Tricks that might help you get pregnant

[TravelGirl]

Well, another cycle down and nada. :(

Could you ladies please post some tips that help you get pregnant.

1. BD every other day
2. DH should wear boxers
3. Avoid caffine and alcohol

What else?

TIA

[albuquerque]

BD every other day didn't work for us. I was charting for a while, and that helped me see my patterns, but didn't eliminate the guesswork. What I think worked, and what I will not wait to do next time, is to use ovulation predictor kits. They get pricey pretty fast, particularly if you ovulate not extremely regularly and a bit on the late side, like me. But it takes out the guesswork. I tried to follow the instructions to a t, not peeing for 4 hours and all that. Not easy. But it worked! Next time we TTC, I'll be using them from the first cycle instead of waiting for months of heartache to get there.

Also, with the OPKs, you know pretty well when you're ovulating. DH and I BDd something like 5 days in a row, starting from the time the OPKs started to show darker (but not quite positive) lines, until 2 days after ovulation. BD every other day, for nearly the whole cycle, didn't work for us. Also inevitably there would be a day when we were just too tired or something threw our pattern off. That would be, as per Murphy's Law, right around when I would ovulate. Ugh.

DH doesn't wear boxers, adamantly refuses, hates them. He swims every other day for exercise, though, so I just had to hope the swimming and the "boxer rebellion" would cancel each other out. And they did.

Hang in there. I know the whole process is frustrating and frightening in a way that nothing before ever was.

[LeslieR]

It's such a crapshoot because you can say "We did x, x, and x the cycle we got pregnant." but you don't really know if you would have still gotten pregnant whether you did x, x, and x or not. KWIM? Anyway, this is what we did differently the cycle we conceived:

1. I charted w/ my temp (was not taking my temp the 2 cycles before)
2. BD every other day
3. used Instead cups

[BeachBum]

Chart! :)

[BTB]

I second the charting!

Also, why are you BDing every other day? For the average healthy couple without fertility issues, the more sex they have, the more likely they are to get pg. In the absence of a reason to skip days, you should BD daily during your fertile window. Studies show a slight increased chance of pregnancy during that cycle, but the real help in daily BDing is IMPROVED sperm quality and quantity later on. Semen's like breastfeeding, it's all about supply and demand! It takes about 90 days to generate sperm, so any improvements in schedule now won't have full effect for three months.

I know there's older information out there that recommends the every other schedule, but it needs updating. DH does have a low sperm count, and even so his urologist recommended daily BDing.

[MrsTazlvr]

Drink a glass of wine when you are O'ing. I read somewhere that it softens the egg. I NEVER drink, but I did the night I conceived both my DD and now this pregnancy. I had infertility issues and I really think that that wine helped because both times I didn't drink any other months when I O'd. :)

Good luck! :D

[TravelGirl]

I charted when we tried to get PG with our son and that was enough to get the job done. Not so this time. I've been charting for 9 months and my cycles continue to be all over the place. They range from 28 days to 40. And Ovusoft never seems to detect when I O. I swear the older version of the software worked better than the current one. I've tried buying OPK but they are getting ridiculously expensive when I'm testing for weeks at a time. I've gone ahead and purchased a ClearBlue Fertility Monitor to help determine expactly my high days and when I O. What I'm trying to remember are other things we can do. I remember hearing something about green tea and Robitussin.

[Kanga]

Green Tea has been said to improve the quantity and quality of your cervical mucous. I believe the same is true for Robitussin.

[ButterflyJen]

I always shoved a pillow under my butt when we were finished BDing. I left it there for a good half hour. :) I have no idea if this helped or not, but hey, I took no chances!

[HSSweethearts]

I have to agree whole heartedly with LeslieR.

It is a comple crapshoot because everyone is different. I did many of the same things she did the cycle we got a BFP although I would rank them in a different order.

1. BDed every other day
2. Used Instead Cups (got a BFP the first cycle I used them)
3. Charted so that I could see approximately if/when I O'ed

OPK's didn't work for me... I couldn't hold my pee for that long. :rolleyes:

Good luck!!!!

