Tips on increasing pregnancy chances?

[MoonJo]

Hi Girls (and guys!)

Wondering if I could harness some collective knowledge?

My sister has been trying to conceive for more than six months now and I'm looking for the best advice on how to increase her chances. She's learning more about her cycle and when she ovulates (i.e. not day 14 as was previously thought!) - but is there anything in particular that you found helpful (advice or information) that helped you achieve pregnancy?

We're especially interested in couples that took longer than six months to conceive - or anyone that had "unexplained infertility" diagnosed - but still conceived.

Thanks so much in advance for your collective wisdom.

Bett
xx

[Heaven]

Sign up to fertilityfriend and start charting to find out what's going on and the best time to dtd!!

I took about 8 months to concieve. The month I conceived was the first month I tried acupuncture and chinese herbal medicine, great results!!!!!!!

[Shanti]

I have been ttc for just over 6mths now and besides charting and using FF and having regular intercourse, and also seeing an Acupuncturist/Kinesiologist (i have been the last few wks) then I can say there isnt much more you can try..... well, unless you go to a Dr and get referral to a FS to look at getting tests done on sperm analysis etc.... (we are not up to that stage yet)

Does she get much ewcm each cycle? Because some women don't get that much, they find that preseed lubricant (fertility lubricant safe for sperm) can help the swimmers get thru to where they are meant to! My DH and i use this too.... have been for about 3mths now.....

Good luck to your sister! I know how she feels hope it happens soon for her.

[Heaven]

Oh yes, pre-seed is good too!! We used it the last 2 cycles.

[MamaPan]

it took us 12 months...
i think it was stress related
i know this doesnt sound serious but tell her to go ona holiday (at the righ time of the month) - it worked for us.. and also for some friends. just get away and see what happens.
it is at least a nice method to use!!

[Natty]

We were trying but not trying (ie not charting, doing OPKs etc) for six months with no success. I started doing Ovulation Predictor Kit testing to determine when I ovulated and in December fell pregnant when we BD'd the day we got the first +OPK result (due to work, stress etc we didnt do it any other time that month!). Unfortunately we had a missed m/c in February and then after one AF we fell pregnant again in March by doing the same thing - BD'ing the day of the first OPK result (although we BD'd every second day for 9 days before that too!).

The other thing was getting DH to take zinc tablets as well as multivitamins.

Good luck to your sister!

[satya]

I stopped trying.

That's basically what got me a pregnancy that stuck. I had a 8.5 year TTC history with my first partner, about 18 months with my current partner.

I had tried pretty much everything, avoiding caffeine, alcohol, taking different combinations of herbs, vitamins etc, certain days of the the cycle. You name it I tried it.

I had been told my only option was to try IVF. My partner and I broke up briefly and then I got pregnant straight away when we reconciled. I was drinking buckets of coffee, alcohol in moderation, no special vitamins other than a multi, no timing things to perfection. Somehow it worked.

[Julie Doula]

ooh, tell me more about fertility friend! What is it???

Here's a few things I've read/heard can be helpful:

* Zinc, for both partners, most of us are low in zinc
* rule out allergies in either partner
* cut out caffeine, cigs, alcohol (caffeine affects zinc absorption)
* Vitamin E
* Vitamin C
* Evening Primrose Oil
* Spirulina, which is a whole food supplement and rich in nutrients including zinc, magnesium and calcium
* Fish Oil
* Nettle tea
* Dong Quai herb

Good luck!

[Bea06]

I had 2 sessions of acupuncture and also charted my cycle for 5 months using that thing that you get at the supermarket that tells you when you're ovulating. (Kind of like a pregnancy test, but for ovulating).

am thinking about trying to conceive again soon, but I don't seem to be ovulating as yet. Thought I might go and buy one of those 'Maybe Baby' things at the chemist. Apparently you put it on your tongue and it measures some sort of hormone thing in your saliva - possibly easier than peeing into a cup! It's $90, but if it can give you an acurate reading as to exactly when you're ovulating it might be handy!

Good luck.