Getting Pregnant - Everything You Need to Know to Get Pregnant
By Rachel Gurevich, About.com Guide to Fertility
Maybe you’ve been trying to get pregnant for years, or, perhaps, you’ve just begun. You might have already gone through a battery of fertility tests, or maybe you’re still debating whether to see a doctor or not. Regardless of which description fits your situation best, you’re probably looking for the same thing -– how to get pregnant. Learn what you need to know about getting pregnant here, from how getting pregnant works, to how to time sex for ovulation. You’ll also find coping tips for the two-week wait, how to find support when you’re trying to get pregnant, and how to cope with the stress of trying to conceive.
- How Getting Pregnant Works
- All About Ovulation
- Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Charting
- Babymaking Sex
- The Two-Week Wait and Pregnancy Testing
- Getting Pregnant After 35
- Seeking Help to Get Pregnant
- Coping with TTC Stress
- Finding Emotional Support while TTC
How Getting Pregnant Works
When you understand your body, you may feel more in control and make better choices about your reproductive health. Understanding the reproductive system will also help you understand fertility testing and treatments better. Get the basics on reproduction and how to get pregnant.
- How the Female Reproductive System Really Works
- How Long Does It Take to Get Pregnant?
- How Long to Try Before You Seek Help
All About Ovulation
The more you know about ovulation, the better able you’ll understand how to time sex for pregnancy and make the best use of fertility drug cycles. Also, problems with ovulation are the cause for infertility in about 30% of women. Learn everything you need to know about ovulation, or the lack there of, here.
- Seven Signs of Ovulation
- How Long Does the Ovulation Period Last?
- All About Anovulation
- How the Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Work
- Sexual Desire and Ovulation
- Is Ovulation Pain Normal?
- Getting Pregnant with Irregular Cycles
- Why Can’t I Get Pregnant if I’m Ovulating Normally?
- All About BBT Charting
- Ovulation and Cervical Mucus
- Ovulation and Your Cervix
- Ovulation Calendar
Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Charting
Basal body temperature (BBT) charting is one way to track ovulation. Some doctors will ask you to track your basal body temperature so they can see if you’re timing sex for pregnancy. Or, you may want to track your basal body temperature to find out when and if you’re ovulating. Since your BBT can only detect ovulation after it happens, you should also track your cervical mucus and cervical position when fertility charting. Learn everything you need to know about fertility charting here.
- Everything You Need to Know About BBT Charting
- Choosing a BBT Thermometer
- How to Take Your BBT
- How to Chart Your BBT
- Can You Detect Pregnancy with a BBT Chart?
- How to Check Your Cervical Mucus
- How to Check Your Cervical Position
Babymaking Sex
Unless you’re getting pregnant through IUI or IVF fertility treatments, you’ll need to have sex at the right time, in the right way, to get pregnant. How often should you have sex if you want to get pregnant? How can you know if it’s time for some bedroom baby dancing? Learn what you need to know.
- When Can You Get Pregnant?
- How Often Should You Have Sex?
- Timing Sex on Clomid
- Seven Signs of Ovulation
The Two-Week Wait and Pregnancy Testing
The two-week wait –- the time between ovulation and your expected period –- is a time of high anxiety for many couples. During the two-week wait, you begin to wonder if you might be pregnant, and that wondering can sometimes lead to imaginary pregnancy symptoms. You may be tempted to take an early pregnancy test, and wonder if a negative result is a bad sign, or if it was just too early. Get the information you need here to help you get through the two-week wait with less anxiety.
- Two Week Wait Survival Tips
- When to Take a Pregnancy Test
- Reader Experiences with Home Pregnancy Tests
- Early Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms
- Feeling Pregnant? Coping with Imaginary Pregnancy Symptoms
- Can You Detect Pregnancy with a BBT Chart?
- What to Expect During Early IVF Pregnancy
Getting Pregnant After 35
Age matters when you’re trying to get pregnant, and the media doesn’t always report the facts on age and fertility in a clear way. You might be surprised to learn that age isn’t just a factor for female fertility, but also male fertility. You may also have read about egg freezing, and wonder if it’s a practical way to preserve your fertility. Learn what you need to know about getting pregnant after age 35 here.
- Getting Pregnant After Age 35
- The Facts on Male Fertility and Age
- All About Egg Freezing and Vitrification
- Can You Be Too Young for Infertility?
Seeking Help to Get Pregnant
If you’re looking for information on how to get pregnant, you’re probably not one of those couples who got pregnant the first month they tried. How long should it take to get pregnant? And when should you see a doctor? Find answers to these important questions in these articles.
- How Soon Can You Get Pregnant?
- When to Seek Professional Help
- Signs and Symptoms of Infertility
- Am I Too Young for Infertility?
Coping with TTC Stress
Coping with infertility is hard. Really hard. Research has shown that the psychological stress experienced by women with infertility is similar to that of women coping with illnesses like cancer, HIV, and chronic pain. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, you're not alone. Here are ways to cope when you’re trying to conceive.
- Checklist: Are You Depressed or Anxious?
- Answering, “When are You Going to Have Kids?”
- The Emotional Impact of Infertility
- Coping with the Sadness of Infertility
- Coping with Infertility at Family Gatherings
- Surviving the Two Week Wait
- Review: "Help with Fertility" Guided Imagery Program
- Can Stress Keep You From Getting Pregnant?
- You Know You’ve Been Trying to Conceive for Too Long When...
Finding Emotional Support while TTC
Trying to get pregnant is fun the first few months and frustrating after the first several. After a year of trying, especially once you add in all the testing and treatments, struggling with trying to get pregnant becomes downright painful. But you don’t have to go through infertility alone. From support groups to online forums to mental health counselors, there are people out there who want to help. Here’s how to find support.
