Women, who desire to have a baby, switch to a healthier lifestyle, become conscious of what they eat and start to exercise. This is a good step for women who want to optimise their fertility. However there are other things too that women who want to conceive should look out for.

• A lady should record her menstrual cycle. A woman’s periods are regular if her first period day comes the same number of days apart each month. Her periods are irregular when her cycle lengths are not the same. A lady should track these dates which will help her find out her ovulation days.
• A woman who has a regular period cycle ovulates two week before her first days of periods. Ovulation for a lady with irregular cycles occurs around 12 to 16 days before the start of her next period.
• The lady should have intercourse on the five days prior to ovulation and on the day of ovulation. This is the fertile window.
• Those who have too much body fat and also those who are too thin find it difficult to conceive. One should thus maintain a healthy body weight.
• Ladies who are trying to get pregnant should consider taking a multivitamin which contains folic acid as it  prevents birth defects
• Eating a variety of healthy foods gives the lady an adequate store of nutrients and prepares the lady’s body for pregnancy
• One should cut down on strenuous exercises which could interfere with ovulation. However it is important to be physically active and one can achieve that by doing moderate exercises
• Women lose their fertility as they age.
• Quitting smoking and cutting down on alcohol can increase the chances of conceiving.

Am I pregnant? There are some early pregnancy symptoms that you should definitely look out for. You can then take the pregnancy test at home.

• The blood supply to your breasts increases when you are pregnant and this gives a tingling and pricking sensation to your nipples. This is one of the earliest symptoms and one can notice it within a week or so of getting pregnant
• You may also experience some pink or brown coloured spotting or slight cramping. Experts think that this is caused when the fertilised egg implants in the womb or because of the hormones that controls the periods.
• Morning sickness is another very good early pregnancy symptom. You feel nauseated and sick and this starts around the sixth week of pregnancy. Even though it is called morning sickness it can occur at any time of the day.
• Your breasts seem tender and very sensitive. This happens around the sixth week of pregnancy. It however eases at the later stages of pregnancy
• Feeling tired, upset or emotional can be a symptom of pregnancy. This is because of the pregnancy hormones in the body.

If you feel these symptoms then do not delay in getting a pregnancy test kit and confirming your pregnancy.