1) It takes a sperm and an egg
Might seem obvious but it was a mystery until 1784. That’s when Catholic priest / biologist / physiologist Lazzaro Spallanzani put two and two together. He performed in vitro fertilization (IVF) on frogs and artificial insemination on a dog to prove the point. Before that, nobody truly knew where babies came from.
2) There’s a 25% chance this month
With every menstrual cycle, a woman has a 25% chance of becoming pregnant if she’s having unprotected sex. That’s one chance out of four. It may take a few months to actually get there but, meanwhile, enjoy practicing.
3) 14 may not be your magic number
You may have heard that ovulation and the best chance for pregnancy occurs on day 14 after the first day of your last period. Whew! Confusing. The average – average! – menstrual cycle is 28 days long, with ovulation occurring, theoretically, right in the middle (day 14) but some women have shorter cycles, some longer. Calculate your fertile days on the #1 Fertility and Ovulation Calculator and Calendar. Your own menstrual cycle length will vary wildly over the course of your life so don’t get stuck on the number 14. PLUS, your fertile days END on the day of ovulation, and the very best days for having sex are the 4-5 days before and the day of ovulation.
4). Sex before ovulation makes pregnancy more likely
Once an egg leaves the ovary, it must be fertilized within 12 to 24 hours or it’s too late. Since it’s almost impossible to know the exact time of ovulation, fertilization might be more likely if there’s plenty of little swimmers already there, waiting for the magic moment. Sperm lives several days in the female body so stock up in advance. Calculate your fertile days on the #1 Fertility and Ovulation Calculator and Calendar.
5) Slippery is good!
Every woman experiences vaginal discharge throughout the menstrual cycle. It doesn’t mean something’s wrong but it does tell you when you’re ovulating. Pay attention to what is normal for you and pay special attention to when the discharge is more slippery than usual. Slippery vaginal discharge that resembles egg whites is a sign of ovulation. It signals a great time for making babies.
6) The healthier you both are, the healthier the pregnancy
The more that’s learned about making babies, the more it becomes obvious mother and father in optimum health make the healthiest babies faster. Get both your bodies in good shape before trying to conceive a healthy family. You both need a diet rich in folic acid / folate (leafy greens, spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts) so the baby’s brain and nervous system get off to the best start just days after conception but other nutrients are important, too. Drink lots of water and eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, calcium, and vitamins. And, please, don’t forget the zinc.
7) Let the fireworks begin!
Thanks to one-of-a-kind super-high-tech imaging gadgetry, researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois were able to witness a fireworks show like none other ever seen by the human eye. It all began when sperm meets egg. The surface of the egg contains approximately 8,000 tiny little pockets, each filled with about a million zinc atoms. When sperm unites with egg, it sets off billions of tiny little zinc explosions that sparkle in waves for several hours. This “conception-marking light show“is beautiful to see, orchestrated much like a symphony,”" according to one of the researchers.
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By Sandy Hemphill, Contributing Writer, BabyMed