Getting Pregnant

Adoption and Surrogacy

Adoption: Laughter and Tears

If you ever walk through an orphanage, it will be an experience you’ll never forget. Witnessing children in poverty, children discarded, children stunted both physically and emotionally, will stir your heart beyond belief. And adopting a child is a joy as great as witnessing the first sharp intake of breath by your very own newborn infant.

• Adoption: Where Do I Start?
• Alison's Journey Home: An Adoption Story

» more on Adoption and Surrogacy

Boost Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

Robitussin (Guaifenesin Cough Syrup) to Improve Fertility

You may be wondering what cough syrup has to do with fertility.  Robitussin’s main ingredient is guaifenesin.  Guaifenesin aids in fertility because it improves the quality of your cervical mucus.  Fertile cervical mucus helps transport sperm from the vagina into the uterus.  Sperm cannot su

• How Long Does it Take Most Couples to Get Pregnant?
• Daily Sex Improves Sperm Quality

» more on Boost Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

Deciding to Have a Baby

The Real Costs of Having a Baby

Whether you’re just thinking about having a baby or if you already have a baby on the way, it’s never too early to start making a “baby budget.” It’s not cheap to have a baby these days – and there are more expenses than you might realize – but if you plan ahead, you can make smart budget choices for your baby and your family.

• Planning Your Family? One Isn't the Loneliest Number
• Baby Addiction: Do some people feel like they NEED to keep having babies?

» more on Deciding to Have a Baby

Fertility Charting Ovulation and Prediction

Luteal Phase - Understanding what happens after you ovulate

After you ovulate, you begin the second half of your fertility cycle known as your luteal phase. During the first half of your cycle, Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) is produced. FSH signals your body to start the process of maturing eggs for ovulation. The eggs are contained inside a follicle where they will grow and mature until ovulation occurs.

• Luteal Phase Defect
• The Best Fertility Gadgets

» more on Fertility Charting Ovulation and Prediction

Fertility Medications and Natural Supplements

7 Fertility Aids: Secret Tips from Moms

Trying to get pregnant can be a trying time. The first few cycles are exciting and filled with optimism but generally after two or three cycles couples tend to get discouraged. There is a lot to know when it comes to getting pregnant. Some couples may start off with a relaxed approach but as time goes on they may want to know more.

• Fertility Boosting Herbs
• Food Fight- Which Foods Can Help In The Infertility Battle?

» more on Fertility Medications and Natural Supplements

Having Problems Getting Pregnant

Clomid and Ovulation Tests

Clomid is a popular fertility medication used to induce ovulation.  Clomid helps a woman to ovulate by tricking her brain into making more of the hormones FSH and LH.  Since LH is the hormone that ovulation tests detect, taking Clomid can cause a false positive result on an ovulation test.

• Stress & Trying to Conceive: Can Stress Keep You From Getting Pregnant?
• High FSH levels? What does it mean?

» more on Having Problems Getting Pregnant

Male Fertility

Retrograde Ejaculation

Retrograde ejaculation (also sometimes referred to as “dry orgasm”) occurs when a man climaxes but the semen travels backwards into the bladder instead of being ejaculated out of his body through the urethra, the tube the runs through the penis and carries both semen and urine.

• Daily Sex Improves Sperm Quality
• Becoming A Dad: What You Need To Know

» more on Male Fertility

Pregnancy Tests

Am I pregnant? How early can I test?

If you and your partner are trying to conceive, one of the hardest parts is the waiting. The infamous two week wait is enough to frustrate even the most patient woman. The question thus arises, do you need to wait two weeks? With advances in technology it is now possible to detect pregnancy from the convenience of your own home before you have even missed your period.

• False Positive Pregnancy Test
• Negative Blood Test: Could I Still Be Pregnant?

» more on Pregnancy Tests

Trying to Conceive After Loss

What Is A Chemical Pregnancy?

You’ve just had a miscarriage. To make things even more tragic you may not have even been aware you were pregnant in the first place. Your doctor will explain your miscarriage as a ‘chemical pregnancy’. But what does that even mean? It sounds like something out of sci-fi television.

• Frequently Asked Questions About Miscarriage
• Caffeine and Miscarriage

» more on Trying to Conceive After Loss

Understanding Your Cycle

Ovulation 101: What happens during Ovulation

Your body communicates with your brain and other parts of your body by way of hormones.  Hormones are messengers that tell your body what to do and when to do it.  When you ovulate, a sequence of hormonal events take place that tell your body it is time to ovulate.  Scientists know which hormones are involved in ovulation and have designed tests to detect for the hormone mess

• Implantation Bleeding
• Implantation Bleeding Statistics

» more on Understanding Your Cycle