what does ttc mean in pregnancy?

TTC In Pregnancy

TTC is generally short for trying to conceive. In order to conceive it is important to keep track of one’s menstrual cycle which normally lasts about 28 days but can vary anywhere between 21 to 35 days. Determining the exact time of ovulation can be difficult and it is essential to do so to have a rough idea as to when conception occurs. One of the ways to find out is to take your basal body temperature every morning before you do anything else and on an empty stomach. During ovulation, it is normal for the basal body temperature to go up and once you have started charting it, you will be able to roughly identify your fertility days. This temperature varies from woman to woman and while the average temperature before ovulation is 96-98 degrees F, it may either jump drastically or climb gradually over a period after ovulation. The oral, post-ovulation temperature is usually between 97-99 degrees F. Basal body temperature charts are available at pharmacies and it is advisable to use basal body thermometers which are specifically built for this purpose. The body hits peak fertility a few days before the temperature reaches its highest point.

The body remains fertile anywhere between 12-24 hours post ovulation. Since sperm can live inside a woman’s body for up to 3 days, fertilization can occur any time during the period. However, there are a few things that can affect the temperature readings and these include smoking, alcoholism, fever, sickness and inadequate sleep. There are a few other methods such as the cervical mucus method to determine fertility days, but the basal temperature method is considered to be the easiest and surest method. There are some factors which may pose a problem in conceiving and these include the advanced age of the mother, low sperm count in the prospective father, if the woman has had several previous miscarriages, an inflammatory disease of the pelvis, fibroids in the uterine lining, and endometriosis. Stress, and an unhealthy diet, obesity, being underweight, smoking and drinking alcohol and exercising strenuously may cause problems while trying to conceive. If the mother is below the age of 35 and the couple has been trying to conceive for over a year, it would do good to consult a gynaecologist. If the mother has crossed the age of 35 and has been trying for over six months, a doctor’s visit is in order too.

Submitted by P T on July 7, 2010 at 04:17

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