What to Expect Before You’re Expecting

In a 2016 study, It showed that 209,809 US births are from women aged 15-19 with 89% of them out of wedlock. To put that number into perspective, it is close to the number of US Soldiers who died in World War I, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War combined.

Interpreting it in another way, it only took one year (in 2016) for American teen girls to replace all the population lost by the United States in three out the four major wars of the 20th century. Yes, just teen girls, it doesn’t even count other age brackets.

It creates the impression that making babies is easy. However, the majority of the population decides to wait. There are some who wait until after they are married, just like what their parents told them.

So for married couples who are ready to have children, here is a list of interesting statistics on what to expect before you are expecting.

The ability to conceive on a natural basis is only 20% per month

It means that there are only 5-7 days in your wife’s cycle that she can get pregnant. If she has regular menstruation and familiar with the calendar rhythm method of contraception, then you should know what specific days it is.

So, for married couples who want to have a baby. Just do the opposite of what the calendar rhythm method recommends.

10% to 15% of couples in the US have difficulty conceiving

15% is a fairly low percentage, but considering there are over 60 million married couples in the states, that’s a high number of individuals. If you are part of this minority trying but failing to have children the old-fashioned way, consult a doctor.

If either the husband or the wife has health problems that can affect pregnancy, it can only be found by a doctor through several laboratory tests. Blocked fallopian tubes, damaged uterus, and low sperm counts are the usual suspects. None of those can be diagnosed without a physician.

Age matters

The fertility of women drops drastically from the age of 35 onwards. The same goes for men when they reach the age of 40.

If you waited too long getting everything pitch perfect for the baby or simply having too much fun to have an infant ruin all of it, then you’re out of luck.

We are not Elves or Turtles. There comes a point in our lives that age catches up with us and we are no longer as vibrant as we used to be. The reproductive system drastically deteriorates over time. It is the only organ system that can shut down while we are still alive.

Modern medicine has ways to compensate for trying to conceive at an advanced age. It will require constant monitoring by a professional and supporting medication. Close observation will not guarantee a safe full-term pregnancy and delivery, but it would increase the chances of success.

Get healthy

Just because you’re in your 20’s that doesn’t mean you are a picture of health.

Urbanized sedentary lifestyle, medication, genetics, pollution, vices, and other toxins can greatly affect our body’s ability to procreate.

An unhealthy body that may or may not be your fault can greatly affect the body’s ability to have children. This goes the same for both male and females. Even weight can also become a factor when trying to conceive. If you are able to conceive even with health problems, it increases the risk of complications during pregnancy and birth.

Pregnancy complications is a serious matter. There are cases of pregnancy and childbirth-related deaths. It may not be a common case, but it isn’t rare either.

It might be nothing

When a couple tries to have a baby and fails. There is nothing wrong with trying again. Give it a full year before considering something is wrong. 85% of couples are able to produce a child within their first year, it follows that 15% does not. It is a hit and miss game and doing it every day can reduce sperm count in men.

If neither partner has age, health, or weight issues, then wait a bit and play the odds a bit longer before panicking and going to a doctor. The chances of succeeding are higher in the short 12-14 hour window after ovulation.

Here are some symptoms of ovulation.

1. Cervical mucus changes
2. A heightened sense of smell
3. Breast soreness or tenderness
4. Mild pelvic or lower abdominal pain
5. Light spotting or discharge
6. Libido changes
7. Changes in the cervix

So play your cards right and it may happen. It is statistically possible to miss that 20% chance a month, for several months in a row. So plan ahead by setting aside a “session” during the ovulation period, and increase sperm density through abstinence a few days to a week prior to it.

There is nothing wrong with Sex scheduling, especially for married couples trying to have a child. Spontaneity has its uses, but when you are intentionally trying to get pregnant, all the more reason to set aside an appointed time in your busy schedule to actually do it.

There is a lot to plan when you want to conceive

Having children and starting family can be the ultimate goal of marriage for some couples. After reading this article, you may think that it’s actually harder than it looks. But it’s not. It only applies to 15% of the population.

For the significantly larger 85%, getting knocked up the old-fashioned way happens naturally and flawlessly. So don’t worry about it, stress also lowers fertility and stressing over nothing is twice the loss.

Having children is a rewarding and fulfilling journey. Making them is the same. You don’t lose anything by it trying over and over with your loved one. So what to expect before you’re expecting? Lots of action.

If all else fails, there’s always In Virto Fertilization (IVF). It is a process of fertilizing an extracted egg from the wife with a sperm sample from your husband in a laboratory environment. The embryo is then surgically implanted back to the mother’s uterus.

So congratulations in advance to you and your future family. If the old-fashioned natural method is not working for you, modern science has your back.

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Rachael Pace is a noted relationship writer associated with Marriage.com. She provides inspiration, support, and empowerment in the form of motivational articles and essays. Rachael enjoys studying the evolution of loving partnerships... Read more and is passionate about writing on them. She believes that everyone should make room for love in their lives and encourages couples to work on overcoming their challenges together. Read less

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