You want to have a baby, but the problem is that it’s not like going to the grocery store and popping some cookies into the cart. Isle 3 – babies. If only it were that easy. And, while many women don’t have serious problems getting pregnant, some women do. Having a baby, for some women, is an almost impossible task. Fortunately, there are solutions that are proven and fairly reliable.

Maintain Normal Weight

Maintaining a normal weight is essential for getting pregnant. If you’re overweight, or even slightly underweight, having a baby can be difficult or impossible. Being underweight isn’t as obvious, but it’s a common phenomenon these days due to the skewed perception that “skinny is beautiful.” Some women overdo it, and in the process they’re starving their bodies of the nutrients that are necessary for a normal pregnancy.

In particular, you need copious amounts of omega 3s, vitamin D, vitamin A, B vitamins (especially folate and choline), zinc, and calcium as well as magnesium. Of course, all nutrients are essential, it’s just that some are a little more important than others.

If you’re overweight, you may be suffering from a nutritional overload. Fat cells store nutrients, as well as cellular waste, and must be oxidized to release both the nutrients and the “garbage.” Interestingly, a new study demonstrates that a 3-day fast could help kick-start a regeneration of both the immune system and the body’s ability to lose weight by switching its primary fuel source to ketones.

Taurine For Him

It’s not all about the female. Some studies show that taurine can boost testosterone levels in normal, healthy, males by a significant percent. In some studies, a 180 percent increase is noted. In sick, old, or diabetic individuals, the results can be more dramatic.

Increases in testosterone levels effect spermatogenesis – the creation of sperm in the testes. So, while there’s no way to know whether your significant other will indeed make more sperm while on taurine, it may help.

Stop Smoking

Smoking can damage a female’s eggs, and it can also prematurely age the ovaries. So, for example, a 35-year old who smokes will have the ovaries of a 42 year old. Ouch. And, smoking does permanent damage to your ovaries, so quitting now may not reverse damage, but it will prevent more damage from happening.

Smoking can also improve other aspects of health too, like lung function and heart function. Quitting places less stress on the body, requiring fewer resources to combat the oxidative damage being done by smoking.

Finally, quitting helps you save money for what will arguably be an expensive endeavor – babies are expensive to take care of.

Know Your Cycle

A normal cycle can last about 25 to 35 days. But, every woman is different. So, if you notice that your cycle is noticeably longer than the average, like 42 days for example, you can reasonably assume that you ovulate less often and so it may be more difficult for you to get pregnant since you have fewer opportunities.

This is OK, but you may need to see your OB-GYN to get advice on how to make the most of your cycle and the times you do ovulate. The most fertile days for a woman are usually the day of ovulation and the four or five days before. After ovulation, you’re not as fertile.

If you don’t really know when you ovulate, you can buy an ovulation kit to determine your hormone levels via your urine. This will tell you when you are ovulating and when it’s best to try and conceive.

Get Fertility Treatments

According to HaveBoyGirl.com, In-Vitro Fertilization is usually the last option, or at least one of the last options, people choose when trying to conceive. A Dallas IVF procedure can be quite expensive, and yet it’s the most common method advised when natural methods have failed for two years in a row.

Many doctors will want to interview you, and require you to examine the benefits and drawbacks of IVF before you get this type of treatment. But, basically, eggs are removed from your body, fertilized in a lab, and then reinserted back in you so that you can carry a fetus to term. It may not sound very romantic, but it’s a proven method of conception.

It’s also usually the only option proven to work when all else fails. So, if you want to get pregnant, and you can’t seem to make it work, this is really your only option for conception.

Noel Peng, M.D., is a highly trained and experienced Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility subspecialist who is double board certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He has been practicing infertility and in vitro fertilization (IVF) for over a decade. Dr. Peng founded IVF Institute to provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients facing infertility issues.