[DallasLady]

DH and I were watching Jerry Springer and trying to figure out why all those people seem to have dozens of babies and we can't. So we came up with the Jerry Springer pregnancy plan:

1. Quit your job and go on welfare
2. Get drunk and have a one night stand with DH's best friend
3. Start smoking pot (though crack seems to be more effective)
4. If all else fails, get drunk and have a one night stand with your cousin

Sorry, I know your thread was meant to be serious, but I couldn't resist :D

[TravelGirl]

DallasLady - Humor is always welcome. A friend of mine and I joke that if we were 18 and in the back of a Chevy we'd be PG by now. (I'm sure we're offending someone out there. Sorry if that's the case.)

What are Instead Cups. Never heard of them.

[BTB]

An Instead cup is a brand of menstrual cup, a device used to collect menstrual flow as an alternative to pads and tampons. They've gained some fame in TTC circles as a diaphragm in reverse - if semen is caught inside the cup, it will be held up against the cervix until the cup is removed.

We badly wanted to conceive and it took a while, so we did give this a whirl. I found them uncomfortable, even with practice using them, and wasn't entirely convinced that I was able to catch the semen pool inside the thing, which could then hinder, not help, the odds of conception, but some people swear by them. The cycle we conceived we didn't use them, but that could've been coincidence.

[beevo12]

Sperm meets Egg plan worked for us!!!

http://www.pregnancyloss.info/sperm_meets_egg_plan.htm

[HSSweethearts]

I agree with that plan Beevo. Makes sense to me!

And DallasLady - your response cracked me up. That is sooo funny. :D

[Mrsbuw]

We were trying for awhile. The first month I started charting, I went cold turkey on caffeine. My doctor told me to go on calcium pills. We weren't really sure when I would ovulate as this was our first chart but when I noticed my CM was really clear (ie. eggwhite) we BD. It just happened that we BD on my Ovulation date. The other thing is ummm, make sure you have an orgasm. I know I did that day and I got pregnant. We are now expecting a boy this December.
Everyone is different but it will happen, just don't put too much stress on yourself.

[southerner]

If this thread already exists, then please point me toward it.

I know that for every trick that will be posted, someone could come in and post that it doesn't work or it's a myth. I get that. I'm asking for a friend, what are some additional things she could try (besides elevating her hips and waiting to pee) that could potentially increase her chances of getting pg?

[dionysia]

Charting.

Di

[Winter Biscuit]

Chart her cycle - so she knows exactly when her fertile phase is and she's most likely to 'catch the egg.'

Just saw that I cross-posed with Di.

[Tonysweetie]

I agree with the other 2 posters. Charting is a great way to know when your most fertile. I charted a year before I got my BFP. We were TTA though but wasn't being careful that particular month. Ooops! :)

[dionysia]

Great minds, Winter Biscuit. ;)

Once my little guy arrives, he'll be living proof that charting works. Dionysios & I were TTC without charting for 8 months to no avail. Then I started charting (just temp taking, no CM measuring or anything) and got pregnant the 2nd month.

Di

[dionysia]

I forgot to add: regardless of whether she decides to chart or not, she should read "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Wexler.

Di

[southerner]

She's already charting (although only for two cycles). What else do people try?

Tonysweetie, I've read that a few times around here now. oops, you sure? ;)

[tealynn]

Let's see, drinking grapefruit juice, green tea and robitussin are all supposed to increase your quality of CM(not that I reccommend all of them at the same time).

There's also something out there called Fertilitea, and Fertility Blend that are supposed to promote fertility and increase your chances of pregnancy.

And I believe that just about any ol' doc is prescribing Clomid these days and I've read a study that shows that, overall, more woman taking Clomid became pregnant than those who were taking a placebo. I don't know the details but I'm sure a google search could bring it up.

[Scooter]

Tips on getting pregnant (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2006) :)

[Wrighty26]

Must agree with the charting. If I wasn't charting, I wouldn't have known that I O'd (I had just been diagnosed with unexplained infertility and OPKs didn't work for me) and I wouldn't have given birth to my beautiful son.

I also have to include patience-- I consider it a "trick" because it's not something easily come by when you are TTC and you need a lot of it.

