Are You Trying To Conceive?

It's easy to become impatient when trying to conceive. After all, you have one shot per month. In the beginning there are approximately 2 weeks wait for the right time to try and then there are 2 weeks wait to find out the result, by which time if you are not pregnant, the cycle starts again.

No wonder some couples become downright exhausted by the whole process. However the key is in your frame of mind. Try to align your thinking in such a way that instead of pinning all your hopes on becoming pregnant at all costs (despite the fact that this is your desired outcome) you start becoming grateful for the opportunity each month you have to try to conceive. Otherwise the whole process can become a soul destroying exercise, with each month you are not pregnant seeming like a painful eternity. It does not have to be this way.

You can do a lot to increase your chances of conception by boosting your natural fertility and becoming aware of the accurate conception timing. Appropriate conception timing is paramount for best results and many couples do not conceive not because there is something wrong per se, but simply because their timing is inaccurate or simply not coinciding with when ovulation is actually taking place in the woman's particular cycle.

For others intercourse frequency is simply too low or sporadic to affect a conception. It may be useful to chart a woman's cycle to assist in the conception process. A great, free online service to use which teaches the entire process in an easy to understand manner is www.fertilityfriend.com. This will give you and your partner a great deal of information about how to best prepare for your conception attempts, but it will also alert you if there are any cycle or ovulation problems which may need to be addressed.

But what if there is something wrong?
If you have been trying for 6 months or more, you may have considered: Could I be infertile?

Infertility is described as 12 months of unprotected intercourse without conception. Generally 40 percent of contributing factors are attributed to male causes, 40 percent female and 20 percent is unexplained. Many reproductive concerns which can impact fertility including poor sperm parameters, lack of ovulation, long cycles, short cycles, polycystic ovarian syndrome and more can be treated with natural medicines and strategies with excellent results.

Sure if you have been trying for 12 months and you are not pregnant some fine tuning is required and some medical investigations are recommended however this does not replace the need to ensure you and your partner are in peak health for optimum fertility.

Currently in Australia 1 in 6 couples is infertile and according to the World Health Organisation, worldwide over 80 million people are affected. There are many reasons for this, as infertility statistics increase for several reasons including late marriage, postponed child bearing, sexually transmitted and other infections, hormonal imbalances, physical/mechanical reproductive problems, autoimmune disorders, sperm and egg production defects, as well as lifestyle and environmental factors.

Twelve months down and not "success"...
If you have been trying for twelve months with no success you need to seek more information. Seeing your GP for some basic fertility tests is a wise idea. As far as ruling out any physical problems this is essential to fast track your results.

Ideally for men, this includes having a semen analysis at a specialist fertility clinic. Ruling out male fertility issues upfront is the most effective way of saving time and potential heartache down the track - if there are any issues, they can often very easily be addressed naturally during the preconception period with excellent results, alternatively, assisted reproductive techniques may be useful in some cases.

For women, having hormonal levels checked, and sometimes also a pelvic ultrasound that can show fallopian tube clearance, will help to rule out any potential problems that may prevent you from falling pregnant quickly after your preparation. For a head start, you and your partner's combined preparation should include visiting your GP for a general health check-up as well as a way of ruling out any possible infections (particularly of the genito-urinary tract), which if left untreated can cause infertility and pregnancy complications including miscarriage.

Want A Natural Fertility Boost?
You want to give yourself the best possible chance of creating the healthy baby of your dreams and you need to remember that fertility problems are not necessarily permanent. There are many things you can do to improve your chances of a healthy conception. You can begin by optimising your health for at least 120 days and rule out any physical problems.

Why 120 days? The quality of the egg and sperm today is the reflection of everything that was happening in your life and immediate environment over the previous 4 months. Your complete health picture during that time including nutrition, stress levels, blood oxygenation, hormone levels, emotions and other factors affect the quality of your fertility in the current month.

A healthy body is a fertile body and the health of your baby is in great part decided before a pregnancy is even in sight. You see, by 8 weeks gestation a baby's health blueprint is already created, as are his or her tiny organs and little fingerprints! At this stage his or her health vulnerabilities and strengths are set by the 'map' guiding this miracle of creation. It is fair to say that once a pregnancy is established your child's health potential becomes the lowest common denominator of you and your partner's health at the point of conception.

By taking a comprehensive, step-by-step approach towards optimising you and your partner's general health prior to a conception attempt will help boost your natural fertility and dramatically increase your odds of creating a healthy conception, pregnancy and baby naturally or via assisted methods.You can take control of your health and naturally optimise your fertility. Start now!

Copyright (c) 2009 Gabriela Rosa and Natural Fertility & Health Solutions P/L.