Practically Perfect Tips for Trying to Conceive

I know I talk a lot about sex and birth and babies, but today we’re going talk about some ways to improve your chances of making those babies during intercourse, when the time is right. 

I had a friend reach out asking if I had some tips for helping her and her hubby to get pregnant. Immediately, I had a million ideas, and I wanted to take time to research, organize my thoughts and come up with a practically perfect plan. I will share what I’ve come up with below!

1. Get a Physical – if you’re under 35 and you’ve been trying to conceive for over 12 months with no success, it’s a good time to schedule a annual check up for you and your partner to rule out a hormonal or endocrine issue. If you’re over 35, only try 6 months before getting help. For both partners, infertility can be from irregular hormone levels, thyroid or blood sugar issues. Other tests may include physical examination, semen testing for the male partner and ultrasounds of the female parts for the mama. 
2. Take care of your body like you’re already pregnant – this means no alcohol, no smoking, little to no caffeine and take your vitamins!
3. Timing Intimacy – did you ever hear about natural family planning? NFP is a birth control method that works by observing and recording your body’s different natural signs or fertility indicators on each day of your menstrual cycle. This data can be used to time when intimacy is the most likely to produce a baby during your cycle. 
4. Get it On – For regular sperm counts, once a day during the fertile window is recommended. For partners with a lower sperm count, going every 2 – 3 days during the fertile window and after is recommended. There are some sources that say that sperm can be supportive of implantation so sex can be helpful AFTER conception to stick! 
5. OH, OH, Its magic – You want to know what is consistently important aspect of sex to conceive among the sources? FEMALE ORGASM! There are two theories about this. The first being that uterine contractions that happen with orgasm help the cervix “suck” the sperm in. The second theory being that if you have good sex, you’ll want to have more and then the odds will be in your favor for conceiving.
6. Take a minute…or TEN – research shows that it takes sperm about 10 minutes to reach the egg. The research for raising the hips on a pillow or walls is varied, but it can’t hurt to take a few minutes after intimacy to avoid gravity to allow those little swimmers to travel.
7. Meditation – Meditation works by quieting the mind and relaxing the body, and has the intention of increasing calmness, psychological balance, positivity and overall well being. It can help to reduce stress, balance hormones, and increased compassion for yourself, your body and your partner. Meditation can include mindfulness, mantras and visualization. 
8. Address any scar tissue/ pelvic congestion – do you have a history of any abdominal or back surgeries? You may have some scar tissue or pelvic congestion that could benefit from some manual therapy with a skilled myofascial or physical therapist. 
9. Diet – Some general things to try dietary – wise include increasing fruits and veggies overall, organic being better when possible. Decreasing animal protein and replacing this with fish, seeds, nuts and beans and other items high in Omega 3s (wild-caught salmon, halibut and sardines, walnuts, flax seeds and flax seed oil) and Omega 6s (walnuts, sunflower seeds, avocado oil, almonds and cashews). Increasing fiber from gluten free whole grains can help with hormonal regulation. Instead, try barley, brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa, millet and amaranth. Research has shown dairy to be linked with fertility issues and so limiting this or eliminating this may be worth a try. Simple carbs and sugar can also be problematic, so limiting these may be helpful.  
10.  Exercise – As a PF PT, Barre, yoga and Pilates are great programs if you’re trying to get pregnant, since they build strength, balance, endurance and muscle tone. They will also help you into your pregnancy and delivery. 
11.  Yoga – can help you relax and release stress which can help with conception. 30 minutes of moderate exercises 3 to 4 weeks has been shown to improve fertility. Reach out to your favorite PT for some poses to help increase your chances.
12. Acupuncture – research is in favor of acupuncture helping with fertility to help balance the body, decrease stress and improve circulation.
13. Chiropractic care – since the spine is a long line of nerves that controls most of the body’s function, a check up on alignment and movement along the pathways has research showing it can be helpful. 

Good luck and happy trying!

Dr. Mora