I've also heard so many tips on drinking green tea, taking Evening Primrose Oil, taking Robtussin, elevating hips, and not peeing after sex. I tried all of these things months prior to getting PG... the month I did none of these things. :rolleyes:

[Scooter]

robitussin [is] ... supposed to increase your quality of CM

While I've still got a second to post, I thought I would again try to clear up that misconception.

Robitussin thins out mucous. That's why you take it when you have a cold & are congested. It does the same thing to the cervical mucous. This means that if you have EWCM, the highest quality, most fertile, CM, you DO NOT want to take Robitussin. It will just thin the EWCM out and make it watery.

However, if the most fertile CM you get each cycle is only the creamy consistency, then you DO want to thin it out. This is the ONLY instance where taking Robitussin is a better option than just drinking lots of water & greentea/grapefruit juice/carrot juice whatever method you want to try.

There are more CM-related methods here:
How to increase quality/quantity of CM? (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6060)

[Sunshine]

I charted for the 4 months it took to get pregnant, and then in the 4th month I tried grapefruit juice.
I drank a glass of juice every mornng after AF left, and then 4 days before I O'd I ate a half of a grapefruit on top of the glass of juice.....

Not sure if it was the grapefruit or not but whatever it was, worked:p

Charting is difficult to get used to...I still wasnt sure after 4 months....so see if she will keep at it. Only time will tell:)
I believe even with the best circumstances yuo still only have about a 25% chance of conceiving!

GOOD LUCK!

[ellidew]

I charted for 12 months to no avail! Although i do promote charting and generally being knowledgeable about your cycle.

We only did two things differently the month we conceived...

1. Go on vacation and
2. Pre Seed.

I have no idea if either or both of these resulted in our BFP but we got one nonetheless! I do think my cm was inadequate though which is why i tried the preseed to begin with so it's possible it helped.

Good luck to your friend.

[Soulmate]

1) Patience

2) Acupuncture

The only two things that worked for me in 16 charted cycles.

[maplekitty]

From what I've read, things to *avoid* to better you chance of getting pregnant:

-High quantities of caffeine
-High quantities of shellfish
-Soy
-Peas

**********

Drink lots of water, because a well hydrated body is a healthy body, and a healthy body doesn't get sick, and when you are not sick, you are more likely to get pregnant...
Your immune system plays a huge role in pregnancy. I have a friend with a depleated immune system do to a thyroid disease in her leg. She's having major fertility problems right now because, essentially her body is "too sick" to get pregnant.

[Delaney21]

1. Go on vacation and
2. Pre Seed.

I have no idea if either or both of these resulted in our BFP but we got one nonetheless!

Same here! Mexico seems to be the place to get pregnant, so tell your friend to pack her bags!

[shimmerstar]

I haven't seen this one mentioned, but after we dtd I used instead cups. They are really for periods, but I had heard of someone using them to get pg. I was also charting, and we got pg the first time we tried. I'm not sure if we stacked the deck or are just really fertile.

[Toonces]

Acupuncture worked for me, too. I also used the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor, OPKs, and charted. That's how I knew I was O'ing late and acupuncture got my O date back on track.

[Asha]

if she's not getting pregnant, i highly reccomend avoiding the tips and just going straight to an re. if i had gone after 6 mos of ttc, i would have been through much less grief and had answers much sooner.

[Tonysweetie]

She's already charting (although only for two cycles). What else do people try?

Tonysweetie, I've read that a few times around here now. oops, you sure? ;)


Yes, me and DH got carried away and usually he'll "ask" before he finishes and he didn't. So techically we "TTC" but well you get it, lol. Sorry for TMI!

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Delaney21: We got pregnant in Mexico too;) Must be something in the water.

ellidew: What is preseed?

I didn't see anyone mention those little ovulation sticks. You can order them on-line, you pee on them just like a pregnancy test. The are really cheap if bought on line, might be worth a try.

Here's a link for some:

http://www.testsforless.com/dipstrip_ovulation_tests.asp

[mommydearest]

Read Taking Charge of Your Fertility and start charting. Use preseed. Try all of the "tricks." Then after a year when you are really stressed at work and busy, stop charting and decide to adopt. Put down a deposit for an international adoption. Schedule a homestudy. Decorate a nursery for the boy you are going to adopt. You'll be pregnant within a month!

