What Can I Do to Help Me Get Pregnant?

It was only years ago when I asked my gynaecologist/friend what can I do to help me get pregnant? I was 38 and fretting about how I had limited time before menopause, when providence found me the love of my life and fell madly in love and got married not soon after. Love took over my heart, and pregnancy though still a nagging thought, was not in the front of my mind, until I blew my birthday candle which said 40; and panic and desperation ensued.

I felt that I needed to become a mom and fast! I knew that time was not on my hands and I knew my eggs were basically running out as well. So what I did was to find out what was wrong and I found I was mainly to blame.

Here is a list of what I was guilty of. I never realized that most of the things that I did reduce my chances of conception.

1. I drank too much coffee. When I asked what I could do to help improve my chances of getting pregnant, my gynaecologist blatantly said to stop my caffeine addiction. I admit, I am a coffee junkie. I would think of the next cup of coffee just before I was finished with the one I had in my hand. I found out that caffeine decreases a woman’s chances of getting pregnant and too much may also affect hormone production. I had to literally wean myself from coffee little by little each day, from the usual 8 to 9 cups a day to just a cup early in the morning to wake me up. I knew that all my sacrifices will definitely be worth it someday.
2. I smoke, occasionally. I am really guilty of smoking when I feel tension rising or when I just want to unwind. Now that I think about it, I smoked too much, period. I never realized that there was too much at stake when a woman smokes. Not only does smoking decrease the chances of fertility, it also increases the chances to develop lung cancer, hypertension, and bronchitis and immune system disorders. Sadly these mentioned illnesses require treatment, which reduces fertility. In addition, smoking also increases stillbirth and babies born with congenital birth defects. It was rather easy for me to quit since I was never hooked to cigarettes anyway. However, I know how difficult it is for those addicted to it to quit. Yet, you will need to do all you can to quit, if you are really interested in having a baby, I hear hypnosis, have been known to help chronic smoke addiction, and it is worth a try.
3. I love fast food and I am too lazy to cook. Yes, I knew that when I asked what I can do to help me get pregnant, I was in for a total lifestyle overhaul. My friend recommended that I start cooking my own food for my own good. I cut down on fatty foods and started eating high quality lean meats, great for my daily protein needs. I started to include fruits and vegetables more in my diet to increase my daily vitamins and minerals supply. I would still indulge in fast food once a week but I made sure I put a lead on it at that. By becoming healthier through eating healthier, I felt was helping my chances of conception, which was corroborated by field research in this matter.
4. Another “sacrifice” I had to endure was to find more time to exercise and keep fit. I was a bit on the plump side with a higher BMI. My gynaecologist a great chap, and a “diplomat not” J assured me that I had to slim down about 20 to 30 pounds to make way for pregnancy. The sad part was that I was a little hypertensive and had an above average cholesterol level. I desperately needed to lose weight and fast. Since I was on a diet, I spoke to a dietician to help me out and I enrolled in a gym membership which I had never considered until I decided to get pregnant. I gradually lost weight from a size 14 to a size 12 in a matter of 3 months. I was able to completely reduce my weight to my ideal one after a period of 5 months.
5. One of the answer the question of what can I do to help me get pregnant, was to surprise one that involved reducing my stress levels. I was the type of person who would keep grudges which was the reason why I was stressed all the time. I never knew that I had to change this to finally become pregnant. My husband was also guilty of this and we basically both handled stress the same way. We decided to forgive, forget and let go.

Some other things I was not aware off but needed to be changed are discussed below:

1. I was as guilty as one could be of killing my husband’s sperm. There, I admit it. I was greatly responsible for half the death of all the sperm that he was saving for my pregnancy by using vaginal douches, sprays and washes that were not only killing sperm but also making my vagina the “killing field” of sperm. I was using too much scented vaginal washes to keep me feeling fresh and smelling fresh all day that made my vagina the least possible place for sperms to survive. I was told to stop using these and stick to a pH balanced product or just plain none drying soap and water.
2. My husband was also partly to blame; I told him that in order to improve our chances of conception, it requires that he wears boxers instead of briefs. He was dumbstruck that I was telling him to basically change his personal underwear preferences but I mentioned that sperm would not survive heat which was what the briefs were doing to his sperm. I was surprised one day to find him parading in his new boxers, I guess he realised he had to do all it takes to hold his baby in his arms.

So what have I got to prove with all of these guilty pleasures we had to give up? All I can say is that I am now 41 and at the 6^th month into my pregnancy! If everything goes as planned, we will be having our baby girl in spring! It shows you that there is an answer to the question of what can I do to help me get pregnant, just follow sound recommendations and you will be fine.