When can I get pregnant | Information on when you can get pregnant including after periods, miscarriages and while on the pill. http://www.whencanyougetpregnant.us/ en-us pregnancy,birth,parenting,health,medicine neville@nevillepettersson.com 2011 When Can You Get Pregnant When Can You Get Pregnant If you are looking for when can you get pregnant, then there are simple calculations you can use to find the exact time that you can get pregnant, or if you are trying NOT to get pregnant the same calendar applies. I have spent a long time consulting and advising people about IVF, and it always surprises me that some people do not use really simple steps to find out the time when you can get pregnant. IVF is costly, and I like to advise people to try everything they can before turning to the more expensive options. Look everywhere for advise of when can you get pregnant! Read books, search online or buy an ebook! Below I have answered the most common questions I hear each day about when can you get pregnant. Good luck! When Can You Get Pregnant Calendar Most when can you get pregnant calendars are based on a 28 day ovulation cycle. This means that the day that you get your period is day one of your cycle. When can you get pregnant occurs during ovulation. This is the time when your body releases the egg for fertilisation. Ovulation occurs on days 12-17 of your cycle. During this time when can you get pregnant, you need to have intercourse just once a day. It is not advisable to have intercourse more than once, as it is best to let the sperm build to higher numbers for the next day. Some specialist advise their clients to have intercourse one day on, one day off, but my clients generally have success by daily intercourse. These 12-17 days are the most important time for when can you pregnant. I always advise my clients not to drink alcohol and eat extremely healthy during this time. You need your body to be at its best! When Can You Get Pregnant After Your Period The above calendar shows that when can you get pregnant 12-17 days after the first day of your period, as this is considered day one of your cycle. However, this when can you get pregnant calendar is based on a 28 day cycle. If your cycle is more or less than 28 days, then when can you pregnant after your period may differ slightly. In order to find out the exact length of your cycle, keep a diary for two months. Record the first day of your cycle each month, then count the days in between. You can then either decrease or extend the time-frame of day 12-17 depending on the length of your cycle. This does mean that you are guessing. If your cycle is more or less than 28 days, I would advise you to purchase an ovulation kit either online or from a pharmacy. These kits will show the exact time of ovulation and are not expensive. Being certain of when can you get pregnant is better than guessing! When Can You Get Pregnant After Miscarriage Having a miscarriage is an emotional time for a women, and this needs to be taken into consideration when calculating when can you get pregnant after a miscarriage. The type of miscarriage also needs to be considered. If a miscarriage occurs within the first three months of pregnancy, and was a simple passing of tissue, then when can you get pregnant could be as early as 2 months after the miscarriage. Some miscarriages are more complicated than others though. If a miscarriage has occurred after the first three months and if surgery was needed, then it is advisable to consult your specialist to determine when can you get pregnant. Any miscarriage will result in a poor libido due to hormones, pain and also emotions. I advise my clients to take their time and to wait until your body and mind is back in good health. When Can You Get Pregnant On The Pill The pill is designed to stop ovulation, so given the above information you should not be able to get pregnant while on the pill. It is true though that many woman do fall pregnant! When can you get pregnant on the pill generally only happens if pills are missed, so be vigilant when taking those pills! Some pills become less effective in woman while taking antibiotics so it is advisable to use condoms for any intercourse during a month when antibiotics have been taken. http://www.whencanyougetpregnant.us/ 21 Jun 2011 00:17:36 GMT pregnancy,birth,parenting,health,medicine neville@nevillepettersson.com Follicle Stimulating Hormone Levels This article is all about Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). I'm going to explain exactly what it is, what it does and also what FSH levels really mean in relation to fertility in both women and men. FSH is a hormone which is produced by the pituitary gland. Follicle Stimulating Hormone Function The basic function of FSH is to stimulate the reproductive sexual organs. The body is usually good at regulating FSH levels, however if these levels are either too high or low