Defining fertility

Deciding to have a baby and getting pregnant can be an exciting time for any potential parent. Every person is different. Not all pregnancies will happen at the drop of a hat. For some, getting pregnant takes time, requires a little patience and perhaps, a little luck too.

Fertility is essentially defined by a state or quality of being fertile (the ability to reproduce or produce offspring). As a woman, understanding when you are at your most fertile during your cycle can help to make getting pregnant a little easier.

For both men and women, maintaining a healthy weight, refraining from excess smoking or alcohol consumption, and having regular sex (without the use of contraception methods or birth control) near the time of ovulation are some of the factors that can help things along without a hitch.

Most healthy individuals should be able to conceive within a year of trying. If you, or you and a partner experience trouble getting pregnant, health care providers and fertility specialists can help. These days, there’s little reason to have absolutely no hope. Infertility equally affects both men and women. There are successful methods and treatments available, and many individuals are able to have healthy pregnancies and babies.

For the most part, healthy individuals are likely to have healthy babies. If you and or/ your partner are healthy, you’re off to a good start. There are things you can do to ensure that, as a healthy and fertile individual, you don’t potentially sabotage your chances of being able to successfully conceive. Health basics include updating your vaccinations, maintaining a nutritious diet, getting in regular exercise and ensuring that you take prenatal vitamins (women) and vitamin supplements (men and women).

If you and or/ your partner is managing a health condition (chronic or otherwise) with medications, it’s a good idea to work closely with your medical health professional to ensure that care is taken both before and during a pregnancy. Taking the best care of your own overall health ensures the most ideal condition of a pregnancy and baby too.