Ten Things I Did to Finally Get Pregnant!

Getting pregnant was not as easy nor calculated as I thought it would be. As the months were passing by and my period kept showing up, I began to fall into a depression. That is, until I realized that I could either mope all day, or, meet God halfway. I decided for the latter. It did take effort on my behalf. But now, I can joyfully say that I have two beautiful children. My journey had many ups and downs. I hope to eventually write extensively on this topic that is very close to my heart. Today, I will briefly list ten things that helped me incredibly.

If you have found this article I have written, I gather that you may very well be going through your own journey of TTC (trying to conceive).

1. Prayer. I prayed in petition. Now I pray in thanksgiving. I asked family and friends to pray for me as well. I also went to the extent of signing up on prayer websites where fellow women and men trying to have a baby prayed for each other on a daily basis.

2. Research. I felt that the research I did online could have very well earned me a doctorate degree. I did extensive research online, I read books on TTC, I read and followed blogs on the topic as well. You may begin your research by reading on these initial topics: Basal Body Temperature (BBT), Ovulation, Fertility Window, EWCM (egg-white cervical mucous). The amount of information out there can become overwhelming at first, but soon enough, you too, will see the benefits of knowing and understanding the many aspects of TTC.

3. Chart your BBTs (basal body temperatures). I started charting months before we started TTC because I wanted to get to know my cycle. Initially I was charting with paper charts until I discovered online charting! The data analysis does not even need to be done by you. There are many great websites out there that provide you with an in-depth analysis of your cycle so that you can have a good understanding of your cycle. I personally liked fertilityfriend.com. They have several account options including a very comprehensive FREE one! It is a very user-friendly site that walks you through the tutorials of charting.

4. Have relations within your fertility window. My husband and I had relations on the days that optimized our chances of getting pregnant. This is usually within three days of ovulation and most especially ON THE DAY of ovulation. But to know when I ovulated, I had to know my cycle and that is why I charted my temperatures. They say the "average" woman ovulates around cycle day 14, I found out I ovulated closer to CD (cycle day) 17. This was important for me to know because if I went with the "average" I'd miss my fertility window.

5. Take prenatal vitamins. I took my prenatal vitamins as soon as we started trying to have a baby.

6. Blood Work. After about six months of actively TTC, I had blood work done to check the quality of my eggs. The blood work was done on CD 3 and CD 21 (cycle day) (Although my intention is not to overwhelm you with terms, I would like to clarify that CD 1 is the first day of menstruation). I would also like to clarify that If you and your partner have not been actively TTC, then it is wise to wait a year since you may have been missing your fertility window. If you have been TTC actively knowing that you have had relations within your fertility window, then you can go in for testing as early as six months of TTC.

7. Sperm Analysis. This is probably the least invasive test there is. My husband went in for the analysis within six month of our actively TTC.

8. HSG. I had an HSG performed. An HSG checks to see if your fallopian tubes are open or blocked. This is important to know because a blockage may prevent the meeting of the egg with the sperm. This is actually a more invasive procedure. I confess that I was anxious and desperate and had this procedure performed within 9 months of TTC. In retrospect, I would have definitely waited at least a year after actively TTC. Why? Because I had not been TTC for very long and the procedure was somewhat borderline uncomfortable/painful.

9. Eat Healthy and Exercise Regularly. I began to drink a lot of water. I lowered my caffeine consumption almost to zero. I ate a lot of veggies and fruits. Being a person that was not used to exercising on a regular basis, I made it a point to do so. Mostly what I did was stretching, aerobics, and walking.

10. Let Go and Let God. Eventually, after so much research, so much homework, I just stopped obsessing when I saw that after trying so hard and knowing so much, we were not pregnant. This humbled me. I let go and let God take over. It may be a cliché, but when the stress was minimal, that is when I conceived. I know, it is so much easier said than done, but eventually I knew that I really had met God halfway and if it was not meant to be, or, if my babies were to come years and years down the line, I would be okay with that. It was then, that particular month, that I eventually did conceive!

Although I would like to write extensively on each of these points (and more points), I wanted to start off by giving an overview of how I finally did get pregnant.

Wishfully, sending Baby Dust to all of you embarking on this journey of TTC!!!!!