Why Preconception Counselling is important?
Preconception counselling and care can improve outcome of pregnancy and reduce incidence of birth defects. It also helps in preventing unintended pregnancies and improving chances of conception as well. Overall reduces maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.
How do I get pregnant as soon as possible?
Dear friend, now that you have decided to start planning for a baby, one of the first questions you will have is how to get pregnant as soon as possible. Well, not to break your hearts, but the answer is not straightforward. You or your gynaecologist cannot determine the exact schedule for you to get pregnant as it’s a question of timing and quality. Let’s take a deep dive to understand this better:
Biological Process and Timing
Do you remember your Biology 101 class? Planning for a baby is first and foremost a question of timing. Timing, because you are most fertile on the day of ovulation usually 12 to 16 days before the menstrual period begins and 5 days preceding it. For the average woman that occurs somewhere between days 9 and 16 after your last menstrual cycle (most women have 28-day cycle). Having sex before you ovulate increases your chances of conceiving. Reason – the sperm can stick around your uterus or fallopian tubes for 2 to 3 days, but the egg only lasts for 12 to 24 hours after it's released. So having regular sex before you ovulate will improve the probability of conceiving the child.
Health factors and Quality
Now that you have a better understanding about timing, let’s consider other factors which might impact your ability to conceive (we will only talk about the most common ones here):
• For Mothers:
o Age: Various studies have shown that women below the age of 30 have a higher probability of conception than those above this age. Chances fall significantly when you hit 35.
o Weight: Being underweight (BMI <18) or Obese (BMI>
30) can significantly reduce your chances of having a baby
o Stress: Stress induced due to family or professional pressures can and does impact a woman’s fertility
o Medication: If you are suffering from any chronic ailment and taking medication for the same, then there’s a chance your drug might impact your fertility
• For Fathers:
o Smoke and alcohol: Regular smoking and excessive alcohol affects the quality and quantity of sperm
o Genital heat: Exposing your genitals to heat (laptops, steam rooms/saunas, hot baths etc.) can temporarily impair sperm production
o Medication: Some medicines for treating ulcers or drugs for chronic ailment can impact the quality of sperm
How can you reduce your chances of pregnancy by stressing too much?
While timing and quality may be out of your hand, one way to definitely improve your probability of conceiving is by taking less stress. The biggest impact of stress would be visible on your menstrual cycle as stress can play havoc. Whether the stress is due to professional factors, family issues or impatience to get pregnant as quickly as possible, it will impact ovulation by delaying it in your menstrual cycle or in some cases not at all. Recent studies have also shown that pre-conception stress can impact the health of the child.
When do you need to start thinking taking medical intervention?
If you have been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for more than a year, you can ask your doctor to perform fertility tests. Women who are above the age of 35 have traditionally a lower chance of getting pregnant so you can wait for 6 months before considering further evaluation. So planning before the age of 30, you can give yourself the best shot of conceiving naturally before thinking on these lines.
Moral of the story
Natural pregnancy is driven by nature and you can’t control it fully. Learn to be patient and give yourself ample time before worrying about not getting pregnant as soon as possible. You can only control your own health and habits and start working to improve them immediately. Unlike a professional environment, nature doesn’t work on timelines determined by us. It follows its own sweet course. So the next time when you visit your gynaecologist and she tells you to remain patient and relax, understand she’s telling the truth!
Dr Nupur Gupta from Well Woman Clinic is one of the renowned gynaecologist Gurgram with over 27 years of experience. Being trained at AIIMS and having a Dr. Nupur will give you that Midas touch that is needed to plan your pregnancy smoothly with no worries.
