This time we talk a lot about: sex! We all know that this act is necessary to get pregnant. That's why this time we'll tell you when it's best to have sex and what you can do to increase your and your partner's chances of becoming pregnant. Try not to spoil the sex fun by putting too much stress on it, the most important thing is to enjoy the moment together. You are most fertile during the ovulation. You can easily determine ovulation by using an ovulation test, here we tell you all about it. Let's talk about ovulation test and sex baby.
The ovulation test explained
What do we want? Right, a baby! And how can we know when you're most fertile? Well, you can with an ovulation test! With an ovulation test you can easily and quickly determine when your most fertile days are. This is especially useful for women with an irregular cycle. The ovulation test offers the answer for this group of women. The test shows through the urine when the luteinizing hormone (LH) rises. The best time to perform an ovulation test is around 12:00 and around 21:00. During these times the probability of the LH peak is highest (Clearblue, 2021).
How to use it
In general, the test is easy to use, but read the information leaflet carefully. Every test is different and will therefore show a positive result in a different way. You can easily pee over the test stick or collect your urine in a cup and then stir the stick in. The result is visible after about three minutes. Do you test positive? Then your LH peak is here and your two most fertile days are now. And that means sex, sex, sex and don't forget to enjoy the sex! Do you test negative? Then keep testing twice a day until you test positive or until your ovulation is over (Clearblue, 2021). It could be that you have missed the peak, try again next month.
Natural ovulation symptoms
Nowadays we blindly trust all the modern gadgets and tests, but we sometimes listen less to our bodies. Because even a mature woman's body can tell when she is about to ovulate. You can look out for these symptoms:
Abdominal pain
You may experience a stabbing pain or cramp during ovulation. This is usually felt at the level of the fallopian tubes, so to the left or right in your lower abdomen. The pain lasts - in most cases - a few hours (Pregnancy Portal, 2020).
Vaginal discharge
During your ovulation, your vaginal discharge changes from being yellower and more crumbly to clear, elastic and more fluid. The colour can be compared to the white part of a raw egg (van de Bosch, 2020). Tasty may not sound like it, but that's just part of being a woman.
Sore or tender breasts
Hormones, yes who doesn't know them. The change in your hormones can cause your breasts to feel more sensitive or even painful for some (van de Bosch, 2020).
Increase in body temperature
Your body temperature rises by 0.3 to 0.5 degrees for up to 24 hours after ovulation. You can check this by taking your temperature at the same time every day. This method is often regarded as less reliable, as you often see just too late when ovulation has occurred. By repeating this for a number of cycles you can gain insight into your ovulation. But patience is a fruitful thing (van de Bosch, 2020).
Higher libido
Your body may feel a greater need for sex during. This is because ovulation is a natural signal of fertility and the body develops a need for procreation. Sometimes the desire is there, but the ovulation is not yet, go for it! Free and enjoy (van de Bosch, 2020).
The strong swimmers
Of course you are not alone in this process. Besides you taking good care of your body, it is also very important that your partner takes good care of his body. His lifestyle is also important for sperm of the best quality. Take into account the following factors to achieve the best quality (Loes, s.d.).
The super yays
When we say vitamin, you say C! Vitamin, C. And to that we add Zinc. These two vitamins contribute to the production of sperm. So fill your shopping list with lots of vegetables, fruits, meat and fatty fish. Another super yay are the wide underpants. For the production of sperm it is desirable that the balls of the man are 2 degrees cooler than the rest of his body. Exercise can also work wonders, so get off the couch and move (Loes, s.d.)!
The super nays
Not very surprisingly, but the big culprits are smoking, drugs, alcohol, and being overweight or underweight. These factors affect sperm quality. Stress also reduces the strength of swimmers (Quest, 2013). So throw all the culprits and worries out of the window for top quality sperm.
Sex Talk
When you've been trying to get pregnant for a while and you have to plan your lovemaking, we understand that sometimes the romance is far away. But something will come, something will happen and hopefully a baby will be born! Sperm can stay alive in the female body for up to four days to hopefully fertilize the egg. This is why we recommend having sex every two or three days around ovulation. This way there is the greatest chance that the sperm cells are alive during ovulation. And our last tip: enjoy. Enjoy the moment, the sex and each other. If the excitement is high, the chances of conception are even higher. The more moist the woman is, the better the sperm can move around. And the quality of the man's sperm gets better when the man is well aroused. Free because sometimes you have to, but especially because you enjoy it together (Verloskundigenpraktijk de Vooroever, 2020).
A pound more or less makes a difference
Talking about weight is often a sensitive subject, but it is very important for your chances of getting pregnant, your health, and the health of your baby. The complications of being overweight can have serious consequences during pregnancy and in childbirth. The risk of preeclampsia, high blood pressure and diabetes is higher with overweight women. The risk of a miscarriage or having a heavy baby is also higher. Therefore, the advice is to have a healthy weight and lifestyle before becoming pregnant (St. Antonius Hospital, 2021). Are you overweight and don't know where to start? Then contact your family doctor or dietician, they will help you with lots of love.
We're almost there, but maybe not quite.
You might be ready to get pregnant, and we are ready to help you! Are you having trouble getting pregnant? There are many factors that play a role in getting pregnant and that is frustrating. More than frustrating, it is downright annoying. It is easier said than done: but keep the positivity up and the stress out! Watch your diet together and exercise regularly, have sex with each other when you are most fertile and when you just feel like it and let your body do the rest. Our fingers are crossed for you!
Sources:
Clearblue. (2021, January 8). Clearblue Ovulation Tests. https://nl.clearblue.com/ovulatietesten
Loes. (s.d.). How do you increase your fertility as a man? Loes.nl. https://www.loes.nl/tips/kinderwens/gezondheid/hoe-verhoog-je-als-man-de-kans-om-zwanger-te-worden.html#:%7E:text=Tip%203%3A%20Leef%20gezond,van%20alcohol%2C%20sigaretten%20en%20drugs.
Quest. (2013, February 6). The 7 best ways to lower your sperm quality. https://www.quest.nl/mens/gezondheid/a25642714/beste-manieren-spermakwaliteit-verlagen/
St. Antonius Hospital. (2021, March 31). Pregnancy and obesity. https://www.antoniusziekenhuis.nl/zwanger-worden-en-overgewicht
van de Bosch, L. (2020, September 28). Ovulation symptoms: how to recognize them. Libelle Mama. https://mama.libelle.be/zwanger/ovulatie-dit-zijn-de-symptomen/
Midwifery practice the Vooroever. (2020, March 23). Sexual intercourse. Midwives De Vooroever. https://www.verloskundigendevooroever.nl/geslachtsgemeenschap/
Pregnancy Portal. (2020). Ovulation pain: how to feel your ovulation. https://www.zwangerenportaal.nl/zwanger-worden/kinderwens/ovulatiepijn-zo-kun-je-jouw-eisprong-voelen