When can you get pregnant: learning to count the days

What you need to do to get pregnant faster

Each woman may have her own reasons why she wants to become a mother as soon as possible.

For those who want to speed up pregnancy, doctors recommend:

• Undergo a medical examination to rule out the presence of any diseases or pathologies.
• Learn to determine the onset of ovulation. Special tests that can be purchased at the pharmacy can help with this, as well as keeping a basal temperature chart.
• Normalize your diet. It is necessary to give preference to natural products rich in vitamins and nutrients.
• Try to avoid stress and overwork.
• Get rid of bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol.
• Be sure to have sex 1-3 days before and during ovulation.

Is it possible to get pregnant during menstruation?

A woman has virtually zero fertility in the first and last five days of the monthly cycle. This is what the classic safe days calendar shows. That is, five days before the onset of menstruation and during the monthly cleansing of the uterus, the chance of conceiving a baby is minimal. And this confidence has failed not a single lady. Let's look at why this happens.

A stable and regular menstrual cycle is rare in today's women. The pace of life and character have changed: women give birth little, work a lot, and are nervous. The environment also affects women's health. Because of this, the hormonal levels in women are not stable; the ovaries work constantly, producing eggs, which leads to cycle disorders.

Best time to get pregnant

The desire to have a child is good, but desire alone is not enough. The female body has its own biological rhythms that are worth listening to. Fertilization of the egg occurs during the fertile period, namely on days 9–15 of the menstrual cycle (counted from the first day of menstruation). The most effective are two days before ovulation and the day after it occurs. In order for a woman to get pregnant faster, she needs to accurately calculate the day of ovulation and abstain from sex before days favorable for conception. The day of ovulation can be determined by measuring basal body temperature rectally (in the rectum).

During ovulation, the temperature rises by 0.3-0.4 degrees. For the most accurate results, it is recommended to carry out measurements over several cycles. There are also tests to determine ovulation, or you can use a special calendar. By indicating the onset of menstruation, the length of the cycle and the duration of menstruation, you can calculate the most suitable time for conception. This method is suitable for women with a normal cycle and who keep monthly records.

Calculate ovulation date for conception

Menstruation

Ovulation

Fertile day

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Is it possible to conceive immediately after menstruation?

Many representatives of the fair sex claim that it is impossible to get pregnant within a few days after the end of menstruation. Doctors do not adhere to this point of view. They warn that you can get pregnant at any time.

Sperm entering the female genital tract can remain viable and active for several days. If the menstrual cycle is short and the periods are long, then the probability of becoming pregnant will be high. Sexual intercourse can take place during the most favorable days for conception.

Pregnancy immediately after menstruation can occur for the following reasons:

• due to the ability of sperm to maintain their activity for several days;
• due to the maturation of several eggs in one menstrual cycle;
• due to a shift in the time of ovulation. It may not occur in the middle of the menstrual cycle, but much earlier or later. The “culprit” of such disorders in young girls is the irregularity of the menstrual cycle, and in adult women - hormonal abnormalities.

Based on this, we can say that the calendar method is not a reliable means of contraception. For some women it is not suitable at all.

Planning Tips

In order for a woman to get pregnant faster, it is necessary, if possible, to eliminate factors that negatively affect the health of both partners.

• Stress is a significant reason that prevents pregnancy. It is important to learn to relax using appropriate methods (for example, auto-training, massage, aromatherapy, sedative herbs, contacting a psychologist).
• Bad habits – smoking, alcohol, caffeine abuse. Women who smoke are much less likely to get pregnant. In men who have been addicted to smoking for a long time, the number and activity of sperm decreases.
• Poor nutrition leads to a decrease in vitamins and minerals needed by the body. It is recommended to include greens, vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread, and olive oil in your diet. It has been proven that vitamin E in sufficient quantities has a beneficial effect on male and female sexual function. In the absence of ovulation, it is useful for women to include legumes and nuts in their daily diet. Cottage cheese, full-fat milk, and yogurt are also essential products. You should not indulge in sweets, flour, foods with preservatives and other harmful additives.
• Weight problems – both excess weight and lack of it can interfere with conception. But this doesn't only apply to women. If men are overweight, they produce fewer sperm.
• Drug abuse. Antibiotics, analgesics and antihistamines contain substances that interfere with egg maturation.

