Are you thinking that you can have intercourse on day 14 of your cycle and you will probably get pregnant? This is a common myth.
When I was trying to conceive, I figured out I knew more about how not to get pregnant than I knew about how to actually get pregnant. I soon figured out there was a lot I didn’t know. So I ended up making lots of mistakes which actually delayed me from getting pregnant. I ended up doing a lot of research and learning that many couples were making small mistakes which added up to a big problem in getting pregnant. These are the 3 mistakes I found myself making.
The first has to do with timing. Many women are taught that they ovulate on day 14 and this is simply not true. Only those with a perfect 28 days cycle will ovulate on day 14. So if you are timing things based on a day 14 ovulation, it’s very likely you are missing your most fertile time just as I was. My cycle is actually 32 days so I ovulate a few days later than than I thought. It’s also important to know that the day you ovulate can vary a bit from month to month and is affected by such things as travel, illness, diet. The second half of your cycle (the time from ovulation until your period arrives is called the “luteal phase” and it remains consistent in length every single month and is not affected by any of the things than can delay your ovulation.
So given this information, if your have a regular monthly cycle, you can count back about 12 to 16 days to determine when you are likely to ovulate. But if your cycle is irregular, it can be much harder to determine when you ovulate. Rather than trying to figure it out, it is much better to devote your time to finding ways to regulate your cycle so that you will have a good chance of knowing when you are most fertile. Other ideas for figuring out your ovulation date is doing BBT charting and tracking your cervical mucus for when it turns clear and stretch (much like raw eggwhite). Knowing these methods will help you to avoid making the mistake of improper timing which is the biggest mistake that couples make.
Another mistake of mine was using the wrong type of lubrication. It turns out KY Jelly, which was my lubrication of choice, can actually damage sperm!! So of course that was a big mistake that I made. The truth is, most lubricants that you purchase are harmful to sperm, even those that say they are “water soluble.” Saliva is also damaging to sperm so don’t try that either. There is one lubrication that is designed to be sperm-friendly and that is called “Pre-Seed.” It is the only one that you can use which will give you confidence that it is not causing any harm.
My 3rd mistake was that I had my husband save up sperm during the month thinking it would increase his sperm count. In actuality, I learned that this actually lowers the sperm count and you end up with a lot of stale, old sperm which is not what you want obviously. Instead, the male needs to make sure he is releasing sperm at least every five days throughout the month to keep the sperm supply fresh. Once you are nearing ovulation, “trying” every day or every other day are both efficient methods. Make sure you are also not making the mistake of saving sperm all month long as we were doing.
So, that sums up the 3 biggest mistakes that I was making. I found through my research that most couples aren’t making very big obvious mistakes. Rather they are usually making several small mistakes and when you put them all together, these small mistakes are the reason they are having difficulty getting pregnant. I hope this article has helped you to identify some of the mistakes that you might be making so you can fix them and go on to have the baby you dream of!
Best of luck and baby dust!