Anna C. Brooke - Take Charge of Your Fertility: A Step by Step Guide to Making Babies, Including Getting Pregnant Naturally, Preventing Miscarriage and Improving Your Chances in IVF

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR FERTILITY

Copyright 2017 Anna C. Brooke.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

Also by Anna C. Brooke

The Final Trimester

TABLE OF CONTENTS

When it comes to becoming a parent, it isnt everyone that has such goal. However, for those who do, the inability to conceive at the right time can be extremely agonizing. Many people have spent a part of their lives trying to prevent spontaneous pregnancies while assuming that conception will certainly take place with little efforts once they are ready for it. We typically assume that shifting gear from avoiding pregnancy to planning when to conceive to having a child will ensue in a relatively orderly and smooth manner. And then, the failure to conceive at the expected time may lead to major life stress or even wreak havoc on a couples life.

Trying to get pregnant is very stressful and emotional, and the society today, tends to assume that anyone in a committed relationship has the sole aim of procreation. Women are even expected to pass on their genetic and generational legacies, and men are not left out. Failure to fulfill this end of the bargain can be extremely humiliating, depressing and devastating. Although remarkable developments have been made in treating infertility, it is still not a topic that is openly discussed.

As a provider who has seen the effects trying to conceive can have on individual psychological well-being, I know that stress and anxiety shouldnt be taken lightly, since they commonly affect couples who really want to have a child of their own. They may also feel frustrated with the process and isolated from loved ones if there isnt any effective plan or technique to manage these feelings. Even the frequent colloquial advice of just relax is hopeless and infuriating to those who have been trying to conceive without success.

Currently, in the U.S., an estimated 11 million couples are said to be trying to conceive, and it is recently recommended that all expectant parents should start making baby-making plans at least three months before they start trying to conceive.

Take Charge of Your Fertility is designed to provide you with adequate information on boosting your fertility, treatment options available and the resources to guide you through this agonizing period. It also contains a variety of stress-reduction techniques and healthy coping mechanism that can greatly help you during this period. This guide is a resource that successfully gives answers to questions, eases concerns and worries, and offers hope to its readers.

Therefore, if you are a woman who wants some guidance on how to enhance your chances of conceiving, this book is for you. Maybe you just have one or two questions about trying to get pregnant and you need some helpful information on how to get started, then this book is for you. Or perhaps, you want to play an active role in your fertility, this book is also for you. So lets get started!

Since you have decided to experience parenthood, there is the need to give yourself the best chance of a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. So take some time to prepare your body well before you head down the road to conception. Here are some tips to help you:

Think your decision through

Having a kid is a life commitment, so it is important for you to carefully review your decision before you try to conceive. Ask yourself if you are ready to parent a child when you have one and how you will handle childcare responsibilities as well as balancing family and work. You should also talk this through with your partner to be sure that both of you are equally committed to becoming parents.

Ditch your birth control

So you are ready to stop using birth control but tossing contraception is not as easy as moving diaphragm or condoms to the back of your drawer. This is because stopping hormonal contraception may require a little planning. For some women, all they have to do to reverse the effect of the pill, the patch or the ring, is to stop using them and fertility will return within few days. But it takes about a month or more for some women to start ovulating again after contraception is stopped. So it is recommended by some healthcare practitioners that you use a barrier method and wait until you have a couple of regular periods before you try to get pregnant so that you can be able to establish a more accurate due date. However, it is very safe if you want to conceive right away and you shouldnt worry if you get pregnant before your period becomes normal again since you can always have an early sonogram to date your pregnancy.

Make a preconception visit

There is the need for you to visit your doctor or midwife for a preconception checkup when you are trying to get pregnant. So your doctor can evaluate your personal and family medical history and your present health as well as any supplements or medications you are taking. Some of your medications and supplements can be harmful to pregnancy and you may need to switch some to other ones before you try to get pregnant.

Your diet, exercise, weight and some unhealthy habits such as taking drugs, drinking and smoking will be discussed with you by your doctor. Multivitamins would be recommended for you, test on immunity to childhood diseases such as chicken pox will be carried out on you and your doctor will ensure you are up to date with your immunization. You may also be referred to a specialist if you are having certain medical conditions (high blood pressure, diabetes or asthma) that require control before you conceive.

If it has been up to a year since your last checkup, a pelvic examination and a pap smear, as well as test for sexually transmitted diseases would be carried out.

Genetic carrier screening

This is one of the most important things you can do to ensure having a healthy baby. Your doctor will most likely offer you genetic screening before you try to conceive to know if you or your partner have any severe inherited illness such as sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and so on. This is because your baby will have 1 in 4 chances of having the disease if any or both of you are carriers. A genetic counselor will be able to tell you more about the condition and will also help you sort out your reproductive choices. A blood or saliva sample will be taken from each of you for the test to be carried out.

Give up drugs, smoking, and drinking

This is the time for you to stop taking drugs, smoking, and drinking (and get help if necessary) if you do. Many studies have shown that engaging in any of those can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, and low-birth-weight babies. And some drugs can linger in your system even after visible effects have worn off.

Some researchers suggest that tobacco use affects fertility and lower a mans sperm count. It is also said that secondhand smoke can reduce the ability to conceive. When you are trying to conceive, having a moderate drinking (one drink in a day for women) is considered ok but excessive drinking should be avoided. And it is recommended that you stop drinking altogether once you become pregnant since no one can ascertain the potentially harmful effects the smallest amount of alcohol can have on a developing baby.

It is actually difficult to stop unhealthy habits, so dont hesitate to discuss this with your doctor. He or she can enlighten you on the tools that can help you quit smoking or refer you to a program that can help you to stop taking drugs. Your local health department can also help you by getting you in touch with group programs, counselors, and other assistance.