Congratulations, you are pregnant! This is one of the news items that most women out there are yearning to hear. Unfortunately, the news may be taking longer than expected when the pregnancy kits keep displaying negative results. This has led to numerous questions about factors that can affect your chances of getting pregnant, especially after stepping into the third phase. Following this, we will discuss ways on how to prepare the body for pregnancy after 30.
Are you ready to conceive? If so, then check out this guide! We will discuss expert-approved ways on how to prepare your body for pregnancy after 30. These tips are safe and pretty straightforward. Nonetheless, we always urge you to make an effort of seeking professional help before enacting the provided information.
What Are The Odds Of Getting Pregnant After 30?
It may sound like a weird question, but it is not. Most women tend to question if they can still get pregnant after getting to the third floor. According to WebMD, there is a chance that you could conceive even after you turn thirty. That said, the key thing to note is that age does affect your conception chances (1).
Women who are less than 30 years old may not struggle to conceive. However, as you age, your chances of conception tend to decrease. It means that your conception chances fall every year, especially as you approach 30. By the time you are turning 40, your conception chances have tremendously decreased (1).
Experts also acknowledge that other factors may affect your conception rates. These factors include (1):
- Frequency of sex. You are more likely to get pregnant if you tend to have sex frequently.
- Nature of Your Menstrual Cycle. Women who have an irregular menstrual cycle may find it difficult to get pregnant compared to those with regular flows. The irregular nature of the cycle makes it hard to know when one is ovulating. Remember that the best time to have sex to get pregnant is when you are ovulating. Without knowledge of when you are ovulating, your chances of getting pregnant become narrow.
- The Amount of Time You Have Been Trying to Get Pregnant. Although some women get pregnant even without trying, others have to put in the work and for a long time. You might even bump into women who have been trying to get pregnant for over two or three years and still have not given up. WebMD acknowledges that your conception chances are lower if you have been trying to get pregnant for over one year (1).
- Health Conditions and Illnesses. Some health conditions may also affect your chances of getting pregnant. For example, pre-existing conditions of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). According to Medical News Today, PCOS has resulted in 70% of ovulatory fertility issues in women around the globe (4).
These are some of the common factors that may affect your conception efforts, whether you are trying to get pregnant before or after 30. Understanding these aspects is vital, especially if you are above the 30-years window.
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How To Prepare Your Body To Get Pregnant After 30
Knowing more about how you can prepare your body for conception may help boost your chances. Unfortunately, most women, and even men, believe that more sex is the only thing that can help you prepare for conception. As a result, most couples spend their energy having sex and overlook other factors that may affect conception. Here are some expert-approved tips on how you can adequately prepare your body for conception after clocking the 30 phase:
Talking To Your Doctor
Theoretically, this approach makes fundamental sense because there is so much you can learn from a doctor’s appointment about conception. So let us take a look at some essential points you may gather from your doctor’s appointment when preparing for pregnancy after 30.
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The Best Time To Try
Having sex every other time does not increase your chances of getting pregnant. As mentioned earlier, the best time is when you are ovulating. Try to keep track of your ovulation cycle for better results.
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Personal Factors Affecting Conception
Similarly, you get to learn of some factors that may be hindering conception. For instance, after a check-up, your doctor may determine that you struggle getting pregnant because of a hormone-related problem like PCOS. As we determined earlier, this health condition has a profound impact on fertility and conception.
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Existing Health Problems
Again, doctors will check for any health problem and tackle it early on. Getting such help may help prevent other problems and complications like miscarriages down the line (2).
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Your Health Information
Your healthcare provider will also conduct an in-depth analysis of your current health status, your health history, and that of your family. According to MedlinePlus, some health problems are passed on to generations, and they potentially affect conception (3).
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Medications Or Supplements
Perhaps your chances of getting pregnant are decreasing because of the medicines or supplements you are currently taking. It could be a possibility, which is why you are always advised to let your doctor know of any medications and supplements you are taking. If they are affecting conception, your doctor may recommend other safer options or ask you to temporarily stop using them (3).
Let your doctor also know if you were on a pill. Be very specific about details such as when you went on the pill, how long you have been on it, and when you stopped using it. Providing the correct information on such questions will help your doctor provide informed decisions about how they can help you become pregnant.
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Weight
Your weight may also be playing a role in conception. If you are obese, your healthcare provider may advise you to first focus on losing a few pounds before trying to get pregnant. This approach will reduce your complications risk throughout your pregnancy (3). However, doctors emphasize that not everybody needs to lose weight but rather obese individuals. Avoid any weight loss program if you are underweight or if your doctor has not approved such a move.
