The attempt to get pregnant can be stressful, frustrating and sometimes even unpleasant. Conceiving a child is not always as easy as having unprotected sex. This is what you should know before you start:
1. It may take a while.
- Most women will get pregnant within six cycles. Some will conceive sooner, others later; don’t worry if it doesn’t happen on the first try.
2. Not all cycles are the same.
- Of course the statement “ovulation occurs on day 14” is true for some women – more precisely for those who have a 28-day menstrual cycle. In fact, the duration of menstrual cycles may vary even in the same woman, and ovulation always occurs 14-16 days before the first day of the next menstruation.
3. Miscarriages are not as uncommon as you think
- Up to 15-20% of pregnancies are lost in the first month after conception; women often don’t even know they were pregnant or they miscarried, and they consider the bleeding a regular menstruation.
4. You will do some strange and… unpleasant things.
- Checking the cervical mucus, urinating on the hand that holds an ovulation or pregnancy test, trying various positions during and after sex – these can be activities you haven’t thought of before, but you will do all of them once you decide to have a baby.
5. You will be obsessed with pregnancy symptoms, but you won’t be certain you’re pregnant until you get a positive test.
- It is pointless to spend too much time analysing whether those abdominal cramps are a sign of menstruation or are caused by the embryo’s implantation, or checking daily whether your breast areolae become darker. In the two weeks between ovulation and the date when your next menstruation should start you should just relax and think that you’ve already done what was up to you.