But, it was all worth it.

[southerner]

I knew y'all would come through for a gal, thanks!

I read the grapefruit thread, (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11031) but what is it about grapefruit juice that works so well? Is it the acid in it (taking a stab here)?

What's preseed?

Thanks for the links, Scooter!

[Janey]

Southerner - Grapefruit is a natural diuretic, and will help get your juices flowing. That's why it's also a great diet food. I ate it as much for water retention issues as for TTC issues. It also does good things for you like lower cholesterol, and can help fight against cancer. Info on grapefruit (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=25). A teaspoon of sugar is a mere 15 calories, and makes the grapefruit a lot sweeter. :)

Tonyssweetie - yikes.

[MichelleRenee]

All I can tell you is what worked for us. (TTC w/ charting 5 months before BFP)

The month of my BFP we did these things different:

1. Used Pre-Seed (kinda pricey, but I got PG the first cycle I used it)
2. I did not get out of bed after BDing the night I O'ed... not even to get dressed. (kept all the good stuff in;) )
3. Did not have an orgasm after he did. (Some say it pushes the sperm in, others say it pushes it away from the cervix... we made sure I had one every other time so this time I thought we'd do something different....)

Also, through charting and having read TCOYF I knew I was Oing the night I did and took advantage of that. It was about 5 days early for me, but I knew it was happening. I had bad O pains and fertile CM, so I used an ovulation predictor and it was positive. If I hadn't known to watch for the signs of early O I could have easily missed that one because it was so early for me.

[jennylou]

Having sex around her fertile days (not necessarily on CD 14). As others have said, at least read TCOYF but preferably chart.

[bellabonga]

What's preseed?


Pre-seed is a sperm-friendly lubricant. We tried pre-seed too but I wasn´t too impressed with it, especially for that price. I recommend taking Vitex (herbal pills) if your friend has irregular cycles. For us a combination of Vitex, vitamins and DTD every day around ovulation worked in the 4th cycle.

[ellidew]

Pre-Seed- It's a little pricey especially if you are buying it for many months. It only took one month for us though and after 12 months of trying it was Jan and we weren't going to go in for infertility until June so i was willing to pay anything! lol. Like i said before though... i don't think my cm was adequate. I never had very much at all. Also, i didn't use an entire application packet each time we dtd.


We got pregnant in Mexico too Must be something in the water.

Seriously! I wonder how many other 'destination' babies are on the boards.

I second the caffeine recommendation too! My dh was drinking a pot of coffee a day! I made him cut back to two cups but that was several months before our bfp. I guess it could've made a difference though. I kept telling him that his sperm was so hyped up on caffeine they didn't know which way to turn! lol.

I still think getting pg is a crap shoot!

[Scooter]

Pre-Seed- It's a little pricey especially if you are buying it for many months. ... Like i said before though... i don't think my cm was adequate. I never had very much at all.


Not to pick on Elliedew, but this is another very common misconception. (no pun inended) Preseed is the most expensive of the sperm-friendly lubricants on the market, but it is only a lubricant. It does not replace CM in any other way. The fertile-quality CM is important to help the sperm get through the cervix, but the lubricants don't enter the cervix. Preseed, etc, only help thesperm get to the cervix, not travel sucessfully through it.

The good news is that often there is a bit of EWCM in the cervix that isn't detected on internal or external checks, so a woman can think she doesn't have any EWCM, but has a little bit where it is most important. If she then uses a sperm-friendly lubricant, the sperm can get the help to find their way to that EWCM inthe cervix. So it can definitely help some people conceive!

[vwinkel]

Holy crap there is a ton of things and abbreviations I will have to learn when I finally TTC. I am seriously floored.

[Sophia]

When I was TTC I used Femglide instead of PreSeed because it was less expensive. It's another sperm-friendly lube.

[Sophia]

Holy crap there is a ton of things and abbreviations I will have to learn when I finally TTC. I am seriously floored.

