Getting pregnant
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/getting-pregnant/MY00329
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Fertility
Getting pregnant can be an exciting time. For some, getting pregnant seems to happen simply by talking about it. For others, getting pregnant takes plenty of patience and perhaps a bit of luck.
Understanding when you're most fertile can make getting pregnant easier. It's also important to consider simple do's and don'ts of conception. For example, maintain a healthy weight, eat a healthy diet and have sex regularly — especially near the time of ovulation. Don't smoke or drink alcohol. Of course, healthy sperm counts, too.
With frequent unprotected sex, most healthy couples conceive within one year. If you have trouble getting pregnant, don't go it alone. A fertility specialist or other health care provider may be able to help. Infertility affects men and women equally — and treatment is available.
Parental health
Parental health is key to a healthy pregnancy. After all, healthy parents are more likely to have healthy babies. Start with parental health basics, such as updating your vaccines, eating healthy foods, taking prenatal vitamins and exercising regularly.
Parental health takes on additional significance if you have a chronic medical condition that may affect your pregnancy. Work with your health care provider to manage your condition both before and during pregnancy. Remember, taking good care of yourself is the best way to take care of your baby.
Parental health includes considerations about age, too. If you're older than 35 and hoping to get pregnant, understand the issues older mothers face — and know what it takes to have a healthy pregnancy.
Pregnancy symptoms
If you're experiencing pregnancy symptoms, you're probably eager to know if you're actually pregnant — whether you've been trying to get pregnant for months or your pregnancy symptoms came as a surprise.
Early pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue, tender breasts and mood swings sometimes indicate pregnancy. In other cases, these classic pregnancy symptoms may be something else — such as an illness or the start of your period. Often, the easiest way to know what's behind pregnancy symptoms is to take a home pregnancy test.
If your home pregnancy test is positive, make an appointment with your health care provider. You may also want to try a pregnancy due date calculator. If you're pregnant, estimating your due date is an important part of your prenatal care.
Share on:
Find Mayo Clinic on