Life
7 Signs It May Be Easy For You To Get Pregnant
For most people, fertility is a bit of mystery until they begin seriously trying to get pregnant. But despite the many medical conditions and surprises that could make reproducing naturally difficult, there are also lots of little hints you can look out for that may be signs of fertility.
"It’s hard to say [if] someone can feel fertile," Mache Seibel, M.D., Ob/Gyn, founder of dr.mache.com and member of Harvard Medical School Faculty, tells Bustle. Still, there are lots of ways your body may be communicating to you that it will be easy to get pregnant, if you do decide to try.
Even if you're not ready to have kids yet, but may like to someday, it can be worthwhile to understand your fertility prospects so you can best take care of your gynecological health. A lot of issues that can cause infertility may also cause other health problems down the line. Plus, if you're not ready to have kids, knowing that you're potentially very fertile may help keep you motivated to have safe sex and use protection. So keeping an eye on the signs your body gives you is important at any stage in life.
Here are eight signs it may be easy for you to get pregnant, according to experts.
1You Have A Very Regular Cycle
Having regular cycles, even when you're off of hormonal birth control, is a good sign of being fertile.
"Women with wonderfully regular 28 (plus or minus a day or two) cycles are likely to conceive," Felice Gersh, M.D., author, founder, and director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, tells Bustle. "Regular cycles are powerful evidence of regular ovulation — a definite prerequisite to being fertile." if you are curious to learn more, talk to your doctor, but having regular cycles is definitely a good sign.
2You Feel Well In General
Having generally good health on a whole is a plus when it comes to fertility as well.
"Feeling very well is a very good indicator that you indeed are well and healthy," Dr. Gersh says. Studies have indicated that struggling with mental health could make getting pregnant more difficult. So if you're coming from a place of emotional strength, and not dealing with many outside health problems, you may find it easier than some to get pregnant.
3You've Never Had A Pelvic Infection
While there are some chronic conditions that can cause infertility, having a history of infection may make getting pregnant harder as well. Because of this, if you haven't dealt with any pelvic infections, you may be more likely to conceive.
Of course, a history of pelvic infections is part of a larger equation. “If you have regular periods, never had a pelvic infection, and know when your fertile days are, your age is the only limiting factor towards normal fertility," Juergen Eisermann, M.D., a South Miami, Fla.-based fertility specialist at Florida’s IVFMD, tells Bustle. If you're concerned about any of these factors, it's worthwhile to bring any questions up to your OB/GYN.
4You Have Other Signs Of Regular Ovulation
If you have regular periods, but are still looking for more signs that it might be easy for you to get pregnant, it might be worthwhile to pay attention to ovulation.
"Signs that you are regularly ovulating [include ...] symptoms such as watery vaginal discharge (before ovulation) followed by thicker cervical mucus and breast tenderness (after ovulation)," Dr. Lucky Sekhon, fertility specialist in Progyny's Provider Network, tells Bustle. If you notice your body going through these changes, there may be a higher chance you'll conceive quickly.
5You Don't Smoke Cigarettes
Studies have shown that cigarette smoking has a negative impact on fertility. So if you've never smoked, you are already giving yourself a leg up when it comes to getting pregnant.
"Cigarette smoking has been shown to accelerate the loss of eggs over time and is associated with shortening a women’s reproductive lifespan," Dr. Sekhon says. So just by keeping away from cigarettes, you've likely already boosted your chances of getting pregnant.
6Your Periods Aren't Extremely Heavy
While everyone's period is different, your chances of getting pregnant may be related — at least tangentially — to your flow.
"Women with very heavy periods may have fibroids, which are benign tumors that can alter the architecture of their uterus and interfere with embryo implantation and a growing pregnancy," Dr. Sekhon says. So if you've never dealt with fibroids, or particularly heavy periods, you may be more likely to get pregnant easily.
7Your Periods Aren't Extremely Painful
For a lot of these signs of fertility, the hints that it may be easy for you to get pregnant is more about the absence of symptoms, rather than the presence of anything in particular. In this case, not having particularly painful periods is another plus.
"Very painful periods can signify a condition called endometriosis, where the tissue that normally lines the uterus, is found outside of uterus (most often in the pelvic cavity or ovaries) where it can cause pain, scarring and inflammation," Dr. Sekhon says. Making sure you regularly see your OB/GYN, and keeping track of your period symptoms, can keep you more informed about whether or not you're dealing with this or other chronic gynecological conditions — many of which may impact fertility.
While being unable to get pregnant is not at all a personal failing, and modern medicine is making it easier than ever to have biological children even if you struggle with fertility, it still can be good to know where you stand when it comes to one day trying to conceive. You can have kids any way that's right for you, but no matter what, it's still a good idea to be in tune with your body. Paying attention and going to the doctor regularly may have some really important ripple effects.
