Get Busy in the Bedroom
If the demands of your hectic life have dampened your sex drive, it's a good idea to start having sex more often. Some research suggests that women who engage in regular (at least weekly) intercourse are more likely to have predictable menstrual cycles and normal ovulation than women who have sporadic sex. One theory: Your husband emits sex hormones that influence your reproductive system. Weekly sex may also make you produce more estrogen. And there's no question that frequent sex helps when you're actually trying to conceive. Having sex every 36 to 48 hours in the few days before ovulation will make the most of your fertile window, Dr. Williams says. But because mandatory sex on certain days can become a chore, you might also try making love every few days all month long.

Don't Douche
This can wipe out normal, protective bacteria in the vagina, shifting the balance and putting you at risk for bacterial vaginosis, a common but often overlooked vaginal infection. A fishy odor and grayish discharge are often the only signs. Untreated BV has been linked to preterm labor and may be associated with higher risk of miscarriage and infertility. See your healthcare provider if you notice any new vaginal symptoms (itchiness, burning, unusual discharge, or sores). A reproductive-tract infection is unlikely, but it's best to be safe when your fertility is at stake.

Protect It with the Pill
Yes, the birth-control pill may actually enhance your fertility. "I suspect that oral contraceptives, which halt ovulation, quiet down your reproductive system, protecting your ovaries from aging," Dr. Barbieri says. For some women, the pill can be critical in preserving fertility because it keeps two common conditions, endometriosis and uterine fibroids, under control by slowing uterine-tissue growth. (With endometriosis, uterine tissue grows outside the uterus, causing painful cramps and often harming the fallopian tubes or other organs. Uterine fibroids are benign growth that can make pregnancy difficult or impossible.) Once you go off birth-control pills, your cycle will return to its pre-pill pattern in about a month.

Don't Overlook His Health
The same things that harm your fertility can do a number on your husband's reproductive health too. Cigarettes, alcohol, a poor diet -- any of these can contribute to lower sperm production or motility (ability to swim). Studies have also traced chromosomal damage in sperm to cigarette smoke and heavy alcohol intake. Getting enough nutrients every day -- particularly vitamins E and C and the mineral selenium -- will help him produce healthy sperm. Taking a daily multivitamin is a good step, Dr. Williams says. "It takes almost three months for a man to make new sperm, so he needs to think ahead

Back  [1] [2] [3]