“A couple of decades ago, when I started my practice, the question ‘How to get pregnant” would have been a funny one. There were not many infertile couples and almost 95% of them made babies naturally without the help of any doctor. But today, 40% of couples are not able to make babies naturally and need some kind of assistance from a doctor.” says Dr. Karthik Gunasekaran from Chennai’s leading andrology clinic, Metromale Clinic & Fertility Center.
The reasons why more and more couples are becoming infertile and need a doctor’s help is out of the scope of this article. Here, we present you with a few tips that you can actually try and get pregnant fast.
Tip 1
If you are obese, you must drop your weight and get back in shape.
Obesity is one such problem that can be a root cause of hundreds of other problems. Infertility is one among them. People who are obese are likely to have PCOS and irregular periods. Getting pregnant when the menstrual cycle isn’t regular is very unlikely. Other problems that women with higher body fat can have are endometriosis, dysmenorrhoea.
Regular workout, eating a healthy diet can help you get back in shape and can eliminate most of the symptoms or problems caused by obesity.
Tip 2
Stop taking any kind of birth control pills or contraceptives
This actually goes as a no brainer but there are people who continue to take birth control pills and still expect to get pregnant. Not just birth control pills, you should not use any kind of contraceptives including female condoms, vaginal rings, birth control patches, male condoms (by your partner), spermicidal lubes/creams etc.
If you have stopped taking birth control pills recently, you don’t need to worry if you are not getting pregnant next month. Give your body time and let it get back to its normal cycles of producing hormones and regulating the menstrual cycle. If that still doesn’t help, see a good gynaecologist near you.
Tip 3
Tell your male partner not to masturbate when you are planning to get pregnant
Ideal time for a man’s body to make enough and healthy sperm after ejaculating is three days. The sperm is born from the germ cells and takes 3 days to mature into a fully capable sperm that can swim to an egg and penetrate it. Masturbating is a habit some men may not be able to overcome even though they have a partner to have sex. You need to tell your male partner not to masturbate and give his body good time to make healthy sperms so that you can get pregnant.
Taking off sperms regularly or on a daily basis or more frequently than his body can make can decrease the sperm count and increase the presence of immature sperms. This can also lead to ejaculating clear semen with low concentration of sperms.
Tip 4
Best sex position to get pregnant
Missionary and Doggie/Doggy style!
Ultimate goal here is to get deeper penetration of the penis inside the vagina so that the sperms can swim quickly and reach the egg. A man in his 20s will be able to ‘shoot’ the sperm for longer distances compared to those in 30s. This is a very common thing. So, sex position may not matter much if you partner is in his 20s but if he is around or over 30, it is better to stick this position if you are planning to get pregnant.
There are other positions such as sitting, which allows deeper penetration but such positions can make the sperm flow down and may not be of much help.
Along with the sex position, what you do after sex is also very important if you are planning to get pregnant – how you help the semen inside your body flow into the uterus. You must just lie down on your back with your hip a little up (maybe with a pillow under your butt) to facilitate the flow of semen towards your uterus. Sperms can swim only a few centimetres per hour; if you can help the semen flow, that can make the work of sperms easier in reaching the egg.
How long should you lie down on your back after sex?
If possible, have sex at night during your bed time and just go to sleep; don’t worry about washing or peeing. If you still feel the need to go to the bathroom, give yourself an hour and then get out of bed.
If you happen to walk, run or sit on the toilet seat immediately after sex, the odds of getting pregnant can go down but not to zero.
Tip 5
Strictly avoid using any lubricants or delay sprays or creams
Using delay creams or spray or any lubricant may contaminate the semen and can lead to death of sperms. That can reduce the odds of you getting pregnant. If you are aroused enough, your vagina can make enough lube to allow smoother penetration of the penis. If not, have some foreplay.
Tip 6
Keep a track of your menstrual cycle
You need to keep track of your menstrual cycle and you should also know a little about your body and when it produces the egg (ovulation).
If you menstruate regularly, say for every 28 days (including the days of your period), you should start having sex from the 10th or 11th day to get pregnant. Remember the following points:
- Egg in a female body is released during the middle of the menstrual cycle (including the days of period).
- An egg waits for a sperm for 24 hours and then it is absorbed back by the body.
- Sperms can stay alive in a female body for 5 days. (Tops 7 days in some cases).
Now, combine all the 3 and calculate when you need to have unprotected natural sex to make a baby.
Final words
If you and your male partner are fertile (or at least relatively fertile), following these tips can increase the odds of you getting pregnant by several percentage points. If you have tried all of these and still not having success in missing your period, you and your male partner should get tested to see where the problem is.
You can always start with semen analysis test before you see your gynaecologist. That can rule out issues on the male side first.
