Your baby
It is a little odd to speak of 'your baby' already. There is no baby yet — only an egg that is ripening and that will be released from the ovaries at the end of this week. There it 'waits' in one of the fallopian tubes to be fertilised by a sperm cell.
An egg lives only about 24 hours, so you can see that conceiving is a matter of fine timing: fertilisation has to happen within that day. In other words, you have to make love in exactly those 24 hours.
Fortunately sperm cells live a little longer: about 48 to 72 hours, though some live shorter and some even longer. So if you made love one or two days before ovulation, there is a chance a living sperm cell is still there to fertilise the egg.
You
To improve your chances of conceiving, then, you should make love around ovulation. But when is that? With a regular cycle it is around the fourteenth day — so at the end of this week. You can work out exactly when you ovulate by taking your temperature every morning at the same time, before getting up.
After ovulation your body temperature rises by 0.3 degrees, and just before your period it drops again. The drawback of this method is that it only works with a very regular cycle. And it is rather laborious.
It is easier to buy a test at the chemist or pharmacy that works out when you ovulate. There are various ones on the market. They measure the amount of luteinising hormone, which your body produces in greater quantities just before ovulation. Every test works differently, so do ask for proper advice.
Hereditary conditions
If hereditary conditions run in your family and you want to know what that could mean for your pregnancy or your child, consult the Erfocentrum. They can answer questions about heredity, congenital conditions, prenatal diagnosis and avoidable risks.
No smoking
If you smoke, toxic substances such as nicotine and carbon monoxide reach your baby, which also gets less oxygen and fewer nutrients. Smoking during pregnancy increases the chance of a miscarriage or a premature birth. Passive smoking is not good for you or your baby either.
First trimester
