What to Do for Infer tility 233
If you or your partner think you have a fertility problem:
1. Try to have sex during your fertile time. Although a man
makes millions of sperm every day, a healthy woman releases
only one egg a month. This is called her fertile time—the
only time during the month when she can get pregnant. For
most women their fertile time starts about 10 days after the
first day of the monthly bleeding and lasts about 6 days.
The body has several signs that tell you when you are in a
fertile time. The easiest signs to check are the changes in the
mucus in your vagina.
What to
Do for
Infertility
Checking your mucus
During your fertile time, your
cervix makes mucus that helps
sperm get into the womb. This
mucus looks clear and wet,
like raw egg white, and can be
stretched between your fingers.
Later in your monthly cycle, you
may see sticky or dry mucus. This
kind of mucus stops the man’s
sperm from getting into the womb.
B = monthly bleeding
W = wet days (fertile)
D = dry days (not fertile)
See page 220 to learn how to check your mucus. Write
down the changes every day on a chart. During the week that
you see wet, shiny, clear mucus, try to have sex every day.
When you have sex, the best positions for getting the
sperm close to the opening of your womb are:
• to lie on your back with the man on top.
• to lie on your side.
Then, after having sex, lie flat on your back for about 20
minutes. This will help the sperm swim into your womb and
find the egg.
Avoiding these things can also help:
• Do not use oils or creams during sex.They can kill the
sperm or stop it from reaching the egg.
• Do not douche or wash inside your vagina. Douching before
or after sex can change the wetness inside your vagina,
making it harder for the sperm to live.
• Your partner should not have a hot bath before having sex.
Heat on the testicles kills sperm.
➤ Try not to worry
if you do not get
pregnant right away.
Many couples get
pregnant within a
year if they continue
to have sex during
the woman's fertile
days.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012