Trying to conceive (TTC) starter pack

All week on the Instagram page I’ve been sharing bits and bobs relating to the journey to conception and trying to conceive.

Whilst a lot of the time the focus tends to be on abnormality, this post will focus on trying to conceive with no underlying medical diagnosis or concerns. Before we proceed, at this point you should have come off any contraception method you are on!

It’s an amazing time when you and your partner decide that you’re ready for the patter of tiny feet and are ready to take the leap.

For a lot of couples the journey is straight forward and short but for some, it’s a long and tedious journey. However before you go down this road I’ve drawn up key topics to address besides the obvious financial implications for the future (lol).

Prenatal Vitamins

I never miss an opportunity for health promotion but it’s amazing how little  the average Nigerian woman knows about  the benefits of prenatal vitamins especially folic acid.

Folic acid , also known as folate is well recognized for its value in the prevention of certain birth defects such as Spina bifida and Anencephaly and it is reccommended that women planning to conceive commence taking this at least 3 months prior to conception or as soon as you conceive  for unplanned pregnancies.

Preconception/Wellness health check 

This is perhaps the most important point. Knowing your current state of health, STI status, genotype and potential hereditary conditions.

Knowing your STI status ensures that diseases such as chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhoea are not unknowingly transmitted to unborn children or at birth as they can have quite severe consequences. 

I appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for comprehensive tests but another important information to know is the probability of having a child with sickle cell anaemia, for this to happen both parents have to either be carriers of the gene or one parent actually has the disease. In Nigeria,each year, about 150000 children are born with sickle cell trait and It is estimated that 1 in 40 Nigerian newborns are affected by the disease.

I am not an advocate for discrimination against carriers of the gene or people who have the condition but I strongly believe knowledge of status prior to conception empowers you as a parent to plan for all eventualities.

Ovulation charting 

Once you’re ready to start trying, knowledge of your menstrual cycle and fertile days is important.

It is important to stress that not all women need to chart their ovulation to conceive and I personally will recommend it if you’ve been trying for a while or are concerned that you might not be ovulating.

You can figure out your ovulation period either by calculating using period dates, monitoring for symptoms (basal body temperature, consistency of cervical mucus, pelvic pain etc)  or a combination of calculations and monitoring symptoms.

The easiest way however is using calculations and you  do this by first working out the length of your average  menstrual cycle. Day one is the first day of the menstrual period and the last day is the day before the next period begins. Ovulation happens about two weeks before the next expected  period.So if your average menstrual cycle is 28 days, you ovulate around day 14. See table below.

Timing of Sexual intercourse

Sperm can live in the uterus for up to 6 days and as such it is recommended that the best time to get pregnant is the few days leading up to and including the day of ovulation. 

I personally feel like calculating sometimes can make sexual intercourse become more mechanical than a form of intimacy between partners. It is important to enjoy the process so regular sexual intercourse(3-4 times a week) should suffice.

Lifestyle 

Lifestyle choices can affect a woman’s ability to conceive so whilst you’re preparing to become a mother it is important that you prepare your body too. To do this you should stop smoking and alcohol. Take active steps to loose weight or at least avoid gaining more weight by eating healthy ( significant amount of fruit and vegetables) and excercising. Women should also encourage partners to do same as all of the above lifestyle factors can affect sperm production and quality. Fertility is not just a “woman’s” problem contrary to popular belief!

There you have it, my modified tips list for ladies embarking on the TTC journey. I hope/pray the road is smooth and short. For ladies out there still on the journey, I’m sending you positive thoughts and remember there’s nothing wrong with getting some help along the way, we love all babies!

Have a TTC story you want to share or tips please comment below,don’t forget to subscribe and share!