By Jill Daniel

When many women decide they're truly ready for a baby, they joke that they spent so much time trying not to get pregnant in their earlier years, isn't it ironic now that they're crossing their fingers for a little bundle of joy?

If you’re now ready for the baby-making business, you’re probably wondering what’s the quickest route to get there NOW—or is it even possible to get pregnant fast?

Well, slow down a minute, before you have your mind made up that getting pregnant sooner rather than later will be an impossible chore, let’s consider what will be most helpful to you in achieving the pregnant bliss you seek…


#1) Have Fun, Have An Orgasm
You’d think sex without the worry of an unwanted pregnancy would be the best time ever in bed, but just ask any couple who’s been seriously trying to accomplish pregnancy about how un-fun it can become. You don’t want to fall into this trap and lose your love of physical pleasure with your partner. Seek out sexual adventure in your home. Select different places, positions, times of day that break up the routine. Dress up, act out healthy sexual fantasies or read erotica to each other. Whatever works to get you turned on and increase the sexual good times will increase your chances of allowing your body to do what’s it’s naturally supposed to do. And don’t forget to orgasm!

Scientists believe that the evolutionary purpose of the female orgasm is to cause the uterus to contract, thereby causing sperm to be drawn up into the reproductive tract. Just yet another reason not to let your eagerness to conceive get in the way of your ability to enjoy yourself in bed. Did you know that a single orgasm is thought to be 22 times as relaxing as the average tranquilizer? If you're finding the process of trying to get pregnant more than a little stressful, an orgasm could very well be just what the doctor ordered. Worst case scenario with stress and sex: If you’re continually stressed out, it can cause your reproductive system to shut down.

#2) Take Folic Acid & Pre-Pregnancy Care Seriously
If you do have the good fortune to get pregnant fast, taking 800mcg. of folic acid daily can help prevent birth defects. Do not wait until you’re pregnant to do this. Check with your doctor about getting other pre-natal vitamins and other over-the-counter medications that you currently take. If you smoke, stop (studies have shown that smokers are 30% less fertile than nonsmokers). Limit alcohol and caffeine intake. See your dentist for a checkup or a cleaning—untreated gum disease is associated with pre-term birth.


#3) Know Your Cycle and When You Ovulate
If you have regular periods, then you know how many days your monthly menstrual cycle typically is. To determine the length of your cycle, count Day One on the day you start your period and count consecutive days from there until you start your period again (which is again Day One). Once you have the length of your cycle, you can pinpoint ovulation time, generally between days 10 and 14. You’ll want to have intercourse on the days before you ovulate and during, rather than after. The egg is capable of surviving 12 to 24 hours after ovulation—and if it hasn’t been seduced by sperm at that time, chances are over until the next cycle.

A recent study conducted by researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences confirmed the importance of timing intercourse prior to or at the time of ovulation: all of the 192 pregnancies that occurred in the 625 couples participating in the study resulted from intercourse the day of ovulation or within five days before it.


4) Decrease and Manage Stress in Your Life
According to Alice D. Domar, Ph.D, a pioneer in the mind/body medicine arena regarding women’s health issues, eliminating stress is helpful for improving chances of getting pregnant. “Infertile women
report higher levels of stress and anxiety than fertile women,” says Domar. Finding ways to reduce stress, tension and anxiety can make you feel better and increase your chances of for getting pregnant fast. Domar is the narrator of the award-winning DVD, “Stress & The Relaxation Repsonse Explained”, available at domarcenter.com.


5) Know The Odds of Getting Pregnant Fast (but don’t be ruled by them)
Your odds of conceiving in any given cycle are approximately one in four. Approximately 60% of couples who are actively trying to conceive (having intercourse two to three times a week) will conceive within the first 6 months of trying, 75% within 9 months, 80% within a
year, and 90% within 18 months. But what if your over age 35 and freaked out that your chances are dismal? Don’t worry, the statistics for the 35-plus woman conceiving are better than you think. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, you have a 96% chance of conceiving within one year if you're under 25, an 86% chance if you're between 25 and 34, and a 78% chance if you're between the ages of 35 and 44.

6) Take Your Temperature to Determine Ovulation
If your menstrual cycle is irregular and you’re not sure exactly when you ovulate, one pretty reliable and standard method is to take your temperature upon awakening, while still in bed, each morning. Begin this Basal Body Temperature tracking on the 1st day of your period and chart it on your calendar. Keep track of the calendar and the thermometer by leaving it on the nightstand. If you are ovulating normally, your temperature may dip slightly just prior to ovulation and then shoot upward once you have ovulated. Your temperature will typically range from 97.0 to 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit prior to ovulation, and from 97.6 to 98.6 after ovulation.Many women also note when they have intercourse on the calendar. Start a new tracking chart on the calendar with each new menstrual cycle.

7) Keep Your Vagina Sperm-Friendly
When trying to conceive, avoid vaginal sprays and scented tampons (because they can cause a pH imbalance in your vagina). Eliminate
artificial lubricants, vegetable oils, and glycerin
(because they can kill off sperm). Don’t use saliva as a lubricant (because saliva can also kill sperm). Stop douching (because it alters the normal acidity of the vagina; can cause vaginal infections
and/or pelvic inflammatory disease; and may wash away the cervical mucus that is required to transport the sperm.)


8) Practice the Best Sexual Position for Getting Pregnant
Generally, the sexual positions that allow the sperm to be deposited high up in the vagina right next to the cervix are considered the best for baby making. Certain doctors suggest that couples who are having difficulty conceiving use the missionary position (male partner on top)
and tuck a pillow under the woman's hips to ensure that the maximum amount of semen reaches her cervix.




9) Curb Your Enthusiasm for Excessive Exercise
Although it's good to remain active throughout your childbearing years, excessive amounts of exercise can lead to such fertility problems as irregular periods, anovulatory cycles (cycles in which ovulation does not occur), and luteal phase deficiencies (a problem that occurs when the second half of your cycle isn't sufficiently long enough to allow for the proper implantation of the fertilized egg).


10) Get Close to Your Ideal Weight
If your body weight is significantly above or below the ideal for someone of your height and body structure, it can be wise to lose or gain weight in order to increase your chances of conceiving.A study at the University of South Carolina at Charleston demonstrated that weight may be an underlying cause of infertility in many more women than was previously realized. Ninety percent of underweight women who had previously been unable to conceive managed to become pregnant when they reached their ideal weight. Likewise, 76% of overweight women with fertility problems managed to conceive when they reached their ideal weight.

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