it can cause major problems, especially if you're trying to get pregnant. In men, FSH stimulates testicular development and sperm production. FSH levels remain constant in men from the time of puberty. Women, on the other hand, have FSH levels which fluctuate throughout a menstrual cycle and is at it's strongest just before ovulation. This is of course the best time to have intercourse in order to get pregnant, however FSH levels can only be measured by taking a blood test, which is not immediate. Ovulation kits which you can buy from drug stores measure Luteinizing hormone (LH), which also rises before ovulation, but the results can often be mixed because LH levels rise and fall many times during a menstrual cycle giving many false positives. FSH Levels And Fertility Before the start of any infertility treatment, such as IVF or IUI, all couples will go through some initial testing. This includes measuring FSH levels as well as LH, estrogen and progesterone levels. FSH levels indicate a healthy functioning of the testicles and ovaries. FSH drugs are very expensive and are the actual drugs prescribed during the IVF process. The most common FSH drug is Gonal F which is taken as a daily injection to stimulate egg production in the ovaries in order to produce a bounty of eggs for in vitro fertilization. Follicle Stimulation Hormone Levels FSH levels are very low in both men and women before puberty, usually measuring below 5 mIU/ml (milli international units per milliliter). During puberty these levels will rise to up to 10 mIU/ml, thus stimulating the development of the sexual reproductive system. Before and during puberty FSH levels in both boys and girls will be quite similar, however after puberty the FSH levels in both men and women will differ. In men FSH levels will rise to no higher than 12.5 mIU/ml and will remain at the same level continuously. In women, levels will always fluctuate up and down during each cycle anywhere between 5 - 21.5 mIU/ml. Once women hit menopause their FSH levels will rise to anywhere from 26 - 135 mIU/ml. An FSH test is a common test for menopause in women. FSH Levels Test To test FSH levels requires a standard blood test. The blood is taken in the usual manner intravenously from the arm or hand and taken back to the lab for analysis. FSH levels are often used to diagnose menopause (high FSH) and also can be an indication of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS, low FSH levels). Follicle stimulating hormone levels are also tested in men with infertility, a low sperm count and / or under-developed testicles. Alternatively, when young boys and girls exhibit symptoms of overly evolved sexual development this can also be attributed to high FSH levels. http://www.whencanyougetpregnant.us/fsh-levels.html 01 Jul 2011 08:56:20 GMT pregnancy,birth,parenting,health,medicine neville@nevillepettersson.com If you have exhausted all other ways of trying to conceive, then you are probably looking at IVF as a next step. While in vitro fertilization costs are high, the success rates are increasing with further technology. However, as an IVF consultant it always amazes me that despite in vitro fertilization costs being so high, often people do rush into it. Before getting into debt with in vitro fertilization costs, I always encourage my clients to try EVERYTHING first. I advise people to get to the library and read everything! Search around the internet for information or download an e-book. With in vitro fertilization costs being so high and the success rate only hitting 47% with the actual birth rate being as low as 15%, it makes sense to try everything you can to get your little miracle without paying! But if you have tried everything then IVF is the next step, so below are the in vitro fertilization costs you can expect. Remember though that every fertility case is different, and different couples will require different services. The in vitro fertilizations costs below are for the basic embryo transfer plans. In Vitro Fertilization Costs In New York In vitro fertilization costs in New York can be less than elsewhere due to the State Infertility Demonstration Program which has been in place since 2002. This is a grant to reduce the in vitro fertilization costs in New York but is for residents only. There are criteria which need to be met, so always enquire whether the given in vitro fertilization costs include a reduction from this grant as not all IVF centres participate. The in vitro fertilizations costs in New York can be reduced by as much as 97% if you are eligible. The American fertility clinic based in New York has a rather unique payment system for in vitro fertilization costs which they call the “Two plus Two” programme. The in vitro fertilization costs $10000 per cycle. If after two cycles you do not conceive, then they will perform two further cycles for free. So basically the in vitro fertilizations