need fertility treatments