If you’re trying to get pregnant but find it difficult to track ovulation symptoms, then getting pregnant might be taking longer than you thought it would. You might be feeling a little anxious with each passing month.
But, don’t fret!
Statistically, it’s common for it to take 12 months to conceive. Everyone has their own fertility journey, and while it’s easy to compare, your journey is unique to you. Plus, there are tools you can use to track ovulation symptoms, heal your ovaries and uterus, boost your immunity, reduce inflammation, and balance your hormones.
#1: It might take awhile to get pregnant
If you’re on hormonal contraceptives, your cycle is artificially regulated. When getting off birth control, it can take around 3-12 months before your cycle regulates and you start ovulating. Which means tracking ovulation symptoms to time intercourse is near impossible. The following birth control methods take the longest to leave your system: hormonal IUDs, oral contraceptives, or Depoprovera.
A normal cycle is a period every 21-35 days, with some variation in length. Your period should typically last 2-7 days every month. Ovulation symptoms typically occur around day 12-16, depending on your cycle length.
Talk to your OB provider if you have:
1.) A short or long cycle
2.) Bleeding that lasts 10 days
3.) No period for 60 days with a negative pregnancy test
If your period hasn’t regulated 9-12 months after getting off hormonal birth control, let your OB provider know.
Pro tip: Use a fertility-friendly lubricant to enhance sperm motility and get those little guys where they need to go. We did the research for you and found a perfect (science-backed) lubricant that’s totally safe. PreSeed is created by a female sperm physiologist. Grab it here!
#2: There’s only a small window of opportunity to get pregnant
Having sex the day before or day of ovulation will give you the best chance of getting pregnant, like a 30% chance! Knowing your ovulation symptoms, like when you ovulate or if it’s the same day each month, can be tricky. Instead of guessing, use a fertility tracker to help. It provides you with essential data to know your body to time intercourse to prevent or enhance the possibility of pregnancy.
Pro tip: Fertility trackers are much more accurate than at-home charting. We recommend Mira. Mira is one of the only fertility trackers that works to predict ovulation whether your cycles are regular or irregular. It’s the quality of a hospital lab from the comfort of your home. 99% accurate. Covered by FSA or HSA. You can find Mira here!
#3: The first two weeks of pregnancy is all or nothing
What you eat and drink the first 2 weeks of pregnancy has an all or nothing effect on the pregnancy. Either it won’t harm the embryo, or the embryo will fail to develop. So don’t stress about having the perfect diet.
Pro tip: It is critical you take a safe prenatal vitamin before conceiving to replenish depleted nutrients. Garden of Life prenatal meets purity standards from Labdoor, an independent company that tests supplements.
#4: Reduce inflammation and boost your immunity to increase your chance of conceiving naturally
1.) Increase nutrients in your diet that naturally detoxify by seasoning your meals with rosemary, cilantro, thyme, garlic and onions, consuming sea vegetables, like kelp or algae, to remove heavy metals. Enjoy lots of dark leafy green vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, kale, or collard greens. Load up on foods rich in protein, iron, iodide, magnesium, and B vitamins. Try prunes, lima beans, millet, quinoa, and edamame. Snack on berries, purple grapes, pomegranate and walnuts to package toxins in a way that is safer for your body to process and eliminate.
2.) Take care of your gut by pooping everyday. You can do this by Increasing soluble fiber, like oats, nuts, fruits or vegetables, to help with bowel movements. Increasing soluble fiber acts like prebiotic to feed healthy bacteria. For a quick way to do this, take 1-2 tablespoons of flaxseed per day by throwing it in a smoothie! To keep your gut healthy, take a probiotic with lactobacillus and bifidobacterial species like Trunature Digestive Probiotic
3.) Be nice to you skin:
Only 11% of ingredients that go into making cosmetics have been reviewed by the FDA! Simplify your beauty routine to limit exposure to chemicals that harm your reproductive system. Try using coconut oil as shaving cream and sunflower oil for face and body lotion.
Look for products that have Environmental Working Group (EWG) seal. EWG has a database of more than 70,000 products rate on the hazards associated with their ingredients. Quickly scan products in the store using their app.
Due to weak federal regulations, terms like “organic,” “free of,” or “natural” have no legal definition.
At Gravida, our goal is to give women the advice and tools required to successfully prepare for parenthood. We offer videos, guides and more filled with all the stuff no one ever told us about pregnancy.