costs $20000 for up to four cycles. SIRM clinics in New York use a micro-IVF technique which has a higher success rate than other (IUI) techniques at around a 30% actual birth rate. The cost for this is $6250 per cycle making the actual in vitro fertilization costs per baby lower than most. In Vitro Fertilization Costs In Texas In vitro fertilization costs in Texas range from $8000 - $10000 and unlike the in vitro fertilization costs in New York, Texas does not have any grants in place. Therefore, if you are going to have difficulty coming up with the necessary funds, look for a fertility centre which offers payment plans and also refunds on unused cycles. Fertility Center of Antonio offers a unique refund plan for uninsured patients if the cycles do not produce a baby. They also offer discounts for active duty military patients to reduce the in vitro fertilization costs. Most centres in Texas will offer payment plans so don’t be afraid to ask. In Vitro Fertilization Costs In Florida In vitro fertilization costs in Florida range from $8000 - 120000, however there are plenty of institutions available to assist with the costs. If you are not insured and if the in vitro fertilization cost is too high for you, contact B.U.M.P.S, Inc. They are a federally tax-exempt charity who assist couples in need of fertility treatments. IVF Florida is affiliated with B.U.M.P.S to help with in vitro fertilization costs in Florida. The Reproductive Medicine Group is also keen to lower in vitro fertilisation costs in Florida with the Attain IVF Refund program. Couples pay a flat fee for up to 3 IVF cycles and three frozen embryo transfers. If you are not successful they refund 70% of the fee or 100% of the fee if donor eggs are required. Basically, if you want IVF then there are ways around the cost. However, the in vitro fertilization costs are high both monetarily and mentally. The programme is long, hard on the body and with no guarantee of success. Remember my advice before writing the check or mortgaging your home and try everything else before you end at IVF. I wish you well on your quest for parenthood! http://www.whencanyougetpregnant.us/in-vitro-fertilization-costs.html 01 Jul 2011 10:31:25 GMT pregnancy,birth,parenting,health,medicine neville@nevillepettersson.com Symptoms Of Ovulation While in some animals there are outward signs when they are ovulating, humans have what it sometimes called concealed ovulation. What this means is that the signs are all inward, and can only be detected by the woman herself. There are certain things you can watch for to determine whether you are ovulating. Cervical mucus, change in your basal temperature or cervical position, or a positive result on an ovulation test can all help you learn when you are at your most fertile times. You even can look at your saliva under a microscope for signs of a ferning pattern, which can be another of the symptoms of ovulation. This pattern is similar to the thin branching of frost on a window. This method is very unreliable, however, as it only occurs in certain women, and even those women sometimes have difficulty deciphering whether the pattern is occurring. Symptoms Of Ovulation Discharge Ovulation discharge, sometimes called ovulation mucus or cervical mucus, varies in color and texture throughout your menstrual cycle. When this discharge becomes clear and thin, it is often one of the symptoms of ovulation. While this method has been said to give a high accuracy level of up to 98.5%, there is always a possibility that your cervical mucus will give you all the signs of it being a fertile period for you when in actuality it is not. While every woman's cervical mucus is different, and it is important when using this method to learn what yours looks like, there are some general signs to watch for. When your discharge is thick, yellow, sticky or dry, you are almost certainly in an infertile period. If you have cervical mucus during your menstrual period, this also does not mean that you are fertile. However, when your mucus is thin, the color of a raw egg white, and is very abundant, your chances of getting pregnant during this time are very high. Symptoms Of Ovulation Fatigue For some women, fatigue can be one of the symptoms of ovulation. Although you may not find medical reports on this fact, there have been several women who have noticed fatigue coincides with when they know they are ovulating or close to it. It is important to keep in mind that fatigue may also be a sign of a reproductive condition called endometriosis. This condition causes the tissues that usually line the uterus to instead grow in the ovaries or in the fallopian tube, and could be a cause of infertility. Additionally, there can be many reasons to feel fatigue, such as stress, lack of sleep, or busyness. This should not be the only symptom you watch for when trying to learn when your chances of getting pregnant are