Stop Using Birth Control
If you want to try for a baby, remember to stop using birth control. If you are on the pill, you should assume that you are fertile immediately after you stop taking it. If you have implants, your fertility can return immediately after you get it removed. However, in some women, it may take longer. If you receive injections, you may conceive immediately, or it may take several months before your fertility returns.
Most women begin trying to conceive sometime during 2 weeks pregnant. By 2 weeks from your menstrual cycle, the odds are high that you are no longer bleeding. An average menstrual period lasts between 3 and 7 days, though some women can bleed for longer. Despite what you may have heard, you can still conceive while you are on your period. It just depends if the environment is right and if you ovulate early.
By the end of the second week, you will probably ovulate (your body releases an egg for fertilization). You can be fertile 5 days before and 24 hours after ovulation. Because sperm can survive in your vagina and uterus for five days, you can become pregnant at the end of this week.
While you will not know if you are pregnant for a couple more weeks, you can start monitoring your body during the second week of pregnancy for indications that ovulation has taken place.
Track Your Menstrual Cycles
If you've been planning your pregnancy, you probably have started tracking your menstrual cycles - the average length of your cycle, the days that you might ovulate, and when you can expect your period. The more aware you are of your cycle and the changes in your body, the more likely you'll be successful in having a baby.
This is a great week to start trying to have a baby. Being intimate with your partner and sharing how you feel about getting pregnant will bring the two of you closer together!
Start Exercising
If you haven't already, you should start a regular exercise routine. Staying fit and exercising can increase your chance of conceiving. Exercising can also lower your stress levels, making it easier for you to conceive. You don't have to do anything strenuous to fit an exercise regiment into your life. A simple walk for 30 minutes every day will make you feel better, and it can help boost your chance of having baby!
Understanding Ovulation To get pregnant, you have to understand ovulation. If you have a regular 28-day cycle, you will ovulate around day 14 (or two weeks after your period starts).
During ovulation, your body releases an egg for fertilization. If you have sexual intercourse around ovulation, you have a great chance for pregnancy. For conception to occur, your partner's sperm has to enter the cervix, swim through the fallopian tubes until it reaches the egg. Of the 250 million sperm that are released during sex, it only takes that one lucky sperm to penetrate your egg.
Leading up to ovulation, you will notice subtle changes in your body. This week, you may notice lower abdominal discomfort or pain (called "mittleschmerz" or middle pain). Not all women notice or experience middle pain during ovulation. This pain is often an achiness that rises from your ovary just prior or during ovulation.
Basal Body Temperature
A slight rise in your basal body temperature is also a sign that you are ovulating. If you've been planning your pregnancy, you should take your temperature daily, preferably at the same time every day. Many women take their basal temperature the first thing in the morning.
Cervical Mucous
The easiest way to tell whether or not you are fertile is through your cervical mucous. Many women notice changes in their cervical secretions during 2 weeks pregnant and pregnancy week 3. Cervical mucous is a conductor, one that allows sperm to travel inside the body and survive.
In the days after your period, you are relatively infertile and will be dry or have no secretions. In the days before and after you ovulate, you are in the fertile phase of your cycle.
To check your cervical mucous, make sure you have clean hands. Next, rub your finger just inside the vulva. You may notice varying degrees of mucous during different times during your menstrual cycle.
As you approach ovulation, you may notice moist or sticky discharge that looks white or creamy in color. It may have the consistency of lotion. If you do a finger test, you will only be able to pull your fingers about 1 cm apart before the mucous breaks. As ovulation gets closer, this mucous will become greater in volume. At this stage, you have a chance of pregnancy if you were to have sex.
Right around ovulation, you have an abundance of cervical mucous. It looks thin, clear, and feels slippery - similar to raw egg whites. If you feel some of your cervical mucous, you will be able to stretch it an inch before it breaks, if it breaks at all. During this phase, your partner's sperm has a high survival rate.
After you ovulate, your mucous will return to the sticky stage. Afterwards, you will experience vaginal dryness around the vulva. In the days after ovulation and before your period starts, you are relatively infertile again.
You can also check your cervical mucous by wiping and observing your mucous on tissue paper. Try not to become too compulsive. There are numerous factors that can affect the quantity and quality of your cervical mucous, such as how hydrated you are, hormonal contraceptives, sexually transmitted infections, and vaginitis.
Intimacy Toward the end of 2 weeks pregnant, one of your eggs is probably reaching maturity. It won't be long before it bursts out of its follicle. If you want to get pregnant, this is a great week for lovemaking. Enjoy lots of sex with your partner. Go at it. Get wild. Be sure you avoid using traditional lubricants, because they can kill sperm. There are sperm-friendly lubricants available that don't contain toxic ingredients, such as Pre-Seed Intimate Moisturizer.
Make sure you get plenty of rest during this week. Try to avoid being stressed out, as stress can cause late ovulation and problems conceiving.
During these early weeks of pregnancy, take some time to relax and enjoy spending private time with your husband or partner. Go on a date, dress in sexy lingerie, and let nature take its course. The more focused on pleasure and relaxation you and your partner are, the better your chances to conceive.
As a matter of fact, did you know that having an orgasm can boost your chance of conceiving? If you climax at the same time as your partner or after he does, you will retain more semen inside your body, thereby increasing your chance of getting pregnant.
Sexual Positions
Sexual positions can also help conception along. If you've been having difficulty conceiving, you may want to switch positions. Rear entry (or doggie style) can maximize penetration, since it deposits sperm close to the cervix. When your partner's sperm lingers too long in your vaginal secretions, the sperm will die. If the man is on top, you may want to put a pillow underneath your buttocks to raise your pelvis, so the sperm has an easier time traveling to the cervix. Women-on-top positions can make it harder to become pregnant, as it can lead to sperm leaking out.
After having sex, you may be able to improve your chances at conception by lying down for 20 minutes with your legs in the air. This may give your partner's sperm a boost.
Remember that everything about getting pregnant is fun, including the time you spend trying to become pregnant. Aim to have sex every 24 to 48 hours to maximize your chances of conception.
Ovulation Kits
During 2 weeks pregnant, you may want to also start to use an ovulation kit or fertility monitors. Some of these kits are relatively inexpensive, and they may offer useful information. These ovulation kits work by testing your urine to pick up the levels of the luteinizing hormone (HG). This hormone is responsible for releasing the egg from your ovary. HG increases 24-48 hours before you ovulate.
To achieve the best results, always follow the instructions. Though you can use the test at any time, it is best if you stick to the same time every day. These kits are often 99 percent accurate, though occasionally they can give false positives or false negatives.
Getting Pregnant Takes Time
If you've been trying for a while without any luck, keep in mind that reproduction is a delicate process. For 16 percent of all couples actively trying to get pregnant, it took them over 12 months before they achieved conception. If you've been trying for a while without any luck, keep in mind that reproduction is a delicate process. For 16 percent of all couples actively trying to get pregnant, it took them over 12 months before they achieved conception.
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