*I’m a mother who’s given birth to 3 kids darnit! I’ve dedicated my life to helping you, after going through amazing hardship to discover what works when trying to conceive. My tips for getting pregnant are from a mother who’s been there and done that. If you’re still not pregnant and are struggling to conceive, then go here to start making it finally happen for you!

Pregnancy is a matter of chance. Conception does not always happen even if the egg and sperm are in the right place at the right time. The length of time that it takes couples to conceive varies considerably. Still trying to conceive after a year doesn’t necessarily mean that anything is wrong.

The chance of getting pregnant during a woman’s cycle vary according to a wide range of factors:

For a woman aged 20 to 25, the chances of conceiving are around 25 percent for each cycle (in other words, a one in four chance).

For a woman aged 30 to 35, the chances of conceiving are around 15 percent per cycle; thereafter, the likelihood of conception continues to decline with increasing age.

A couple in their early 20’s will take an average of five monthly cycles to conceive.

Women in their early 30’s will get pregnant, on average, after nine monthly cycles.

One in ten couples will take more than a year to conceive.

One of the secret tips on getting pregnant really involves the woman’s monthly cycle…this should really not come as a surprise, but lots of couples have probably forgotten lots of their basic biology. A woman ovulates once a month, and the ovum or egg last for approximately 12 hours. During this 12-hour period, the egg has to be fertilized or it dries up and is no longer viable. Obviously, then, having unprotected sex any other time of the month could not possible result in conception. It is only when you make love during the “twelve-hour window” that a couple can conceive – it’s really quite miraculous that a woman can even get pregnant at all! When a couple is trying to conceive, the trick is to catch the egg around day 14 of the woman’s monthly cycle. To add to the difficulty, every woman’s cycle is different. The 28-day cycle is the average, but normal cycles can vary from 23 days to 35 days.

Most people have heard about the Basal Body Temperature. “Basal” means “the temperature of the body at rest.” Most women experience a slight jump in body temperature just after ovulation. Women need to measure their body temperature every morning, before arising. A drawback is that the record must be meticulously kept. Remember, a woman who wants to conceive cannot get out of bed until she takes her temperature each day. This means before using the bathroom, having a cup of tea, or any other activity. Ideally, a woman who wants to conceive should have had sex on the days just before her temperature began to rise. So you can see that keeping temperature charts can only give you a general picture of when your most fertile time might be. It can let you know whether or not you are having intercourse close to ovulation.

Women need to be observant of any changes in their bodies. One important change is that the cervical mucus is thinner and clearer during the most fertile period. In the early part of a woman’s cycle, the mucus produced by the cervix is thick and sticky; it acts as a block to the cervical opening. The thinner mucus allows for easier movement of the sperm cells in their quest for the egg. Also, the thinner mucus that signals a woman’s most fertile period resembles the white of an egg – you’ll know when you observe it. If a woman’s mucus seems to her to be too thick at the time of ovulation, some health providers recommend taking Robitussin to help thin the mucus. Another indication of ovulation is slight pain when the egg is released from the follicle inside the ovary. This is sometimes accompanied by spotting or very light bleeding.

*I’m a mother who’s given birth to 3 kids darnit! I’ve dedicated my life to helping you, after going through amazing hardship to discover what works when trying to conceive. My tips for getting pregnant are from a mother who’s been there and done that. If you’re still not pregnant and are struggling to conceive, then go here to start making it finally happen for you!

The Long Awaited BreakThrough Fertility Alternatives Course Has Finally Been Released Guys!!!

I highly recommened you check it out! It’s only been out for a couple of days now but it’s already getting rave reviews! Check it out by CLICKING HERE!

P.S. You’ll notice that I’m not promoting this to make money, it’s NOT an affilite link of some sort nor is it my site!

Michelle

That’s the word on water…now just a word on vegetarian diets. If a woman is aware of her basic nutritional needs as discussed in this eBook, she should do just fine on a well-balanced vegetarian diet. By eating a wide variety of whole grains, legumes, dried fruit, lima beans and wheat germ, a woman should be able to get enough iron, zinc and other trace minerals to have a healthy body and a healthy pregnancy. Those on vegan diets may need to seek the advice of a health professional on taking supplements such as calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12.

