If you are planning on getting pregnant, either now or at a later date, it’s crucial that you know more about ovulation. As a matter of fact, being misinformed or ill-informed about ovulation can significantly reduce your chances of conception. When I speak with patients who come into our clinic and try to understand what medical problems they are facing, I realize that most of them have very little or no understanding about how the female reproductive system works.
Most of the patients I speak with are either confused or are missing some essential information about female fertility and getting pregnant. If you are unclear about how ovulation and conception works, don’t feel bad; just read on- it will help you make more informed decisions on how to start your family:
Sex Comes First
This is the first rule; you will need to have sex before you actually ovulate, not after. Though sperm stays viable for upto 5 days, the ovulated egg will have to be fertilized within 12-24 hours after it’s released. After this, the cervical mucus dries up and stops the sperm from swimming up to the eggs. Typically, you will want that the sperm be ready & waiting for your egg. This is also why the signs of ovulation appear before the egg is released and this is when you are most fertile. Talking about the signs of ovulation; your body sends out a number of signs of rising fertility ( such as increasing cervical mucus) as the ovulation phase approaches. It's best to have lots of sex before you ovulate - don't try to "store up your sperm" - this doesn't help !
Libido Speak
Also, do not under-estimate biological fickleness; it helps to use ovulation prediction tests to help you identify your most fertile days. Some studies have shown that this may help you get pregnant much faster. Even as you do all of this, your libido will rise when you ovulate. Have you ever wondered why you feel your sex drive waxing and waning throughout the month? –well, now you do. Your libido will rise when you are most fertile and so regardless of what the ovulation test says, if your body is telling you to have sex- well go ahead and listen to it.
No New Eggs are Created Monthly
You will ovulate an egg each month, but these are not created every month. You are born with all the eggs you will ever have. This is why the number of eggs in your ovaries will decrease over time. A baby girl will have around 2 million eggs at birth. By the time she is pubescent, this number will have reduced to around 500,000. Apart from this, there is also a reduction in the genetic stability of eggs, over time. This the reason, why women above 35 years of age are at a higher risk of experiencing infertility, miscarriage or having a child with a genetic disease.
Stop the biological clock with Egg Freezing
Increasingly, women who want to delay pregnancy post 35 years are also opting for egg freezing- they hope that they will be able to use their healthier and younger eggs later in life. Egg freezing also helps in preserving the fertility of women who are slated to go through cancer treatments.
In addition to all these things:
• It’s also important to maintain a healthy diet during preconception. Your doctor may prescribe folic acid supplements when you are trying to get pregnant. Obesity is one more factor that can cause irregular ovulation. Even a reduction of 10% in your weight can up your chances of conception
• Cigarette smoking lowers your fertility and increases the rate at which your eggs age
• If your partner is a heavy smoker, this second hand smoke too can be detrimental to your fertility and the health of your baby.
Keep all these things in view while you are attempting to get pregnant; but don’t go overboard with trying to calculate the perfect days and dates of the month. At times, that can backfire by stressing you out , and you may end up fighting with your husband, who feels he is being forced to perform on demand !
If you need more information, please send me your medical details by filling in the form at www.drmalpani.com/free-second-opinion so that I can guide you better!
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