at their highest. Keep track of your ovulation in other ways, and after a few cycles you will learn whether fatigue is connected to your ovulation period, or if it is simply a coincidence. Symptoms Of Ovulation Bleeding A slight bleeding or spotting in the middle of your menstrual cycle, but not during your period, can also be one of the symptoms of ovulation. This bleeding will be lighter than that you experience during your period, and will be a pink or red color. Spotting during your ovulation should only last one or two days. If it lasts longer and you know it is not your period, it could be another sign of endometriosis. This symptom is likely related to your follicle maturing and being released from your ovary, and pain may accompany the bleeding. Symptoms Of Ovulation Pain You may be one of the women who feels pain during ovulation. This is nothing to be concerned about, and in most cases is simply another of the many symptoms of ovulation. The pain may be sharp to a dull ache. If you feel cramping in your lower abdomen, this is called mittelschmerz, or mid-cycle, pain.http://www.whencanyougetpregnant.us/symptoms-of-ovulation.html http://www.whencanyougetpregnant.us/symptoms-of-ovulation.html 27 Apr 2012 03:23:49 GMT pregnancy,birth,parenting,health,medicine neville@nevillepettersson.com Taking Charge Of Your Fertility There are many things that can help you with taking charge of your fertility. You can keep track of when you will be ovulating and therefore at your most fertile time to increase your chances of getting pregnant. If getting pregnant naturally is difficult for you, you still have options. You can take Clomid or other fertility drugs to increase the number of healthy eggs you are able to create. When your eggs are deteriorating, it may be time to consider a donor egg. If the sperm is simply not making it to the healthy egg, treatments of IUI or IVF can help bring the sperm directly to your uterus, where it is more likely to connect with your egg to form an embryo. If the infertility lies in your partner, there are medicines he can take to increase his sperm count, or you may want to look into artificial or natural insemination to increase your odds of getting pregnant. Taking Charge Of Your Fertility Ebook An ebook entitled Taking Charge of Your Fertility was written by Toni Weschler. Weschler has a Master's of Public Health degree, and promotes the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). To help her readers fully use this method, she offers tools and software on the website dedicated to her book, and even has an app for an iPhone or iPad. FAM uses a mixture of your basal temperature and your cervical mucus to determine when you are at the most fertile times in your menstrual cycle. She encourages you to chart both of these, and offers you the charts to do so. Weschler says of this method, "in reality, it should be seen as a fundamental life skill that all women should learn." Using FAM will help you know when your cervical mucus is healthy, detect signs of infections, and also know when your chances of getting pregnant are high. Taking Charge Of Your Fertility App You can download an app to your iPhone or iPad, via Toni Weschler's companion site to her book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility, or through the app store. For a fee, this app will allow you to chart your basal temperature and cervical mucus, to make it easier for you to keep track of when you will be the most fertile. There are several other apps available that have similar services. Woman Calendar at $9.99, is probably the most expensive, but also has several ways to chart and keep track of what your body is doing--more than the other apps on the market. Some other app options to look into are MeFertil, iChartMe, iOvulation, and FemiCycle, which range in price from $0.99 to $4.99. My Cycles and NFP Manager - sympto are both free options available to download, though you may need a greater understanding of exactly what symptoms to watch for when using one of these apps. Taking Charge Of Your Fertility Chart If you don't have an iPhone or iPad, or simply don't want to track your progress using that method, Weschler offers an alternative: fertility charts. You can access these charts on the site dedicated to Weschler's book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility. You have three options to view and modify your fertility chart. First, you can chart online, for free, or upgrade to a premium account starting at $1.50 a month. A premium account allows you unlimited charts (free gives you up to 90 days), and the ads are removed. Your next option is to chart on your computer. You can do this by downloading the software from Weschler's website, for a one-time fee of $39.99. If you're not sure you want the software, they offer a 15-day free trial. Finally, those who prefer manually charting can download a PDF of one of 