An unhealthy lifestyle leads to a decrease in reproductive function and prevents you from getting pregnant quickly.

Effective methods of protection4

Today, women and men can easily prevent unwanted conception. Methods of protection are divided into several types. The most dubious of them can be considered natural, for example, the calendar method. It is based on the determination by phases of the menstrual cycle of the most favorable period for conception, during which a woman abstains from unprotected sexual intercourse.

Natural methods of contraception also include interrupted coitus, but its effectiveness is questionable because during the movements made by the penis during sexual intercourse, a small amount of “lubricant” is released, which is called “Cooper’s fluid”. This fluid may contain a small amount of sperm, so interrupted sexual intercourse cannot fully protect against unplanned pregnancy.

The most effective methods of protection are: 5

● barrier methods: the use of condoms, uterine caps that do not allow male reproductive cells to penetrate into the female genital tract to meet the released egg;

● hormonal methods: taking small doses of hormones prevents the maturation of the egg and the onset of ovulation, some drugs add viscosity to the mucus contained in the cervix and make it impenetrable to male reproductive cells, they also cause changes in the mucous membrane of the uterus, preventing the attachment of the embryo;

● intrauterine devices and systems: prevent the attachment of the embryo to the walls of the uterus;

Every person of childbearing age who is sexually active must decide for himself whether he should have children. It is worth remembering that abortion causes both physical and moral harm to a woman. The menstrual cycle is not constant and you can get pregnant immediately after your period. But from the many reliable methods of contraception, it is easy to choose one or more that will suit both sexual partners and will not contradict their moral principles.

Womenfirst

• Serova T. A. Women's health: the menstrual cycle and hormones in classical and alternative medicine // Rostov n/d: Phoenix. – 2000. P. 38.
• Baranaeva N. Yu. Normal menstrual cycle and its disorders // Consilium medicum. – 2002. – T. 2. – No. 3. P. 3
• Shilin D.E. Polycystic ovary syndrome //International diagnostic consensus (2003) and modern ideology of therapy. CONSILIUM-MEDICUM. – 2004. P. 28
• Shabunova A. A., Kalachikova O. N. Features of reproductive behavior of the population // Sociological studies. – 2012. – No. 8. – pp. 79-84.
• Korkhov V.V., Ivanov A.P. Some aspects of the use of modern methods of contraception // Maternity and childhood protection. – 2001. – No. 2. – pp. 40-44.

RUDFS183653 dated 11/29/2018

How many sexual acts should there be?

The frequency of sex also has its own nuances. Couples who have sex every other day during the ovulatory period have the same high conception rates (22%) as couples who have sex every day (25%). If sexual intercourse occurs once a week, the chances are reduced to 10%, since the moment when a woman can become pregnant faster is missed.

Is posture important?

In order for a woman to become pregnant as quickly as possible, sex position is not important. The exception is women who have been diagnosed with uterine bending, posterior deviation and other shape features. In this case, a correctly selected position will facilitate better penetration of sperm (a position with the legs pressed to the stomach, or a position with the partner behind). After sexual intercourse, you can raise your hips with a small pillow and lie there for about 10 minutes. You can stand more flexible in the “birch tree” pose. In this case, the main part of the sperm will hit the target, and will not leak out. After having sex, it is not recommended to immediately wash your face so that the number of viable sperm does not decrease.

Do you want to get pregnant?

You can seek advice from leading specialists at the AltraVita clinic

Rest before pregnancy

It is recommended to plan your next vacation before the critical period of pregnancy. Travel, flights, changes in climate and time zones can adversely affect pregnancy and the developing body of the baby. If you and your husband are lovers of extreme sports and recreation, then you need to remember that difficult hiking conditions, carrying heavy loads, mountain descents, rafting on wild rivers with high rapids, etc. can be very dangerous for the expectant mother. You should also minimize the possibility of injury, because you will be responsible not only for your life, but also for the life and health of your unborn child.

