Trying to Get Pregnant

When I stopped thinking about it, it happened. Go on a trip where you can relax, get away from TV, computer, people...we love to camp, hike, canoe, etc. Stress is not good for your body, it does not function properly...so relax and let life happen.

I do not where you live, but I went to a wonderful Dr in Salem NH to help me get pregnant with my first... but it doesn't sound like you lack the fertility, you just need to be more aware of your body.... you should be most fertile around 14 days after your period.... but getting an ovulation kit at the drug store( You pee on the stick) helped us with our next 3.... it is easy and very certain to show you when you are ovulating. Also, be more active if you really want it....my doctor told us when we were ovulating to have sex as much as we can and for me to lay down and rest after. normally you hear only have sex every other day, but he said not to waste the time. good luck!

Dear C.,
The ovulation method absolutely does work. Here is what you need to do. Before you get out of bed every morning, chart your temperature. It's important that you take your temp before you get up and lie very still. Have the thermometer at your bedside. As soon as your temp starts to drop from your normal temp, you are beginning the ovulation period which is anywhere between 24 - 72 hours I believe. Those are your best days to try and get pregnant. Once you do this for a few months, you'll start to see a pattern in your temp. Best of luck. This worked for me 3 times!

You stated that you tried an ovulation calendar---what about an ovulation predictor test? They are sold in just about every drugstore and work the same as a pregnancy test---you pee on a stick and it will tell you when you are entering a fertile period, i.e. you are approaching ovulation within 24-48 hours. I did this to get pregnant with my second as it was taking longer than expected and it absolutely works. If you try for a period of time and never get an results, this could also alert you to a problem....

Try the at home test Fertile-Focus it is very easy to use.
The web site is www.feritle-focus.com.

It looks like a few people mentioned Taking Charge of Your Fertility. I just wanted to add that there is also a website for the book: www.tcoyf.com You can also download software (I think it is about $40 for a license) that will help you chart your cycles.

Good luck.
Kat

Hi
We used cycle beads, basically its just a tactile ovulation calendar. We tried for 4 months, I used the ovulation kits and didnt have success, then the first month I used the beads we conceived. I got them at WHole Foods, but I think you can find them in most drugstores for about 15$. I dont know why it worked, you can do the same thing counting on a calendar, but for whatever reason it worked for me. I kept pretty good track of my periods and that helped too, you need to have a good idea of your average cycle time, since month to month it can vary. THe best indicator really is what your discharge looks like, so you might want to keep track of those changes too.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

C., I know both times I got pregnant, but my OB tried to tell me it was impossible! Each time it was 2 days before my period! My cycle was always off. It took us 3 1/2 years of trying for my 2nd and it only happened after I took Clomed (not sure of spelling) for two months! Good luck and be patient. In the end a bottle of wine and a sausage pizza did the trick! LOL

C., have you tried the thermometer that you can get at your local drug store? They are typically located near the pregnancy tests. They help you to chart your fertile time using your basal body temperature.
I myself have never used one, but know of women who have and have had success. Also, there are website out there that will tell you apx. when you are most likely to conceive (providing all is well with you & hubby). You just plug in the date of your last period and it calculates for you.
There are lots of things that can contribute to difficulty conceiving, and keep in mind you can always call your GYN.
Best wishes and good luck!

I would try the ovulation sticks which let you know when you are about the ovulate, then try for those few days. I buy the ones at CVS. I know they have worked well for my friends and have helped me figure out where in my cycle I am actually ovulating. Good Luck!

C.,

After trying for some time, I read a book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler. The link on Amazon is below if you want to check it out. It taught me things at the ripe old age of 35 (and still not pregnant) that I didn't know. Sort of sad our mothers don't teach this to us. It's a little effort, but it works -- as I can attest to after now 2 successful pregnancies that happened immediately after following the instructions. I read this book quickly and really enjoyed the education.

Good luck!

http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Your-Fertility-Annive...

I used a Clear Blue Fertility Monitor. It may be a bit of an expense, but it is extremely accurate and the first month I got pregnant. I then let 2 of my friends use it, and the second month of them using it (the first month they had to clear out my ovulation in the monitor) they both got pregnant. If you feel that you dont have fertility problems, this monitor is AMAZING!
You check ebay for used monitors, and just buy the strips.
Good luck!
L.

