Getting Pregnant After 30

The popular belief that it is difficult to conceive a baby after a woman reaches 30 years of age is true to an extent considering that a woman’s fertility levels begin to decline when she reaches 29 years.  A woman aged 30 and above can, however, still hold her chances of getting pregnant by being watchful of whatever she and her partner is eating, having sex frequently and in certain positions, keeping track of the menstrual cycle and exercising.

Determining Fertile Period

Keep a track of your menstrual cycle; this will help you know when exactly you are ovulating as it is during ovulation that a woman has the best of her chances to conceive. You can check your fertile period, by:

• checking your body’s temperature every morning before leaving the bed. The body heats up slightly when a woman is ovulating. You may also buy basal thermometer that will help you check your temperature accurately.
• watching out for change in cervical fluid or mucus every day. Cervical mucus is a fluid that is secreted by the cervix. The American Pregnancy association says that the amount and quality of cervical mucus that is produced throughout the menstrual cycle fluctuates and that a woman may be able to increase her chances of conception by observing the changes. According to the non-profit organisation, as a woman approaches ovulation, her estrogen levels surge, which causes the cervix to secrete more cervical mucus that is clear and stretchy just how egg whites are. This fluid is the perfect protective medium for the sperm in terms of the pH and texture.

The best way you can identify changes in your cervical mucus is by collecting a sample every day. To collect a sample, wash your hands and dry them, then insert either your middle finger or the index finger into your vagina and try to get as close to the cervix as possible. Remove the finger and observe the consistency of the mucus by rubbing it between the finger and thumb and pressing the fingers together and pulling them apart slowly. You may also use an ovulation predictor kit to confirm your most fertile periods.

The Right Time to have Sex

The chances of conception are the highest when a woman is the most fertile i.e. when she is ovulating. BabyCenter recommends women willing to get pregnant to have sex at least twice during their ovulation cycle, one or two days before the ovulation cycle and on the day of ovulation. To accurately know when you are ovulating, an ovulation kit should be helpful. If you choose to check the day of your ovulation by way of monitoring the cervical mucus, make sure that you have sex especially on the day when the cervical mucus is of the consistency of an egg white. It is on this day that you are the most fertile and therefore, have the best opportunity to conceive.

The Right Sex Position to Conceive

Babycentre suggests that couples willing to have a baby try the following sex positions.

Missionary

The missionary position makes the best use of gravity and acts in the woman’s favour. The idea when trying to get pregnant is to get the sperm to reach the egg without fail and only  gravity can help you get closer. This position allows for deeper penetration and lets the sperm be closer to the opening of the womb.

Woman on all Fours

This position is also, by common sense, one of the best sex positions to enhance one’s chances of conception. With the woman on all fours and the man behind her, the sperm is likely to be deposited right next to the cervix.

Whatever position you choose to prioritise pursuing on the days of your ovulation cycle, it is important that you make pleasure an intrinsic part of the plan because it is only when you are enjoying sex that the muscles of your sex organs are relaxed, allowing the sperm to flow in freely and reach the egg.

What to Eat

Diet must form an important part of your efforts to get pregnant. Some women may not be able to get pregnant because of ovulatory dysfunction or problem with ovulation. One of the common causes for this problem is lack of emphasis on eating a healthful diet. Researchers from Harvard University have, to address this problem, listed a set of foods as ‘fertility foods’ that if eaten regularly can boost fertility and thereby, improve any odds of conception.

Below are the dietary tenets that a woman trying to conceive must follow:

• Eating as much of monounsaturated fats as possible. Some of these include less trans fats that can be found in fast foods and baked foods.
• Eating lots of fibre, low-glycemic foods like vegetables, whole grains and fruits while cutting down on refined carbohydrates and sugars. Fibrous food will ensure that your bowel  movements regular.
• Eating moderate amount of high-fat dairy products like whole milk, cheese and ice cream.
• Increasing the inclusion of vegetable protein and reducing animal protein from diet.
• The key to eating to conceive is to eat little but frequently and thereby, managing the blood sugar levels. If there is excessive drop in the blood sugar level, there may be too much release of adrenalin into the blood that can block progesterone, an important hormone that helps keep the pregnancy going.

Exercise

If you keep your weight under control while also eating the fertility foods, you will only be getting closer to your goal of getting pregnant. The American Pregnancy Association recommends that women try running or jogging, walking briskly, bicycling and yoga for 15 minutes every day to improve her chances of getting pregnant i.e. preparing herself for conception. Women trying to get pregnant must, however, avoid activities such as water skiing, skiing, riding on horseback, etc. These activities exert excessive pressure on the woman’s body.

Getting pregnant after 30 should be as easy as getting pregnant at any other age as long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating a healthful diet and keeping active.