The Dr. Amos 12 step fertility improvement program will improve your chances getting pregnant and help you have a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Whether you are just starting out or you have been trying to get pregnant for some time. You have only a 20-25% chance getting pregnant each month. And that is under the best of circumstances. About 1 in 7 couples take longer than a year to get pregnant. How can you improve your odds? In my professional experience, many couples don't know the basics of fertility and therefore deprive themselves of the chance having a healthy pregnancy.  Find out in 12 steps how to improve your fertility and get pregnant faster and healthier.

1. Get educated. There are many hurdles getting pregnant and getting it right can be stressful. Most couples with difficulties getting pregnant have either sperm issues, ovulation issues, or fallopian tube issues. Do you have any of these? Is it your age, your weight, your lifestyle? Should you see an infertility specialist now or can you wait and improve your chances getting pregnant naturally? Infertility specialists are very expensive and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) can cosr upwards of $15-20,000. Each month! And IVF often has a less than 1 in 3 chance getting you pregnant. In many cases, simple lifestyle changes and paying attention to your fertility can help improve your chances getting pregnant. Read our FAQs.

2. Have a periconception evaluation. Start off with our online Periconception Interview. Print out the recommendations and see your doctor. Get examined, discuss any open questions and consider getting certain tests before pregnancy: A Pap smear, STD tests, Cycle Day 3 Hormone tests, get his Sperm Count, and consider testing you fallopian tubes (Hysterosalpingogram).

3. Be at your optimal weight. Both extremes of weights affect your fertility, and maintaining an optimal weight improves your fertility. The best way to find out whether you weigh too much or not is to calculate your body mass index, the BMI. Losing some pounds is cheaper than expensive fertility treatments, so why not try it?

4. The BIG O:Ovulation. Your fertile days are the 4-5days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation. Calculate the exact fertile days. Are you ovulating normally? Learn more about your Ovulation Symptoms and Signs. Finding out when you ovulate is the key:

• Chart your basal body temperature (BBT):
• Chart your fertility signs like symptoms and cervical mucus:
• Use Ovulation predictor kits (OPKs)

5. Become a better and frequent lover. Yes, it is about sex. Many couples don’t seem to realize that how you make love is crucial when it comes to getting pregnant. That means you should make love regularly throughout the menstrual cycle, and make love once a day every day during your fertile 5-6 days preferably with a missionary position. The egg can only be fertilized during the 12-24 after ovulation but sperm has to be there already and it can live in the lower portion of a woman's reproductive tract up to five days. Making love after ovulation is unlikely to get you pregnant.

6. Increase his fertility. It takes 2 to get pregnant. His sperms have to be healthy, so make sure you know how to improve his sperm count.
Male fertility problems affect 50% of couples who can't get pregnant, so first make sure he has enough sperms by doing a Sperm Count. Make sure he has a healthy diet, exercises, is at his optimal weight, doesn't smoke or drink, and takes a daily vitamin and herbal fertility supllement like FertilAid to boost his sperm count.

7. Take a daily fertility and vitamin supplement. The Surgeon General recommends that all women of childbearing age takes a daily preconception vitamin including folic acid to decrease fetal malformations. Taking supplements which include folic acid and prenatal vitamin supplements, and those that include vitex to improve fertility such as FertilAid are all keys to preventing birth defects in the developing embryo.Taking an all-in-one supplement like FertilAid provides you not only with your daily vitamins and folic acid but it also includes a proprietary bledn of all-natural herbs designed to improve your fertility.  

8. Exercise regularly. Exercising is healthy and gets your body ready for the strains of pregnancy and labor and delivery.

9. Eat A Healthy Diet. Many doctors now believe diet can improve your fertility, especially if you have certain ovulation issues. Some believe that the right diet can made a difference because the majority of women experiencing ovulatory dysfunction were also suffering from undiagnosed or sub clinical PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), a condition related to insulin resistance that also affects ovulation.So what should you eat?

• Eat more monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) and less trans fats (like the kind found in many baked goods or fast foods).
• Increase intake of vegetable protein (like soy), while reducing animal protein (like red meat).
• Eat more high fiber, low-glycemic foods -- like whole grains, vegetables, and some fruits, while reducing the intake of refined carbohydrates and sugars.
• Consume moderate amounts of high-fat dairy products -- like ice cream, whole milk, and cheese.
• Learn all about the "Food NoNos".

10. Reduce stress. It’s rarely healthy to live with a lot of stress and some studies have reported  that reducing stress may improve fertility. What can you do to reduce stress?

• Cook
• Get regular massages,
• Exercise
• Take long weekends off
• Listen to music,
• Do yoga,
• Read and write journals
• Garden
• Pamper yourself
• Spend more time with your family and friend
• Hold hands with your partner
• Acupuncture

11. Stay away from Drugs, Cigarettes, and Alcohol. Smoking, drinking, and taking drugs have a negative impact not only on your fertility. They also increase miscarriages and pregnancy complications like premature deliveries. Don't drink more than 2 cups of coffee a day. Review with your doctor all medications you take including over-the-counter and prescription medications. Most medications are safe, but there are some which can affect your pregnancy. Do not stop any medications that you need unless you discuss it with your doctor first.

12.  Get your financials in shape.  Check your health insurancecoverage, review your options for leave at work and make a pregnancy and baby budget

Related Links:

• When should you see an infertility specialist?
• Reasons of Infertility
• Five Fertility Tests To Do When You Can't Get Pregnant:
• 101 Infertility Testing
• The First Meeting With The Infertility Specialist

The BIG THREE:

1. Ovulation  
2. Improving His Sperm
3. Fallopian Tubes