Most women, or probably couples for that matter, dream of having a baby one day. There are several pointers to follow given by the doctor if one is trying to conceive. Examples of these are the following. Do not smoke as the cervical mucus changes when you do. Alcoholic drinks are a no-no. Take vitamins, especially folic acid, as it helps in the development of the baby. Healthy lifestyle is always the way to go when trying to having a baby, such as regular exercise and balanced diet. When the time of ovulation is nearing, do the deed. The list of advices just goes on and on; but no matter how some couples religiously follow all of these, some are still not successful. There are various reasons that hinder conception. The difficulty may lie with the male unable to ejaculate or a dysfunctional cervical mucus that prevents pregnancy. The good news is there is already number of ways to get pregnant if one cannot conceive the natural way. Although artificial insemination may be debatable to other religions, this does not stop couples who long to have a baby of their own. In brief description, artificial insemination is a procedure that injects the sperm in the reproductive tract for better chances of reaching the egg. To better understand the reasons of getting pregnant, aside from the general idea that it is caused by the fertilization of the egg and the sperm, below are some of the methods to conceive.
- The first, of course, is the natural way of conceiving, which is through sexual intercourse. It is a matter of hitting the target day when you are most fertile. Keeping track of your menstruation is a must for better chances of getting the right timing. Usually, ovulation starts around 14 days after you started your last cycle.
- One artificial way of conception is intracervical insemination. It is a fast and painless procedure wherein the sperm is placed into the cervix. In this way, there is a greater chance for the sperm to live and get to the uterus and fallopian tubes. This procedure is used when both parties do not have problems with their reproductive organs, but the male has dysfunctional ejaculation during sex.
- Another method is intrauterine insemination wherein sperm is placed into the uterus and a thin and flexible catheter is put in the cervix.
- Intravaginal insemination is a less common type of artificial insemination. The procedure is quite simple as the sperm is injected into the vagina. A syringe or cervical cap can be used.
- Lastly, intratubal insemination is the least common of all the artificial methods even if it has the greatest chance of getting pregnant. This is because it is the most expensive and invasive type. It is done by placing the sperm directly to the fallopian tubes.