Conception

Getting Busy More May Improve Chance of Conception
fertility

Getting Busy More May Improve Chance of Conception

Wanna-be-parents who have limited sex on schedule to improve their chances of conception might want to toss their thermometers and hop into bed!
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Wanna-be-parents who have limited sex on schedule to improve their chances of conception might want to toss their thermometers and hop into bed! New research shows that couples engaging in daily sex prior to ovulation may have increased chances of seeing two pink lines on the pregnancy stick. One report said:

Reported Tuesday at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) meeting in Amsterdam, the study involved 118 men suffering from "higher-than-normal" genetic damage to the sperm. The study led by Australia's David Greening of IVF Sydney in Wollongong found that after a week of daily sex, genetically damaged sperm dropped by an average of 26% among the men.

The sperm's shortened exposure to oxygen could have also factored into the results.

Ovulation 101: How It Works and How to Track It
Pregnancy

Ovulation 101: How It Works and How to Track It

Some couples joke that they can conceive just by looking at one another (we call those gals "Fertile Myrtles"), while others require careful planning and assistance to get there.
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Some couples joke that they can conceive just by looking at one another (we call those gals "Fertile Myrtles"), while others require careful planning and assistance to get there. If you're trying to get pregnant, I suggest tracking the telltale signs of ovulation and learning up on conception science. If only it really could be as simple as the birds and the bees.


How to Identify Your Fertile Days
4 Websites and iPhone Apps For Tracking Your Cycle
What Are the Signs of Ovulation?

Do You Know When Your Body Is Ready to Ovulate?
Ever Wonder What Ovulation Looks Like?
Want to Get Pregnant? Use a Calculator
Is It Fair For a Woman to Get Pregnant on Purpose?
Pregnancy

Is It Fair For a Woman to Get Pregnant on Purpose?

We've all heard stories about the wife who skipped pills or poked holes in her diaphragm to get pregnant.
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We've all heard stories about the wife who skipped pills or poked holes in her diaphragm to get pregnant. But, if a woman desperately wants a baby and her partner doesn't inquire about her methods of birth control or use any of his own — is it fair game for her to try and conceive? There's been a bit of buzz on the Internet as of late and we're curious about your opinion.

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Do You Know When Your Body Is Ready to Ovulate?
Pregnancy

Do You Know When Your Body Is Ready to Ovulate?

Some women laugh that they just look at their partner to become pregnant, while others say it takes some careful planning to get there.
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Some women laugh that they just look at their partner to become pregnant, while others say it takes some careful planning to get there. Our bodies tell us a lot about our cycles and our readiness to conceive. Take this quiz to see how well you understand your body's messages.

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Tell Mommy: Did You Talk About Conception?
Conception

Tell Mommy: Did You Talk About Conception?

Gold medal Olympian Kerri Walsh recently revealed that she is expecting her first child with her husband, but she also shared when she scored off the volleyball court.
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Gold medal Olympian Kerri Walsh recently revealed that she is expecting her first child with her husband, but she also shared when she scored off the volleyball court. She said, "We believe we conceived our last days in Beijing – so I think a day or two after we won gold medal."

A lot of mamas can talk your ear off about their pregnancies and children, but most stop themselves before going into the details of where and when the deed was done. Like Kerri, not everyone censors the tales and many are perfectly content making public at what point their dreams of family turned into reality.

lilsugar readers were pretty much tied up in deciding whether or not it's PC to talk about trying, so what about talking about conception? Did you share details?

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Tell Mommy: How Long Did It Take You to Get Pregnant?
Pregnancy

Tell Mommy: How Long Did It Take You to Get Pregnant?

Once a couple decides to make room for baby, they get to creating one.
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Once a couple decides to make room for baby, they get to creating one. Some potential mamas toss their pill packs or have their partners forgo condoms. Other wanna be parents rely on science and ovulation calculators.

Fifty-three percent of lilsugar readers said they had sex and waited for the plus sign, while thirty-five percent confessed that they mapped their conception plan out. Whether you winged it or plotted, how long did it take you to get pregnant?

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How to Identify Your Fertile Days
fertility

How to Identify Your Fertile Days

Most mothers or future mothers know all their fertility terms and jargon, but knowing your body and understanding your cycle can be a bit more complicated.
by babysugar

Most mothers or future mothers know all their fertility terms and jargon, but knowing your body and understanding your cycle can be a bit more complicated. Doctors recommend that couples that are trying to have a baby have intercourse between day 10 and day 20 of a woman's menstrual cycle. However, it is still difficult for most of us to magically know exactly when ovulation is going to occur.

If you aren't certain if and when you are ovulating, you might start with an ovulation predictor kit, which can be bought at most drug stores and check for LH (luteinizing hormone) in your urine. You can also use a simple calendar to map out your cycle. For some other simple suggestions of how to identify your fertile days, read more

Prenatal Vitamins 2008-05-01 08:00:00
Pregnancy

Generic or Name Brand Prenatal Vitamins?

Once you get pregnant, or preferably before, your OB/GYN will most likely recommend supplementing your diet with a prenatal vitamin.
by babysugar

Once you get pregnant, or preferably before, your OB/GYN will most likely recommend supplementing your diet with a prenatal vitamin.

Some doctors prescribe a specific brand while others, like myself, took generic ones from drugstores like Walgreens ($10).

Stuart Prenatal ($30) vitamins cost three times as much as the generic brand but according to the label, the ingredients are the same.

Did you buy into the labels?

Quiz about prenatal tests 2008-04-18 04:00:12
Pregnancy

How Well Do You Know Prenatal Tests?

When it comes to prenatal tests we tend to focus on the initial pregnancy test (as in peeing on the stick or seeing the doctor to confirm pregnancy with a blood sample) and the first ultrasound.
by babysugar

When it comes to prenatal tests we tend to focus on the initial pregnancy test (as in peeing on the stick or seeing the doctor to confirm pregnancy with a blood sample) and the first ultrasound.

Of course, anyone who has delivered a baby in the last few decades will tell you to expect quite a few tests and doctor visits.

The American Pregnancy Association lists 16 common prenatal tests for different stages of your pregnancy. They aren't all required, but it's certainly good to learn what they measure.

Do you know all about prenatal tests? Take our quiz and find out!

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Women Buy Time by Freezing Their Eggs
Pregnancy

Women Buy Time by Freezing Their Eggs

The May issue of Marie Claire has babies covered, from Baby Mama star and real-life mom Tina Fey on the cover to a firsthand account of egg banking inside.
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The May issue of Marie Claire has babies covered, from Baby Mama star and real-life mom Tina Fey on the cover to a firsthand account of egg banking inside.

In a steady relationship but not ready to have children, writer Sarah Elizabeth Richards bought herself some time and peace of mind by freezing her eggs.

As she approached her 37th birthday, Sarah spent her $13,000 savings to do so. She wrote:

"For once, I didn't have to be that anxious girl trying to beat some fertility expiration date anymore. I could simply admire a baby and wonder what mine would look like someday, the way I used to before the biological clock started."

For information and pictures, read more