Preconception / Trying to Conceive

How Long Does It Take to Become Pregnant?

In a perfect world, becoming pregnant would be as easy as having unprotected sex and a few weeks later, you find out you’ve conceived. In reality, getting pregnant is a trickier process and there are a variety of things that can interfere with ovulation and conception – such as illness, your age, how often you ovulate, your husband’s sperm motility, and stress.

Not all couples will conceive on their first try, or even during the first month of trying. It can take years for you to get pregnant.

How Early Can I Test for Pregnancy?

by Guest Writer 31 Comments

Testing for pregnancy can bring about a wide range of emotions. From nervousness, to excitement, to happiness to sadness, finding out that you are pregnant is one of the most life-changing experiences a woman can have. So, it makes sense that most of us want to know about a pregnancy as early (and as accurately) as possible.

If you want to know if you are pregnant, taking a home pregnancy test is a crucial first step. But how early can you test for pregnancy?

Faint Line on a Pregnancy Test – Am I Pregnant?

by DP Nguyen 16 Comments

You’ve noticed a faint line on the pregnancy test you’ve just taken, and you’re wondering, “Am I pregnant?”

Reading the results of a home pregnancy test should be easy, but it’s not always. Newer digital pregnancy tests, like the one from Clearblue Easy, make it simple to interpret your results. The window will say either “Pregnant” or “Not Pregnant.” If you’re using a traditional home pregnancy test – like the ones that show a line, or a symptom (plus or minus), understanding your results can be a bit trickier.

Implantation Bleeding or Period?

by DP Nguyen 878 Comments

Implantation bleeding, or is it a period? This article will answer your questions about implantation bleeding symptoms, normal colors, what heavy implantation bleeding means, and more.

Implantation bleeding can be mistaken for a normal period, especially for women trying to conceive. Even if you aren’t actively wanting to get pregnant, but you’ve missed your period and are now experiencing light spotting, you may be worried and asking yourself – “Is this Implantation Bleeding or a Period?” It can definitely be confusing, and worrisome, as implantation bleeding is one of the very first signs of pregnancy.

Women with irregular periods can also easily confuse implantation bleeding for a period, because sometimes, when you have irregular menstrual cycles, you don’t always have a regular flow. Some months can be lighter than others, and this can definitely make you worried about whether or not you’re pregnant.

Why Take Prenatal Vitamins When Trying to Get Pregnant?

by DP Nguyen 53 Comments

When you’re trying to conceive, you should start taking prenatal vitamins every day. Although we normally associate prenatal multivitamins with pregnant women, studies have shown that women trying to get pregnant can also benefit from taking these vitamins.

Although you can meet your nutritional needs through a balanced and healthy diet, busy family lives and demanding careers can make healthy eating nearly impossible. Most women don’t get all the nutrients and vitamins that their body needs by food alone. They need a prenatal vitamin to improve their odds of getting pregnant.

Natural Birth Control – How Effective is It?

by Guest Writer 5 Comments

Since the days of middle school sex education, natural birth control has been considered risky, to say the least. Most sex educators will give you cautionary tales of young girls getting catapulted into young motherhood for relying on the incredibly unreliable withdrawal method. But natural family planning has come a very long way.

Natural Family Planning

Although the withdrawal method is still widely considered foolish, natural family planning is starting to become widely adopted by many women who desire to leave the world of estrogen supported birth control behind. From mood swings, weight gain and even death as side effects of being on the pill and other hormonal contraceptives; and increased conception time once you come off of it — it’s no wonder women are looking for alternatives when it comes to birth control.