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Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle is known to cause so many health conditions like obesity and high blood pressure. It is, therefore, not surprising that it is once again a culprit in making it harder to get pregnant. So is the case if you have fully adopted this lifestyle and smoke, drink alcohol, and use drugs (3). Your doctor will ask you to tone it down because these behaviors affect conception, make it harder, and increase your chances of suffering a miscarriage (3).
So, if you decide to try for your first, fourth, or sixth child after turning 30, the first thing you must do is sit down with your healthcare provider. These experts will inform you of how to proceed to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
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Reducing Your Stress Levels, Resting, And Relaxing
It may sound impossible to relax, especially if you have been trying for ages to conceive. We understand this. However, you need to understand that worrying and stressing over this does you no good. Instead, it only reduces your chances of getting pregnant (3).
If you are trying to conceive, the best thing you need to do is manage your stress levels. First, choose a suitable stress relief technique that works best for you and not others. For example, you can choose to talk to a therapist, do yoga, or practice mindfulness and breathing techniques to help reduce your stress levels.
Ask your doctor about a suitable technique if you cannot come up with one by yourself. After working on your stress levels, now turn to your sleeping patterns. Make sure you are getting enough rest and quality sleep. You can always use relaxation and guided meditation techniques to help improve the quality of your sleep. Doing these may make it easier for you to become pregnant.
Eating Healthy
This, for many, sounds like a cliché, but it is one of the best tips to get pregnant after turning 30. It would help if you focused on healthy eating to help your body get ready to accommodate your newborn. Remember that you are a product of what you eat.
So, if you do not eat enough nutrients, chances are your baby will get nutritional deficiencies when you get pregnant. So, start improving your eating habits as early as now to help avoid such complications and problems.
Again, it would help if you encompassed all healthy food groups in your diet plan. You are not advised to cut out any food group, for example, as it may happen if you are trying to lose weight before your pregnancy. Talk to your nutritionist and healthcare provider if this is your current situation. Likewise, talk to these professionals to determine how to craft and what to include in your pre-pregnancy diet plan.
In most cases, experts advocate for the consumption of the following (2):
- Low-fat dairy products
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Cereals
- Whole grains
- Lean and plant-based proteins
- Complex carbohydrates rich in fiber
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Exercising
Before you start taking a zillion tests to confirm if you are expecting, focus on moving your body to help boost your chances of getting pregnant. Some women believe that exercise is only crucial after pregnancy as it allows them to bounce back to their ideal body shape quickly. However, that is not the case.
Exercise is essential before, during, and after pregnancy. According to WebMD. You will need to move if you want those pregnancy tests to read positive (5). The rationale behind this is that getting in shape ahead of time makes conception, pregnancy, and delivery a lot easier (5).
Here comes the tricky part; determining what exercises to perform. The best approach to choosing a suitable pre-pregnancy workout plan is to talk to your trainer and physician. They will recommend an exercise regime that best matches your fitness levels, capabilities and aligns with your goal.
In most cases, these professionals tend to advocate for simple aerobic exercises, such as taking brisk walks, swimming, jogging, dancing, and bicycling. Experts advise you to aim for thirty minutes of the activity to get your heart pumping (5).
Adopting A Healthier Lifestyle
Some people do not understand that eating healthy and embracing a healthy lifestyle are two different concepts. When it comes to eating healthy, you should choose to consume a healthy, balanced diet. On the flip side, maintaining a healthy lifestyle means living healthily. It means that you can eat in a healthy way but still have an unhealthy lifestyle.
If you are trying to get pregnant, the idea is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle means getting enough rest, exercising, not using drugs, smoking, or drinking alcohol (5). Remember that we have associated smoking, alcohol and drug abuse with reduced conception rates.
The Bottom Line
It is possible to get pregnant in your thirties. However, it can be tricky because conception rates tend to decrease as you age. Luckily, there are several tips on how to prepare your body for pregnancy after 30. These include eating healthy, exercising, getting enough rest, reducing your stress levels, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and talking to your doctor. However, do not be fooled by their simplicity. Instead, focus on their viability in increasing your chances of becoming pregnant.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for decision-making. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- Getting Started on Getting Pregnant (2020, webmd.com)
- Pregnancy (2021, medlineplus.gov)
- Steps to take before you get pregnant (2020, medlineplus.gov)
- What is polycystic ovary syndrome? (2018, medicalnewstoday.com)
- Your Prepregnancy Checklist (2019, webmd.com)
