If you are willing to conceive, but pulled back by obesity or being overweight, here are a few tips to help you conceive sucessfully.
According to a study conducted by the Barbara Luke of Michigan State University, women with a BMI of above 40 as opposed to the normal BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 are 35% less likely to become pregnant. Being obese or overweight, however, does not mean that you will never get pregnant but that it may not be as easy as it is for other healthy women. Here are some steps, which you may adopt to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
Step 1: Prioritise Weight Loss
Even little weight loss may increase your chances of getting pregnant. Do not opt for crash dieting as a means to lose weight. Crash dieting may create other physical problems such as nutritional deficiencies, gastrointestinal upset and even death. A study reported in 2007 in the journal Human Reproduction found an approximate five per cent decrease in fertility for every BMI point that was over 29. One may be able to improve fertility by reducing 2 to 4 kgs of weight.
Step 2: Monitor your Menstrual Cycles
If you are aged below 30 years and have regular periods, try to conceive on your own for at least six months. To conceive without medical assistance, you may monitor your ovulation by making use of KH kits, monitor temperature and test the mucus to determine whether you are ovulating or not. Time sex in accordance with ovulation. If you have irregular periods, get an appointment with a fertility specialist.
Step 3: Visit a Fertility Specialist
Visit a fertility specialist if you have not become pregnant despite efforts for six months. You may have to go through blood and diagnostic tests to find problems that may need to be corrected to increase the chances of getting pregnant.
Step 4: Get Tested for PCOS
Get yourself tested for polycystic ovarian syndrome. Overweight women and those having trouble getting pregnant are highly likely to have PCOS. This disease is characterised by high male hormone levels and abnormal insulin response. Women suffering from PCOS may be suffering from excessive hair growth, overweight and lack of ovulation without intervention. Such women may be given medication to enable the body to use insulin properly and correct the insulin imbalance.
Step 5: Use Medication to Make Menstrual Cycle Regular
Make sure that you take medication as prescribed by your doctor. One of the first medications that doctors use to make menstrual cycles regular so that ovulation is likely to occur is Clomid. It is an oral anti-estrogen that works against the effects of estrogen. Do not, however, use the drug without consulting a doctor.
Read more articles on How to Get Pregnant.
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