9 different charts, all free. It is recommended if you do this, to also take advantage of the 15-day free trial of the software, as this will better explain how the charts will be st be used. Taking Charge Of Your Fertility Reviews The book of Taking Charge of Your Fertility is available in print form for $24.99. There have been several positive reviews of it, by Doctors and medical directors, with statements such as, "...fascinating, reliable, and up-to-date explanations," and "Toni helps couples reclaim control of their lives with a simple and compassionate approach to understanding their fertility." You can read more like this on her website, or reviews (overwhelmingly positive) from customers on Amazon.http://www.whencanyougetpregnant.us/taking-charge-of-your-fertility.html http://www.whencanyougetpregnant.us/taking-charge-of-your-fertility.html 27 Apr 2012 06:25:32 GMT pregnancy,birth,parenting,health,medicine neville@nevillepettersson.com What Is Fertilization What is fertilization? It is when the male and female reproductive cells (sperm and eggs) combine. This can happen in humans, animals, and even plants. Fertilization in humans is one of the first steps in a pregnancy, and is the moment when a baby's genetic make-up, including gender, is complete. Sperm permeates the egg with either an X or Y chromosome: X combined with the X chromosome the egg already has will be a girl (XX), while Y is a boy (XY). A protein coating covers the permeated egg, to protect it from the other sperm and begin to form the baby. This will only happen at a time when ovulation has occurred, so the best way to get pregnant is to keep track of your periods. If you are keeping track and are still having difficulty becoming pregnant, you may also require artificial insemination or infertility treatments. What Is Fertilization And Ovulation? Ovulation happens approximately two weeks before a menstrual period occurs, or fourteen days after the first sign of your period, whichever is easiest for you to calculate. Women have two ovaries. During ovulation, one of these develops follicles, or fluid-filled cysts. One of these follicles becomes dominant over the others, and forces them to stop growing. When the dominant follicle matures, it ruptures in order to release the egg in the ovary. This process as a whole is called ovulation. Fertilization and ovulation are intrinsically connected; since fertilization involves the eggs that are released, it cannot happen until ovulation has already occurred and the eggs have left the dominant follicle. The sperm is then able to find an egg and permeate it, forming an embryo. Keeping a log of when your ovulation happens will increase your chances of getting pregnant. What Is Fertilization And Where Does It Occur? Fertilization is one of the initial parts of a pregnancy, but the embryo that is formed during this time is not usually in the uterus. Although on rare occasions this process can happen in the upper uterus, most cases of fertilization happen in the woman's fallopian tube. Once fertilization occurs, the next step in forming a baby is implantation, which also happens in the fallopian tube. As the embryo begins implantation, it will move to the uterus, where the process of nerve formation and all other parts of a baby's creation. What Is Fertilization And Implantation? Implantation happens within 24 hours after fertilization, or the forming of an embryo, has taken place. The fertilized egg, or zygote, begins to divide into several cells as it moves through the fallopian tube on its way to the uterus. Implantation happens when the egg reaches the uterus and attaches to the endometrium. The egg transforms from several cells, to a solid ball, then to a hollow ball of cells. The scientific term for this hollow ball is a blastocyst. The blastocyst releases itself from the protective layer of protein that was placed upon it during the fertilization process, to allow itself the ability to connect to the endometrium. What Is Fertilization In Meiosis? Fertilization could not happen without meiosis. While fertilization is the connecting of men and women's cells to form an embryo, meiosis is the formation of those cells in the first place. Meiosis is a form of cell division, which creates eggs and sperm with half the normal chromosome count. This is how the two connect to form XX or XY; the woman's X combine's with the man's X or Y. The cells alone cannot create life. If they do not connect, nothing will happen and no embryo will be formed. Half a cell can do nothing, and it is only when the cells become whole again that a baby is created. In other words, fertilization and meiosis are mutually dependant on one another. http://www.whencanyougetpregnant.us/what-is-fertilization.html http://www.whencanyougetpregnant.us/what-is-fertilization.html 27 Apr 2012 10:31:59 GMT pregnancy,birth,parenting,health,medicine neville@nevillepettersson.com