If you have not yet taken your next annual leave, then it would be rational to add it to your maternity leave, thereby saving yourself from daily work duties, commuting to work, getting up early in the morning, traveling on public transport, etc.

If you are still studying and it is not possible to plan the time of conception and pregnancy for “after-school time,” then it is advisable to calculate the time of pregnancy so that the birth occurs during the holidays. There are many cases where female students did not even interrupt their studies after giving birth. Of course, this cannot be done without the help of relatives who would stay with the baby while the mother attends classes. In addition, many new and important responsibilities fall on the shoulders of a young mother, and she also needs to recover after childbirth. Therefore, the additional burden of attending classes is obviously unnecessary.

Before planning the time of pregnancy and childbirth, you should talk with your family and friends - whether any of them can help you with the child, stay at home with him if you go back to study after the holidays without a sabbatical leave. Mothers who were students during pregnancy are not advised to plan a pregnancy during the period of state exams and thesis defense. Expecting a baby is not the best time for such a tense and nervous period, and although most teachers and members of the examination committee take into account the special situation of the student, it is unlikely that the examinee will be able to completely avoid anxiety, and even among the examiners there may be people with different views. Why do you need unnecessary worries?

When to see a doctor

The ideal option is when a woman wants to give birth to a child, and pregnancy occurs after intercourse. But if you have infertility, you won’t be able to quickly solve your health problem and get pregnant. With infertility, it makes no difference how often, for how long and in what position a couple has sex. You can even read on the Internet about methods that supposedly guarantee pregnancy, but neither a special diet, nor horoscopes, nor other pseudoscientific rituals can bring the desired result. A woman can get pregnant easily and quickly only if both partners are young and healthy. Therefore, if a couple leads a healthy lifestyle, monitors ovulation, and pregnancy has not occurred within 6 months, then it is time to contact a specialist and undergo a series of diagnostic tests. Experienced doctors will help determine the cause of decreased fertility and eliminate it.

First of all, he is a gynecologist. Examinations and tests will help rule out infertility in a woman. The diagnosis includes a blood test for herpes, ureaplasmosis, syphilis and other bacteria and viruses. They also do an ultrasound of the pelvic organs and mammary glands, take a smear to determine the vaginal microflora, examine the urine, determine the ratio of hormones and, if necessary, scrape the cervix.

About the menstrual cycle and its phases1

Changes occur in a woman’s body every month that affect her well-being, the functioning of her internal organs and women’s health. The influence of sex hormones on a woman’s life, her emotional balance and well-being cannot be underestimated. By revealing some of the secrets of the female body, both women and men will be able to better understand each other, avoid conflict situations, plan conception, the birth of children and live in harmony.

Monthly changes are aimed at the successful conception and bearing of children. The menstrual cycle includes three phases that reflect changes occurring in the uterus and ovaries (the organ in which female reproductive cells mature):

● menstrual;

● ovulatory (stage of maturation of the female reproductive cell);

● luteal (the stage that occurs after the maturation of the female reproductive cell).

The first day of menstrual bleeding is the 1st day of the cycle, which lasts an average of 28 days. In order to monitor her women's health, select contraception methods and plan conception, every woman should keep a calendar in which she records the days of menstruation and the duration of her cycles. If necessary, the woman should provide this data to a gynecologist and gynecologist-endocrinologist. The normal duration of the menstrual cycle is 21-35 days. In case of serious deviations to a lesser or greater extent, it is necessary to be examined and look for the causes of the violations.

