Sometimes the stress of trying to have a baby can be part of what makes it difficult to conceive. Likewise, women who are underweight may lose their menstrual cycles altogether or may have irregular ovulation, making it more difficult to know when they are most fertile. “Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic condition linked to being overweight, and women who suffer from PCOS may stop ovulating,” says Donovan. Watch Your Weightīeing either overweight or underweight can affect your hormones, throwing off your menstrual cycle and your fertility. Cigarette smoke can damage the eggs and contribute to premature aging of your ovaries, and since DNA abnormalities are a leading cause of miscarriage, smoking can affect both your ability to get and to stay pregnant. “There is a direct connection between smoking and reduced fertility,” says Donovan. As a bonus, ditching the cigarettes may actually help you get pregnant. You shouldn’t smoke once you’re pregnant (it can have serious negative consequences for the fetus), so it pays to quit now. “Your most fertile days include the two or three before and after actual ovulation,” says Donovan, so plan to have intercourse several times during that time window. Ovulation normally happens mid-cycle, but since menstrual cycles can vary tremendously from person to person, it pays to keep track of yours for several months–noting when you start your period, how long it lasts and when you are ovulating (you should notice an increase in cervical mucus around ovulation). But do you know when you’re ovulating? “As soon as you start thinking about trying to get pregnant, it’s important to become more aware of your cycle,” says Bernadette Donovan, a One Medical Group nurse practitioner in San Francisco specializing in women’s health. We talked to our experts for advice on getting to that positive pregnancy test sooner: Know Your CycleĪs you learned in biology class, the best time to conceive is right around ovulation. If you want to have a baby, there are things you need to know–beyond the birds-and-bees basics–that can help enhance your fertility.
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