TTC Abbreviations (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2679)

[Scooter]

And I believe that just about any ol' doc is prescribing Clomid these days and I've read a study that shows that, overall, more woman taking Clomid became pregnant than those who were taking a placebo. I don't know the details but I'm sure a google search could bring it up.
I just noticed this above, not sure how I could have missed it! :eek: Is that seriously the attitude these days?

Of course it's better than a placebo, its effectiveness is not a question. This is not in the same category as the rest of the things being mentioned in this thread, I hope no one reading it thinks that! It's a hormone, not an herb or something. This is fertility medication with potentially serious side effects--and I'm not just talking about a higher rate of twins & triplets. Although that's also true. This is a prescription medication for people with known fertility issues, and should ONLY be taken under close monitoring, including multiple ultrasounds, by a doctor. And, IMO, that shouldn't be a regular ob/gyn, either.

[tealynn]

Scooter I understand how you feel, it's pretty crazy but that's the case. There are a number of women the TTCing threads that have just told their OB/GYN at an appointment that they're TTCing and it hasn't happened yet.

Don't know why doctor's have taken such a cavalier attitude about it. But I know at least 4-5 people in a certain thread that have it and are taking it without any supervision. My NP told me she'd write me a prescription the last time I was there but I didn't take her up on it.

Of course, I certainly was only 1/2 serious when I mentioned taking Clomid. I think most people realize you can't get it without a prescription. Unless you're scrounging around online...it's the Viagra of Fertililty meds!

[Scooter]

I know it's easy to get online, and I know not all people take it as seriously as it needs to be taken. In a thread for people who are just starting to TTC & looking for tips, I didn't think it should be mentioned so casually.

It's too bad the women who are taking it didn't get a chance to talk to one of my old REs. He told me of a case he'd had where a woman taking clomid got a cyst. It happens in 1 out of every 4 clomid cycles. Unfortunately for the woman, that cyst made her lose her whole ovary on that side. :(

[fsb2005]

Don't use the every other day method (unless you know there's a problem w/sperm quality). If you can muster up the energy, go every day in your fertile period (charting helps with that). Even like 4-5 days in a row.

[MelanieMOnek]

Okay so we have been TTC since September with no luck. We just bought the Clear Blue Easy monitor and I am drinking grapefruit juice. I have some questions though...
1. How long should you keep your hips up after BD
2. Is it really better to BD in the morning
3. How long before you can shower?

I dont think I can handle AF again. AF was bad enough before but now that we are TTC its emotionally unbearable

[katiems118]

My doctor said 15 minutes...Hope that helps, I have been doing it for 2 months now...not working for me though...ttc for 10.

[sea74]

Where oh where has this thread been hiding!

Okay, I have a Hips up question. I'm embarrassed but I'm not totally sure I'm doing it right and I've tried it a few different ways :o

When I put the pillow under me, where EXACTLY do you put it? I put it right where my tush and legs/hips start but I don't really "feel" elevated.
Then I tried leaning back and putting my legs up in the air. Then I read or heard something like that could make the sperm go too far back and miss the cervix all together.
THEN I've tried just bending my knees.

I'm feel like an idiot because I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing.

As far as showering, I'm a two time a day showerer. And if we BD at night, I've already showered. If it's in the morning, I like to wait about 20-30 minutes.

and MelanieMOnek also give green tea a chance, for me it produced WAY more EWCM than grapefruit juice. :)

[beevo12]

Sea74 Have you tried the Instead Cups? Not sure if that was mentioned in here or not. They are for AF but people and myself included have used them to keep all the spermies up close to the cervix.

[sea74]

I've heard that people use them but don't have any experience. Did you use them both times?

[beevo12]

No, not both times, just the first time. The second time we just happened to get lucky I guess. I really do think it helped though and then I wouldn't have to worry about propping up my legs or anything, I would just stick it in and get up!:)

[Heidi9771]

-preseed
-lots of green tea
-clearblue easy fertility monitor
-fertility friend membership so you can chart
-basal body thermometer
-prenatal vitamins for the extra b6!

Others:
-HSG
-Progesterone blood checks
-Semen analysis

[jesseybell]

We got pregnant on the second month I know I ovulated. I don't know how much of this contributed, but this is what we did and it worked.

