Ideally, pregnancy planning should begin at least 3 months prior to conception with prenatal vitamins. These should contain iron for prevention of anemia, folic acid (or methyl folate) for prevention of neural tube defects and DHA to help with fetal neurologic development. Why so early, you ask? Well, the critical time for adequate folic acid intake begins even before the first missed menses, so by the time you know you’re pregnant, your body has already begun to utilize its stores of the vitamin. Still, my big selling point to women who aren’t a fan of taking a vitamin every day is that recent studies have shown women who take a prenatal vitamin for at least 3 months prior to conception have lower levels of nausea and vomiting during early pregnancy. Don’t want to be a “puker”? Take your prenatal vitamins.
So, you’ve been taking your prenatal vitamins for 3 months, and now you’re looking to start trying for your baby. I’m often asked when is the best time to have intercourse in order to conceive. For a woman with a 28 day cycle, we would expect her to ovulate between days 13 to 15, although this can vary from woman to woman. This egg will only last between 12-24 hours, so it is critical to make sure sperm are present to fertilize the egg when ovulation occurs. Since sperm may live up to 5 days or so within the woman’s body, beginning scheduled intercourse at least every other day (some studies say as frequently as twice a day) from 5 days prior to expected ovulation until 1 day after are the optimal times to be intimate when trying to conceive. Ovulation can be tracked using a phone app like Glow, home ovulation kits and via basal body temperature.
Once pregnancy occurs, your physician will look for three criteria to confirm a successful pregnancy: 1. location within the uterus (womb), 2. presence of the fetal pole (the part that becomes the baby), and 3. the development of a heartbeat within the fetal pole. This generally requires 7-8 weeks of pregnancy to be able to see all 3 criteria well; otherwise, testing has a higher likelihood of being inconclusive for those measurements. After these markers have been confirmed, the real excitement can begin! Whether a long-awaited dream come true or a happy little surprise, come celebrate your pregnancy with Teton Women’s Health Center!
Nick
So, you’ve been taking your prenatal vitamins for 3 months, and now you’re looking to start trying for your baby. I’m often asked when is the best time to have intercourse in order to conceive. For a woman with a 28 day cycle, we would expect her to ovulate between days 13 to 15, although this can vary from woman to woman. This egg will only last between 12-24 hours, so it is critical to make sure sperm are present to fertilize the egg when ovulation occurs. Since sperm may live up to 5 days or so within the woman’s body, beginning scheduled intercourse at least every other day (some studies say as frequently as twice a day) from 5 days prior to expected ovulation until 1 day after are the optimal times to be intimate when trying to conceive. Ovulation can be tracked using a phone app like Glow, home ovulation kits and via basal body temperature.
Once pregnancy occurs, your physician will look for three criteria to confirm a successful pregnancy: 1. location within the uterus (womb), 2. presence of the fetal pole (the part that becomes the baby), and 3. the development of a heartbeat within the fetal pole. This generally requires 7-8 weeks of pregnancy to be able to see all 3 criteria well; otherwise, testing has a higher likelihood of being inconclusive for those measurements. After these markers have been confirmed, the real excitement can begin! Whether a long-awaited dream come true or a happy little surprise, come celebrate your pregnancy with Teton Women’s Health Center!
Nick
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