NEW HAVEN, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It’s no surprise that babies are most likely to be conceived during the holiday season. Parties, celebrations and fun lead Christmas and New Year’s to rank among the top times to get pregnant.
So, if you’re ready to get started trying to conceive, Mary Jane Minkin, MD, Clinical Professor of OB/GYN at Yale University, offers the following suggestions to fill a TTC shopping list along with that gift list.
- Eat a healthy diet. Begin taking the right prenatal vitamin with lots of B6 even when you first start to think about having a baby to increase your chances of a healthy outcome. It’s important to continue taking folic acid throughout the pregnancy and when nursing postpartum in addition to adding essential nutrients and calcium. vitafusion PreNatal includes essential vitamins and minerals as well as provides an excellent source of folic acid and 50 mg of omega-3 DHA. The high-quality, purified fish oil used in vitafusion PreNatal has been tested for mercury and PCBs. DHA supports your baby's brain development, folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects, and multivitamins with vitamin D support bone development in a delicious, easy-to-take gummy form.
- Prepare for sex with a fertility-friendly lubricant. Pre-Seed is a clinically tested fertility friendly lubricant that was developed specifically for couples who are trying to conceive. Pre-Seed is properly pH-balanced and isotonic to mimic a woman’s fertile fluids and optimize the journey for sperm.
- Pinpoint your fertile days in the menstrual cycle. The fertile window is defined as the four days leading up to your ovulation date and the 24 hours following. This is because sperm can live in the body for up to five days and in general, the egg is only available for fertilization for 12-24 hours after ovulation. Conception is more likely if the sperm is inside the body, waiting on the egg, hence the need for Pre-Seed. Use an ovulation predictor test to identify the most important fertile days of the window (aka the optimal days for baby-making sex).
- Find out if you’re pregnant. If you’ve been trying to conceive or you had unprotected sex, you can take a pregnancy test a week to 10 days after sex. The First Response Early Result pregnancy test will give you an answer six days before your missed period or a bit over a week after conception.
- Stay hydrated. Water plays an important role in the healthy development of your baby, helping to form the placenta, which is what the baby relies on to receive nutrients during pregnancy, and later, water is used to form the amniotic sac. A clear urine color, as opposed to dark yellow, is a sign of adequate water intake that helps to regulate the body.
"Most importantly, baby making takes time, so, relax and de-stress," Minkin said. "Be patient and have fun! Try to get started before age becomes an issue. If you are under 35, see an infertility expert after one year of trying without success. If you're 35 or more, see an infertility expert if you don't conceive naturally within six months. If you're over 38, be seen after 3 months of unsuccessful trying."
Happy Holidays!