What else goes into a healthy pre-conception diet?

Meat, fish, eggs, a variety of fruits and vegetables

Dairy food for calcium

Cereals (preferably non-sweetened), beans, whole grain bread

Limited starches such as potatoes and pasta (whole grain pasta and sweet potatoes provide more fiber and beta-carotene than the white starches)

Foods low in fat and high in fiber are most desirable – they include fruits & vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grain products.

Wine with meals (or without meals, for that matter!)

What foods should you limit?

Liver

Unpasteurized dairy products

Raw eggs

Soft cheeses

Pates

Any foods that contain lots of sugar, partially-hydrogenated oils, lots of salt or fats

(again, it’s so important to read food labels…and rinse canned veggies to remove salt!)

What’s the Ultimate Supplement for Pre-Pregnancy and Pregnancy?

Folic Acid, one of the B-Vitamin family.

When I was newly pregnant, I went to my obstetrician and was handed a blue bottle of vitamins. I had no idea what was in the bottle, but I was told to take one every day without fail. Of course I did, and later I found out that the pills were vitamins laden with folic acid. Those were the days when you just followed doctor’s orders, no questions asked. Today, women are much better informed – they take their folic acid and they know WHAT and WHY they’re taking it.

So Why are You Taking It?

Folic Acid, as part of your pre-pregnancy and pregnancy regimen, contain more nutrients than ordinary multi-vitamins.

It helps a woman’s body conceive.

It keeps a baby healthy during pregnancy.

AND

It reduces the chances of birth defects in a baby.

Convinced? Good…because what you want to do now is take your vitamins faithfully AND eat lots of the foods that are most likely to contribute to your daily supply of Folic Acid. These foods include:

Dark leafy veggies, Citrus fruits, Nuts (note: Peanuts aren’t nuts, and they’re often too salty!), Beans, Cereals, and Whole Wheat Breads. These aren’t just packed with Folic Acid and other essential vitamins – they’re included in the foods that are the most nutritious all around! Make the foods recommended in this section the mainstay of your pre-pregnancy and pregnancy diet…

Hi everyone! I’ve been receving a lot of questions and comments recently, and would like to encourage everyone to comment on the blog posts below so that I can be of more help to you and everyone else!

It’s a win win!

What Really Happens Inside Your Body When Trying to Conceive a Baby: What Makes Making a Baby More Likely & What May Disrupt the Best Laid Plans.

Just what we all need – another diet!  But the diet I’m suggesting to you is one based upon scientific studies that have shown to drastically increase your chances when trying to conceive a baby.  It’s a diet calculated to reduce stress, improve nutrition and hydration and rid your body of toxins that can interfere with conceiving your baby.  This means that you are going to have to start reading food labels (yep, it’s that important!) and noting ingredients carefully, along with calories, caffeine and any additives the foods may contain.  And if you grow your own veggies and bake your own bread, you don’t have to bother with reading the labels, right?

When you hear references to whole foods…or slow food…you should know that the reference is to locally-grown, organic food, food without additives, and, of course, grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers.  When trying to conceive a baby paying attention to what we eat as well as how we eat means safer, healthier food for all of us.

The time to begin a healthy diet is approximately four months before trying to conceive. Eating a healthy diet before pregnancy means that the body has adequate stores of vitamins and minerals on hand to assist in the development of the embryo and fetus.

Take a look at caffeine, for example.  You already know that lots of people are cutting down on caffeine for reasons that have nothing to do with trying to get pregnant. Studies indicate that one and one-half to three cups is the daily maximum for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.  So why is caffeine an undesirable?  Caffeine tends to restrict blood flow and increase anxiety – neither one good for a woman’s health.  You’ll find caffeine in instant and brewed coffee, brewed tea, energy drinks, cola drinks and hot chocolate.  Try to cut down or eliminate these over time.  After all, ginger ale is just as refreshing on a hot day as cola, and has no caffeine whatsoever.

