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.

Are there any things a couple can do to improve their chances of getting pregnant? Yes, there are but not all of the tips are well publicized. Some things you can do are obvious, like having regular sex three times a week, but other tips you just may not have heard about. Here are seven little talked about fertility aids that can help you get pregnant.

1- Ovulation Prediction Kits: Every month a woman produces one egg (during a typical cycle only one egg is released). This one egg only survives for 12-24 hours so knowing when you ovulate is very important. Follow the instructions on the ovulation kit.

OPKs work by detecting LH or Luteinizing Hormone. Just before you ovulate you will have a surge of LH which can be detected in your urine. Start using the tests before you ovulate and keep using them until you detect your LH surge. Once you have a positive ovulation test, you can expect to ovulate within 36 hours.

2- Preseed: Preseed is a sperm friendly lubricant. As you approach ovulation your body will respond with changes in your cervical mucous. Cervical mucous is very important when it comes to getting pregnant. Fertile cervical mucous is clear, eggwhite looking, slippery, and stretchy.

Thick or dry cervical mucous can actually block sperm or slow sperm down. What preseed does for your fertility is it gives you extra cervical mucous. It is a sperm friendly lubricant that may help aid sperm as it travels to fertilize the egg.

3- Vitex (Chaste berry): Vitex is an herb that women have been using for years to help with premenstrual syndrome and to help regulate your period. Vitex may be helpful for women who have irregular cycles, are not ovulating regularly, or have premenstrual syndrome.

Check with your doctor before using Vitex. Vitex is not recommended for women who are taking Clomid or any similar fertility medications as it can cancel out the effects of fertility medications.

4- Evening Primrose Oil: Evening Primrose Oil or (EPO) is produced from a wildflower called the Evening Primrose. This oil has been used for years to help with lots of things such as lowering cholesterol, natural labor induction, and fertility. EPO is thought to help with premenstrual syndrome and it may also help to improve the quality of a woman’s cervical mucous.

5- Robitussin®: Robitussin® is helpful for the same reason as preseed. Robitussin® is an expectorant. Expectorants help to thin out mucous. It is mainly used for coughing because once the mucous in your lungs is thinned out, you can cough things up easier and clear your airways.

It is helpful to use when trying to conceive because not only does it thin out the mucous in your lungs it will also make your cervical mucous thinner and more slippery. This can be very helpful for women that are not producing slippery fertile cervical mucous.

6- Instead Softcups®: In 2006 Instead put in an application with the FDA to market Instead Softcups® as a fertility aid. This application came after women all over the internet started sharing their experiences with using Instead Softcups as a fertility aid and sent letters to the company sharing their success stories.

The thought behind using Instead Softcups® is that inserting a softcup after intercourse will help keep semen in place and close to the cervix. The concept is simple; the longer semen stays close the cervix, the more sperm will reach the egg.

7- The Conception Kit™: The Conception Kit™, manufactured by Conceivex, is a new product to help couples conceive. The kit comes with ovulation tests, a sperm friendly lubricant, pregnancy tests, a semen collector, and the conception cap.

The way couples use this kit is to have intercourse with the semen collector which is similar to a condom. Then take the semen from the collector and put the semen into the conception cap. The cap is then inserted into the woman’s vagina and positioned at the cervix.

This kit may be helpful for couples dealing with male factor issues such as low sperm count or motility. It can also help protect sperm from a hostile vaginal environment and it may improve the chances of conception for women that have a tilted uterus.