How To Improve Chances Of Getting Pregnant

By Our Correspondents

Irregular periods can indicate that you are ovulating inconsistently or, in some cases, not at all. As you already know, it is impossible to conceive without an egg, so the less you ovulate the less opportunities you have to conceive.

So here is a guide to improving your chances of getting pregnant if you have irregular periods.

Firstly, it will be important to try to restore some regularity to your cycle and increase the frequency of ovulation. Lifestyle changes can help you improve the balance of your hormones and help to make your periods more regular:

•Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet: Try to incorporate more whole grains, fruits and vegetables and avoid foods that are high in refined carbohydrates and fat.

•Attain a healthy weight: If you are overweight, losing a few pounds through a moderate calorie restriction and moderate exercise can be very beneficial, especially if you have been diagnosed with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Likewise, if you are underweight, try adding on a few pounds. Extremely low body fat can be associated with low estrogen levels, which can cause cycle irregularity.

•Exercise regularly and moderately: Getting regular exercise is a key to fertility. On the other hand, too much exercise that is too strenuous in nature can have a detrimental impact on fertility.

The next equally important step will be to pinpoint your fertile window each cycle. Remember that in order to conceive, sperm must be waiting in your Fallopian tube at the time the egg is released from the ovary. And because sperm can only survive for up to five days in the female reproductive tract, it is important for you to be able to predict when you will ovulate so that you can time intercourse appropriately. For women with irregular periods, ovulation prediction can be a frustrating endeavour.

How to know you are pregnant with irregular menstrual cycle

Many women face problems of irregular menstrual cycle (periods). However, this hardly disrupts the normal life; it is a cause of worry when you are trying to get pregnant. Irregular or abnormal ovulation’s make up to 40 per cent of infertility cases. Therefore, it is increasingly important to pay attention to your menstrual cycle whether or not you are planning a family immediately.

The easiest way to suspect pregnancy is a missed period. But what in case of women who have an irregular cycle? For women with irregular cycle, it is important to keep in mind the other than missed periods pregnancy symptoms such as: Tender breasts, fatigue, morning sickness, darkening of the skin around areola, food cravings and vomiting.

However, hormonal fluctuations can cause fatigue, even in case of irregular or delayed periods, frequent urination and nausea are one of the closest pregnancy signs that one can observe.

The best way is to visit a gyneacologist and get checked thoroughly, including the tests suggested by the doctor for fertility. If, after the tests, other medical conditions are ruled out, irregular periods would be the only cause of anxiety, especially for those sexually active women who are not planning a pregnancy.