And need we say more about the need to drink LOTS of water every day?  The startling fact is that most people go around slightly dehydrated much of the time.  I thought it was very strange that I had to keep reminding my husband to take a drink of water when we were on long trips…otherwise, he just didn’t think about it! The one good thing about the bottled water craze is that it’s got most of us thinking about putting more water into our bodies.  Since evidence has recently come to light that the clear, disposable water bottles have toxic substances that may affect the water inside, just carry an opaque sports bottle with iced water inside.  Make sure your loved ones have one, too.  Think about it…the inside of our bodies is filled with moving parts that all require water to work well.  And what woman isn’t aware of the effect of lack of moisture on the skin?

During pregnancy and lactation, you will need to drink 8 to 12 eight-ounce glasses of liquids every day.  Here are a few reasons why water is so very important to us – it provides for transmission of nutrients to cells, balancing acids, holding salts and cushioning the body’s organs.  Water contributes 55 – 65% of our adult body weight.  The fetus also requires an abundant supply of fluids to develop properly in its prenatal environment.

The amount of water required by the body can vary greatly from person to person. and environment to environment.  Pregnancy and lactation, exercise, heat, dry climates and high fiber diets are all factors that increase the body’s hydration requirement.  Inadequate water consumption can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness,  and decreased mental alertness in pregnant women.  For the fetus, it can mean inadequate transportation of nutrients, ineffective removal of waste matter, an overly-warm uterine environment, and insufficient fluid in the amniotic sac.  As you can see, the effects of dehydration can jeopardize fetal growth and development.  In some severely-dehydrated women, premature labor and delivery can occur.  So…even though water bottles are being banned in some communities now, the national thirst for bottled water has made us all aware of the need for hydration.

Part 2 is on it’s way ladies and gents!

Much Love!!

Michelle

I think that it’s more then fair, that before I start giving you tips for getting pregnant, you should know just a little about me…just enough to know that I do indeed know what the heck I’m talking about right?

OK…

My name is Michelle Dunn, I’m a 40 year old mother of 3 and very happily married to my dear husband Michael. Years back when my husband and I decided to have children, we NEVER imagined that it would be even half as difficult and heart breaking as it was. Our first child was by far our hardest to conceive, taking us nearly 2 and half years to get pregnant! We went through everything, tried just about everything, and even got to some really low points where the both of us were declared infertile by our doctors and told that conceiving a child naturally or even through other medical methods would be just about impossible.

Let me tell you this though…

I’m not one to do things out of spite…not at all actually…but proving the doctors and the nay Sayers wrong with that BFP (big fat positive) on the pregnancy test was true bliss!

So when it comes to trying to conceive I just might know a thing or two!

Much Love!!

Michelle

*I’m a mother who’s given birth to 3 kids darnit!   I’ve
dedicated my life to helping you, after going through amazing hardship to
discover what works when trying to conceive. My tips for trying to conceive are
from a mother who’s been there and done that. If you’re still not pregnant and
are struggling to conceive, then go here to start making it finally happen foryou!  

First off…

Hello everyone! This is my very post on this new and cute blog of mine and I wanted to drop a big hello to everyone! Now on to that whole trying to conceive thing…

OK so lets get on with it shall we?

Is it just me or are there far too many blogs out there that are geared towards sharing the stories of people trying to conceive, but not actually providing people with information, help and support? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love those types of blogs too. In fact I spend plenty of my time reading, and commenting on many peoples blogs hoping that my experience with trying to conceive might just be of some help.

But what gets to me is the lack of blogs out there geared solely towards helping others. People that already have experience with TTC and have families should be going out of their way to help those that are still struggling trying to get pregnant. Maybe it’s just because of the way that I am, but I feel as if I have a certain duty to help those couples around me that are going through what I went through trying to conceive years ago.

So seeing as to how this is my welcome post, it’s more then fitting to proclaim my mission statement to all the couples out there suffering from TTC issues.

I’m here to help! Give you information, point you in the right direction, support you, and help find you the tools that can help you progress down the sometimes hard road to finally creating the family you’ve always wanted!

Much Love!!!

Michelle

*I’m a mother who’s given birth to 3 kids darnit!   I’ve
dedicated my life to helping you, after going through amazing hardship to
discover what works when trying to conceive. My tips for trying to conceive are
from a mother who’s been there and done that. If you’re still not pregnant and
are struggling to conceive, then go here to start making it finally happen for
you!