Every woman is unique. The duration of its cycle depends on the physiological characteristics of the body and many other factors. The menstrual phase begins with bleeding, which is based on the rejection of the inner layer of the uterus (endometrium). It occurs only if conception did not occur in the phase of maturation and release of the female reproductive cell of the previous cycle. The menstrual phase lasts 5-7 days, but these values ​​are quite arbitrary. During endometrial rejection, many women experience aching pain in the lower abdomen and lumbar region. Discomfort usually disappears on days 3-5 of the cycle.2

The duration of the follicular phase (the phase during which the final maturation of the follicle—the “house” for the female reproductive cell) occurs—is on average 14 days. During this period, under the influence of hormones produced by the hypothalamus (a part of the brain), follicles (a part of the ovary consisting of an egg surrounded by layers of cells and connective tissue) begin to mature. In one of them, by the 7th day of the cycle, the female reproductive cell matures and is capable of fertilization. The remaining follicles disappear. The follicular phase can change into the ovulatory phase (the maturation phase of the female reproductive cell) at any time. Therefore, to the question - is it possible to get pregnant a week after your period, any gynecologist will give an affirmative answer.

The maturation phase of the female reproductive cell (ovum) lasts 2-3 days. This period is considered the most favorable for conception. The probability of fertilization of the egg is very high. But when using a natural method of contraception (calculating “safe” days of the cycle), it is worth considering that male reproductive cells remain active and viable for several days. Therefore, even if unprotected sexual intercourse occurred 3-5 days before ovulation, the likelihood of conception remains. During this phase, the main follicle (the vesicle containing the female reproductive cell) bursts, releasing large amounts of the hormone that causes ovulation. The female reproductive cell is released, after which it “awaits” the male reproductive cell, which will fertilize it in the next 16-48 hours.

The luteal phase lasts 11-16 days. The surface of the uterus prepares for the attachment of a fertilized cell. In the middle of the phase, female hormones are at their peak. If conception does not occur, the inner layer lining the uterus dies, and the level of female hormones gradually decreases.2

Expert opinion of a doctor

Dmitriev Dmitry Viktorovich

Deputy General Director, obstetrician-gynecologist for reproductive health.

Lack of pregnancy is not only a women's problem. In order not to waste precious time, a man also needs to undergo a series of laboratory and instrumental studies. A spermogram is mandatory - a study of ejaculate that allows you to assess the ability of sperm to fertilize an egg. The cause of male infertility can be a genetic abnormality of the genital organs, the presence of inflammation in the genitourinary system, benign formations, impaired libido, and trauma to the genital organs. The faster the cause is found and eliminated in both partners, the faster the woman can get pregnant.

Repair - without the expectant mother!

In these times of expensive housing, the housing problem for many young couples is especially acute.
Think over and decide the issue of where you will live with the new family member, preferably before pregnancy and childbirth. It is recommended to renovate the room where the baby's crib will be located. Many pregnant women undertake repairs on their own while expecting a child. This is not rational, since it would be optimal to completely avoid contact with various building materials and derivatives of the paint and varnish industry during pregnancy. Many organic solvents, widely used in construction and repair work, negatively affect human health, fetal development, and can cause allergic and toxic reactions during their application and drying, until the solvent completely evaporates. Therefore, this problem should be solved before pregnancy, or it should be dealt with by one of the family members of the expectant mother, and not by herself. If you are renting a home, you should keep in mind that for some time after giving birth, the entire financial burden of providing for your family will fall on the shoulders of your spouse. In addition, expenses associated with the birth of a baby (expenses for disposable diapers, baby clothes, etc.) will be added to the rent for housing. However, this problem can also be solved by taking care of a dowry for the baby in advance (clothes for babies will probably be willingly given by your friends whose children have already grown up), and the best and cheapest food is mother’s breast milk!

If you've tried everything, but you're not pregnant

In this case, assisted reproductive technologies allow you to become happy parents. The IVF (in vitro fertilization) method is considered the most effective. It shows good results even in the presence of serious reproductive pathologies. A standard IVF program includes a set of procedures from ovarian stimulation to transfer of high-quality embryos into the uterine cavity. Using a laparoscope, an egg ready for fertilization is removed from the follicle and placed in a nutrient medium, into which sperm is subsequently injected. The fertilization process is observed using a microscope, and if the result is positive, the fertilized egg is placed in a special incubator - a thermostat. When the egg reaches the required maturity, the embryo is transferred into the uterine cavity, where it will grow and develop.

