Natural conception is what future parents who are planning a pregnancy are striving for. It is natural: without the intervention of doctors! Fortunately, in the vast majority of cases, pregnancy occurs “by itself”, without any special manipulations. Some parents are examined before planning, and sometimes they “calculate” the necessary days to achieve the goal faster.
What should I do if I can’t get what I want? To begin with, it is worth remembering exactly how conception occurs.
Conception
During sexual intercourse, spermatozoa enter the vagina and begin to move along the reproductive tract: through the cervix, the uterine cavity, and then, through the hole in the tube corners, into the tubes. It is in one of the tubes that they meet with the egg. The embryo formed as a result of fertilization moves towards the uterus and on the 5th-6th day of development enters the uterine cavity, where implantation takes place (attachment to the uterine wall).
In other words, in order for this meeting to take place, it is necessary to comply with the mandatory conditions: the pipes must be passable, and the sperm must be capable of fertilization (as doctors say, be fertile enough).
Determining the day of ovulation
If these conditions are met, sexual intercourse should occur as close as possible to ovulation; to understand exactly when ovulation will occur, it is enough, for example, to install an application on a smartphone, and it will indicate “dangerous” days. Or, calculating the duration of the cycle, divide the number of days from menstruation to menstruation (take 30 days for convenience) by two. It is during this period (in our example, it is 15-16 days) that ovulation should be expected. It should be taken into account that phase II is usually no shorter than 13-14 days. You can use the services of a gynecologist who, with the help of ultrasound, will be able to very accurately determine the day of ovulation – doctors call such a scheme “programmed conception“.
Natural conception – Additional recommendations
A married couple planning a pregnancy should naturally adhere to some recommendations that will reduce the risk to offspring and facilitate pregnancy. This kind of advice is given to the family, bearing in mind that compliance with them is desirable for both spouses. It is recommended to give up smoking tobacco and other smoking herbs, from the use of strong alcohol, drugs; walks in clean air and the absence of inflammatory diseases are desirable (relevant during epidemics). Reception of vitamin and mineral complexes – taking into account the season and the region of residence.
The only recommendation only for a woman is taking clomid or folic acid at a dose of 400-800 mcg, which reliably prevents the pathology of the neural tube in the unborn child; admission should begin 2-3 months before the planned pregnancy.
How is the stimulation for conception carried out in a natural way
Stimulation is possible only if the patency of the tubes and the fertility of the sperm are proven, it is also necessary to make sure that there is no pathology of the uterus and appendages; in some cases, the Kurzrock-Miller test is performed (a test for compatibility of sperm and cervical mucus). With an unspecified condition of the fallopian tubes and the general condition of the reproductive organs (pelvis, uterus, appendages), stimulation can lead to extremely undesirable consequences, of which the most formidable is ectopic pregnancy. Naturally, ectopic pregnancy can occur regardless of whether there was stimulation, but unjustified stimulation creates conditions under which the occurrence of ectopic pregnancy is more likely.
For stimulation, in most cases, so-called gonadotropins are used. It is accepted to prescribe small doses from 4-6 days of the menstrual cycle. The doses and the day of the start of stimulation are selected in such a way that 2-3 follicles grow in the cycle. It is the growth of more than one follicle (and therefore an egg) that increases the chances of pregnancy in this cycle. The purpose of stimulation is jewelry work: it is important to prevent the growth of a large number of follicles, and, at the same time, to achieve synchronous growth of two or three. It is customary to prescribe a trigger drug that will help the follicles to circulate at the same time and tell you exactly when you need to try to conceive a child.
We add that by agreeing to stimulation for conception, parents should be aware that such stimulation increases the likelihood of multiple pregnancies, because mature eggs have an equal chance of fertilization.
A special situation is when stimulation is used to treat anovulation (absence of spontaneous ovulation): the purpose of treatment in this case may consist in a whole range of measures, depending on the cause of the pathology.