Research has shown that a healthy, 30-year-old woman has only a 20% chance of getting pregnant each month and contrary to popular belief, it’s normal for it to take a few months or longer.
1. Get a preconception checkup
Before you officially start trying, get a checkup. Ask your doctor about prenatal vitamins that have folic acid, which helps protect against some birth defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid works during the early stages of pregnancy, so that’s why it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough folic acid even before you get pregnant.
If you have any underlying medical problems, they need to be under control before you can safely become pregnant. Your body needs to be in tip-top condition before you even think of trying for a baby.
2. Understand your cycle
Really understanding your menstrual cycle helps you know when you’re most fertile. Ovulation is the best time to get pregnant and should be the time to focus on having sex. It helps to become aware of the signs of ovulation, such as a change in your cervical mucus. It usually becomes thin and slippery when you are most fertile. Some women may also feel a one-sided pang of pain.
Ovulation prediction kits can also help you predict the best time to get pregnant. Not only can they help assure you that you are ovulating, if you are having infrequent intercourse, this tells you when to have it to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
3. Quit smoking
Studies show that women who smoke take longer to get pregnant and have an increased risk of infertility. Smoking also dramatically increases the risks of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and complications during pregnancy, so it’s definitely best to quit now.
Both tobacco and marijuana are a big NO Fathers to be, too, since they can reduce sperm quality. It’s also important to note that a woman’s exposure to second-hand smoke is considered to be just as detrimental to her fertility as if she smoked herself so make sure you check yourself and the others around you too.
4. Boost your vitamin and mineral intake
Now’s the time to start taking a multivitamin, if you don’t already. Not only do you need folic acid to prevent neural tube, heart and limb defects, which can form in the first few weeks of pregnancy, but studies have also shown that women who are iron deficient may experience poor egg quality and even stop ovulating.
A vitamin B12 deficiency can also result in irregular ovulation, and a vitamin D deficiency can interfere with hormone balance. Vitamin C can improve hormone levels, and selenium is also important, as it helps protect the egg and sperm from free-radical damage.