The ICSI method is offered to couples with low quality male sperm. This method differs from the standard IVF procedure in that only one viable sperm is selected for fertilization, which is injected directly into the egg using a special needle. That is, conception occurs not with any sperm, but with a certain one, under the control of a reproductive specialist.

The IMSI method involves screening the sperm before insertion into the egg. In this case, a microscope with 6000x magnification is used in order to take into account the morphology of the sperm and its correct structure.

For comparison, the ICSI method uses a microscope with 400x magnification. The PIXI method differs from the IMSI method in that the embryologist selects only “mature” sperm for fertilization. For selection, their binding index to hyaluronic acid is determined. Those sperm that begin to interact with acid are less susceptible to DNA damage. These are the most mature, correct, from the point of view of morphology and structure, sperm. They are used for fertilization.

Contraindications for all these methods are the conditions of the woman in which full pregnancy and childbirth are impossible, namely:

• pathology of the uterus;
• mental illnesses;
• oncological diseases;
• benign formations in the ovaries and uterus.

If the above diseases can be cured, the IVF procedure is allowed.

Signs of pregnancy

The first and most significant signal indicating pregnancy is a delay in menstruation. However, if conception occurred immediately after menstruation, the first signs of pregnancy may appear by the end of the cycle. These include:

• Weakness and drowsiness - a woman wants to sleep even after a full 8-9 hours of sleep, and gets tired much faster than usual.
• Morning sickness and malaise.
• Changes in taste preferences, aversion to certain foods;
• Breast augmentation. In addition, from the first days of conception, the mammary glands can become very painful.
• Change in sense of smell - the patient begins to smell odors that she had not previously paid attention to.
• Forgetfulness and absent-mindedness.
• Vaginal discharge - slight spotting that appears before your expected period may be implantation bleeding, indicating that the embryo is attaching to the wall of the uterus.
• Tendency to acute respiratory viral diseases - pregnancy is always accompanied by a decrease in the body's protective properties. As a result, many women complain of sore throat, runny nose, and nasal congestion.
• A slight increase in body temperature and headache are explained by changes in hormonal levels.
• Nagging pain in the lower abdomen and lower back.
• Frequent urge to urinate - the pregnant uterus puts pressure on the bladder, which forces the woman to visit the toilet more often.

It goes without saying that the severity of symptoms and their number will vary from woman to woman. Here everything depends solely on the individual characteristics of the organism. It should also be taken into account that the above symptoms can also occur in other pathological conditions. To confirm pregnancy, you should immediately contact an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Which method is better

If you contact a good fertility specialist, such a question will not haunt you. Our specialists will conduct a comprehensive examination of the couple using ultra-modern equipment. Diagnostics will allow us to identify the cause of infertility and develop an effective treatment regimen. If necessary, the doctor himself will advise the most suitable method of in vitro fertilization for you. The sooner you contact a specialist, the faster a woman can get pregnant. The recipe for making a dream come true is simple: trust in the doctor, the qualifications of a specialist, a little luck and an obligatory belief in success.

In order not to be late...

In a series of flashing days, weeks, months, it is sometimes difficult for us to stop and think about the most important and necessary things. Therefore, such an important and responsible step - the birth of a child - everything is postponed “until better times”: when we finish our studies, get a job, make a career, when We’ll move to a new apartment when we save money, do some renovations, when we’ve sorted out all the things at work... Unfortunately, the inexorably passing time can play a cruel joke on us, and the joy of motherhood and fatherhood will turn into an unfulfilled dream. Therefore, try to have time to plan and calculate everything, agree on everything and carry out everything, but remember that in any case, the conception and birth of your baby will happen at the most suitable and necessary moment in your life! Even if this moment does not coincide with the time of conception you calculated.