I highly recommend the book called "Taking CHarge of your fertility". I tried to get pregnant for a year and then I got this book adn was pregnant in 2 months. I have recommended it to everyone I know who is trying to get pregnant. It's amazing and told me a lot I didn't know about what goes on in a womans body - it has nothing to do with counting days, etc. Good luck!

for an inexpensive and informative way to try check out www.cyclebeads.com

Hi C.,
There is a wonderful, clear, and accurate book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility, by Toni Weschler that I highly recommend. You can find it at Amazon or any local bookstore. Its comprehensive, easy to use, and includes charts at that back of the book as well as detailed explanations on how to use them in order to track your ovulation.
Good luck!
warmly,
M.

Go to the library and see if you can find the book "How To Choose The Sex Of Your Baby" Although you may not want to do that, I learned all about exactly how to tell when you are ovulating and all kinds of stuff I never knew. I don't remember the authors name. I actually go exactly what I wanted with my last child.

Hi C.,

I used a book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler. I got it from the library after a great friend recommended it to me. It was VERY informative and helpful. The first few chapters are kind of basic science, if you will, but after you breeze through those the other chapters are SO educational and help with charting your most fertile times. VERY VERY helpful! I got pregnant with our second shortly after reading it. :-) Hope that helps!

Take care,
S.

Hi C.,

I know there are all kinds of gadgets out there to help you determine if you are ovulating. (taking your tempature etc.)
Essentially if you are regular with your periods it is easier to determine fertility. If you can determine when the first day of your next period will be and count back 14 days from then, that is theoretically your most fertile time. So 4 days before and after that date will cover most of your fertile time. Also if you are in tune with your body's changes you might be aware of an aching on either side of your lower abdomen while ovulating that is your ovary releasing an egg. As well you might notice an increase in clear, egg white consistency vaginal discharge at that time. Conveniently we are usually more interested in intimate relations during the time we are ovulating due to hormonal changes. Good Luck!

J. L.

C.:

I say just "stop trying!" They say you are most fertile 5 days before your period, so try then and try not to "try"
if that makes sense. If you think to hard about it you may stress yourself... It will happen eventually when the time is right:-0)..... Hope this helps?

Clear Blue Easy makes an ovulation predictor kit. (Kind of like a pregnancy test, I think.) Also, I haven't read it, but I've heard good things about the book "Taking Charge of My Fertility." Good luck!

You ovulate 10 days after the first day of your period and continue for around 5 days.
I have 2 children and am currently trying for my 3rd. I had my IUD out on Halloween and am still not pregnant! It can just take time sometimes...if it takes more than a year go see your obgyn.
Good luck!

the best way to get pregnant is to have sex every other day. thats a lot of sex, but if you drop your eggs at irregular times of the month frequency of insemination is important

Hi! I wonder what kind of birth control that you were on? I used depro-provera for about 6 years, and when we tried having children, it took a long time for the birth control to get out of my system. After a year of trying, I bought a fairly expensive electronic ovulator kit at CVS, ($200.) Five months later...I was expecting! The fertility monitor is called Clearblue Easy.
Good luck to you!

I highly recommend a book called "Taking charge of your fertility". I know many friends (+ myself) that got pregnant on the first "try".

http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Your-Fertility-Annive...

Good luck,
A.

Ovulation differs from woman to woman. IMO the best predictor to chart is mucus- it will be slippery, and abundant when you are fertile.Forgive me if this is a little tmi- but we are all adults here right? Each time you use the restroom, after cleaning up wipe again and observe if your dry, sticky or slippery. If it's dry you're not likely fertile, sticky is usually pre-ovulation fluids (so ovulation will be taking place soon) and slippery you're likely fertile.

hi
go to www.babycenter.com
go to ovulation calender...it was very helpful to me.

I had to wait 3 yrs. after my first marriage to get pregnant. To find out the best time of ovulation, try using the special thermometer . It's a good way of knowing for sure when you are most fertile.. You can get this thermometer at the Drug Store. Good Luck !!
P. Ferland

C.,
I noticed someone responded and mentioned you should take your temperature. I stopped my BC in October and it took me until July to get pregnant. I tracked my temperature and it definitely helped. But you can't just use any ordinary thermometer. You need a basal thermometer which shows to the .01 and not just .1 like ordinary thermometers. You'll see a spike in your temperature the day you ovulate which will help you pinpoint when you need to have intercourse. Also, you have to take it before you get out of bed in the morning and it's more accurate to do it at the exact same time every morning. It seems like a pain at first but when you end up pregnant its well worth it. I also got pregnant when we were on vacation. I think the fact that we had a relaxing week without stress helped a lot. So try to relax and good luck!

