Navigating Age and Fertility: Insights and Tips for Conception

Understanding ovulation can significantly impact your journey toward conception. 

Age and Fertility:
As we age, two key factors influence fertility—decreasing egg quantity and changes in egg quality over time. The egg quality introduces an elevated risk of genetic abnormalities and miscarriage. If you're considering starting a family, beginning the journey earlier allows you to be mindful of your monthly activities, and lifestyle choices, and optimize your chances of success. Approximately 75% of couples attempting pregnancy achieve success within six months. However, for those aged 35 or older, a fertility consultation is recommended, while those under 35 may consider waiting up to a year.

On the way to getting pregnant, the first step is ovulation. 
A regular menstrual cycle is crucial for understanding ovulation—the prime time for successful conception. Because the egg can survive only 24 hours after releasing from the follicle. While calendar apps can assist, irregular periods may render them less accurate. Because if you have irregular periods, it is difficult to determine ovulation day. To pinpoint your fertile window, consider alternative methods such as ovulation predictor kits, cervical mucus monitoring, or basal body temperature tracking.

Ovulation Predictor Kits:
These kits, resembling pregnancy tests, detect an LH surge indicating imminent ovulation. Use them once a day between 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM for optimal results. Because LH surge happens early in the morning and it needs time to circulate in the bloodstream and transfer to the urine. These kits detect urinary LH and show the most probable time for ovulation. Your most fertile days are the day of the positive surge and the day following.

Cervical Mucus Monitoring:
An affordable method to test ovulation involves monitoring changes in cervical mucus. Slippery, stretchy, egg-white mucus signifies peak fertility associated with ovulation.

Basal Body Temperature:
Tracking your temperature each morning helps confirm ovulation. A temperature rise indicates that ovulation has occurred, closing your fertile window. This method is useful for confirming ovulation but may not be suitable for everyone due to external factors influencing body temperature.

 And second and crucial step is the timing of the intercourse.
The frequency of intercourse is a crucial factor. While some doctors suggest every other day around day ten of the menstrual cycle, there's no evidence that more frequent ejaculations reduce fertility. If you typically have sex daily, continue doing so. Focus on having sex every other day during your fertile window, especially on the day before and the day of ovulation.
Various factors, such as position and post-sex activities, do not significantly impact fertility. You don't need to stay in bed for 30 minutes or you don't need to hold your legs or put a pillow under your buttocks. Female orgasm, however, may enhance sperm transfer through the reproductive tract. When it comes to lubricants, choose wisely. Mineral oil, canola oil, or Pre-Seed are better alternatives if lubrication is needed.

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