-Temped and used fertility monitor the first 2 cycles off the pill and never reached peak and temps didn't indicate ovulation - had a subscription to fertilityfriend.com

-Third cycle did temping, fertility monitor (did reach peak) and back-up OPKS (positive) but our BDing schedule was off - we only BDed the first day of Peak/+ OPK - the next days DH and I were sick so just couldn't muster the energy.

4th cycle I had the threat of having to have an HSG to check my tubes if I wasn't pregnant, so we pulled out all the stops:
-Temped, OPK, Fertility Monitor (BDed every day for 4 days based on O date the month before)
BUT also....
-Starting 4 days before O date started taking robitussin 4 times a day since I had had issues with not much CM
-After BDing I'd put my legs up for 10-15 minutes (I put them up on the wall - more comfortable that way!)
-I made sure I had a Big O after DH did

Forgot to say, all the charting was great because I didn't end up ovulating until Day 23

[MelanieMOnek]

So I have a wierd question. If you BD too much can that cause a problem. My husband and I BD every day of the month unless AF is here. I have read some articles that say thats bad because it means he will produce less sperm. Yet I have read other articles that say its okay as long as its always been like that because his body will know how much to produce. Does anyone know which is correct?

[mpc863]

bumping this up with a random question...

is it better to BD in the morning or at night? or is there no difference?

[countrymouse]

It was always at night for us. Specifically the night before, during, and after ovulation (using the Clearblue Easy Digital OPK). Got a BFP on the 4th month of doing it this way.

[NotDesperate]

Drink a glass of wine when you are O'ing. I read somewhere that it softens the egg. I NEVER drink, but I did the night I conceived both my DD and now this pregnancy. I had infertility issues and I really think that that wine helped because both times I didn't drink any other months when I O'd. :)

Good luck! :D

Does it have to be just wine? Does a Margarita work? lol, I hate wine but I might be going out to buy a bottle (or a box :D) LOL!

[itsjustme]

bumping this up with a random question...

is it better to BD in the morning or at night? or is there no difference?

There are lots of credible sources out there that say it's higher in the morning

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fertility/MC00023

This one says higher in the mornings and it the winters

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/MC/00023.html

[NotDesperate]

So I have a wierd question. If you BD too much can that cause a problem. My husband and I BD every day of the month unless AF is here. I have read some articles that say thats bad because it means he will produce less sperm. Yet I have read other articles that say its okay as long as its always been like that because his body will know how much to produce. Does anyone know which is correct?

BDing too much can not cause a problem (except maybe chaffing :D, lol) in terms of sperm production, etc. I never heard that the man's body will adjust to the amount of sperm it makes based on how much you BD. A healthy man with no fertility problems can BD every day just fine. If there are issues, then every other day or every 36 hours (like AM today, PM tomorrow, etc) might be better/

BDing every day of the month is really unnecessary anyway. You are really only fertle for a short time, like a 2-5 day window maybe so BDing outside that window won't really result in you getting pregnant. I would suggest you chart your cycles and also use OPKs, then you will know when you are fertile and you can BD every day during that time. Then the rest of the month you can just have fun :)

[Heidi9771]

Get the HSG! ;) I got pg ten days later, and my friends have also been pg shortly after having it done.

[NotDesperate]

Heidi, really? Wow, crazy.... food for thought.... lol

[NotDesperate]

Well I drank wine around O time so we will see if it helps, lol. :)

[Jaycee]

Here's a tip. Become a crack addict, have DH get fired from his job, and go on welfare. Guaranteed, you will be pregnant in no time!

[manda_kate]

Jaycee, I am LOL at your comment! So true.

[LoveandLaw]

Just before I first TTC, I read an article in Fit Pregnancy magazine with tips on how to get pregnant, similar to this article:

How To Get Pregnant
http://www.fitpregnancy.com/yourpregnancy/22?page=1

This is what is said about how often to have sex:


Time intercourse Have sex every other day beginning a few days before ovulation until a few days after. In a 28-day cycle, this would be from day 10 to day 18 (the day your period starts is day 1). Having sex more often may cause sperm levels to fall too low in a man with an already low count.