Hi C.,

I also recommend Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Charting is one of the best ways to learn your body's rhythm. It also makes it easier to see if there is a problem. I brought my charts with me to my gyn to prove that I wasn't ovulating. She didn't make me wait a year before starting fertility treatments because I could prove that my body wasn't doing it on its own. I'm currently 4 mos pregnant with our first.

Get a good basal thermometer, be faithful about taking your temp every morning and chart daily. I used to even put the phases of the moon on my chart to see if there was a correlation for me. You can document when you travel or are extra stressy, when your moods fluctuate, when you get headaches or weight gain. Charting is very educational!

Good luck!

J.

You spend a lifetime trying not to get pregnant and then the moment you are ready it is harder than it seems!! When my husband and I were not "instantly gratified" we googled sex and it helped us figure out exactly what days we were most fertile. The next month I was prego. Accupunture has also done amazing things for fertility.

Take the others advice and add some relaxation. Good luck!

The Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) is quite helpful. It basically involves charting your waking body temperature, and measuring the consistency of your cervical fluid throughout the month. With these two sources of info, you can figure out when you are ovulating.

The book I've found that describes the method well, and has a reproducible chart, is called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschlelr, MPH.

Hello,
You are most fertile between days 11-15 in your cycle...if you period lasts 7 days, then four days later you are going to start ovulating. You can buy ovulation kits in the store and online that will let you know 24 hours before you ovulate, so you can have intercourse. I think there is a website called earlypregnancytests.org that sells them in bulk and very cheap. Good luck!

I would also suggest the basal thermometer. There is a great book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility - it explains how the tempature technique works. Most women ovulate around day 14, but some women don't (I can ovulate as late as day 19). If you are only aiming for day 14, you might be too early, so it's good to have evidence (based on your temperature) of when you ovulated. It takes a couple of months to see patterns, but it's very helpful.

The other idea is an ovulation predictor kit. I think they are expensive, but they can help you determine when you are fertile. They'll also be at CVS near the pregnancy tests.

Good luck!

Hi there. Go to www.babyhopes.com and order the ovulation sticks. You pee on them and they tell you when you are ovulating! It is real easy, and the sticks are not expensive.
Good luck!

you can take your temperature every day, it will elevate slightly when you ovulate. Also, there are ovulation kits you can buy, or you can try not having sex specifically to get pregnant. It sounds weird perhaps, but if you're stressed about conceiving it can actually make it harder to conceive. So, relax, get a thermometer and good luck!

C., there are ovulation kits and they are pretty easy to understand. Also a hint I remember was to not get right up 'after" and to place a pillow under your hips for a while, give the little swimmers a better chance to get there. Good luck to you. P.

Hi C.,
Through the local catholic hospital I learned about NaproTechnology. Your most fertile time is when you have a clear, stretchy, lubricative (slippery) mucus discharge. It usually occurs 10 to 14 days after your period starts. For more information ask about Napro at your nearest catholic hospital. If it wasn't for their help and information I wouldn't have my fourth child.
Best of luck to you.
D. C

The way I got pregnant was by taking my temperature. You need to buy a basal thermometer and take your temp every morning before you get up or move too much. Keep a notebook beside the bed and right down your temp. You can use www.fertilityfriend.com to help you chart the temps. What you will see is that once a month your temp takes a dip then spikes.....when it does that you are ovulating and it is the day to try and conceive. It took me about six months to conceive, which they say is average. Women only have a 20% chance of getting pregnant each month. Good luck to you and I hope it works for you.

C., we had trouble getting pregnant the second time...first I would say call your OB/GYN, even a nurse at the office can answer your questions. Also, you are most fertile about one week after your period, not the week after. For the "average woman" who has a 28 day cycle, she would ovulate on or around day 14 of her cycle (day one is the day that you get your period). If your period is fairly regular, count backwards 14 days, to find your most fertile days. I may not have explained that clearly, but I hope I did...even so your best bet is to call your doctor. Best wishes to you expanding your family!!