Top 5 Things to Help you get Pregnant

Once you decide to plan a family, you just can't wait to be with your little bundle of joy so here are some quick tips to help you get pregnant -

1.Stop contraception- With some methods of contraception, such as the male and female condom, the cap, diaphragm and natural family planning, when you stop using the contraception, your menstrual cycles and your fertility will not be affected. With other methods, such as the combined contraceptive pill and contraceptive injections, it can take some time for your menstrual cycles to return to normal after stopping the contraception. Although there is no reason you can't start trying for a baby immediately, some women like to wait a few months before trying, to re-establish their natural cycles, begin taking folic acid, and prepare their body fully.

2.Have sex at the right time- Did you know that one in two couples could be trying to get pregnant at the wrong time? There are only a few days each month when a woman can become pregnant; having sex on the day of ovulation (when your body releases an egg) or the few days leading up to ovulation will maximize your chances of becoming pregnant. At some point, you’ve probably heard that the average cycle is 28 days long, and that ovulation occurs on day 14. Both of these numbers are just averages from reported data. In reality, most women’s cycles don’t match this “average”. Tracking with an ovulation test will help you identify your individual cycle length and date of ovulation, not just a guess.

3.Take folic acid- Taking a folic acid supplement helps prevent neural tube defects in your baby such as spina bifida. Ideally you should start taking folic acid three months before you start trying to conceive, and throughout the 1st trimester of your pregnancy. If you eat a healthy diet, you will already get some folic acid from foods such as fortified breakfast cereals, beans, leafy green vegetables and orange juice, but it is important to still take supplements because it is very difficult to get the required folic acid amount through diet alone.

4. Eat healthy foods- To give your baby the best start, even before conception it’s a good idea to eat regular, balanced meals, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and cut down on processed and 'fast' food.

Make sure your diet includes:

• Carbohydrates - whole grain, pasta, rice and cereals are better than white bread, cakes and cookies
• Fruit and vegetables - try to eat five portions a day, keepin mind that the more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the more nutritious it is.
• Protein - you can get the protein you need from meat, fish, eggs, lentils and beans. Milk and milk products - these contain lots of calcium, which is important for bone development.
• Fat - try to get your fat intake from vegetable sources like olive oil, or oily fish like salmon, sardines or mackerel

5. Stay fit and maintain a healthy body weight- Pregnancy puts a lot of strain on your body so getting fit before pregnancy will help you after you conceive. If you're fit before you get pregnant, it will be easier for you to stay active when you are pregnant. Exercise can help to improve your mood and energy levels. It, also reduces stress, which is a good thing when it comes to conceiving. Being a healthy body weight can help you to get pregnant, so the best thing is to try and achieve as ideal a weight as possible before trying to get pregnant. Your doctor will be able to give you information about a healthy weight for you.