Trying to Conceive Baby Number Two?

Trying to Conceive Baby Number Two? Five Tips to Improve Your Chances

Trying to conceive baby number two can be an entirely different experience from baby number one. For most couples, the first time around is generally lots of fun – regular, intentional sex. With the added bonus of the anticipation at the end of each month, and before long you’re looking at a positive pregnancy test. More often than not, within twelve months of first trying to conceive you’ll be looking at your positive pregnancy test with excitement and trepidation.

Throw in a bit of sleep deprivation, or a baby that wants to feed frequently, or co-sleep, and those nights of romantic baby-making are a distant memory. That’s why trying for baby number two can be a bit trickier. Not only do you have less time as a couple, you’re often like ships in the night getting up and down to bub. So while it’s not quite as romantic as letting nature take it’s course, the conception of baby number two may require a bit of a plan.

Here are some five tips to help increase your chances:

Call In the Baby Sitters

One of the hardest things about becoming a new parent is that your relationship is transformed and your child takes the lead role. If you don’t feel connected as a couple, you’re probably not going to feel like jumping into bed to make a baby. Regularly calling in the baby sitters so you can have some time alone will help you reconnect as a couple. You’ll be giving each other the glad-eye in no time!

Prepare Your Body

You still need to look after yourself so keep on with your multivitamin, take your folic acid, keep exercising, eat well, rest when you can, don’t drink too much alcohol. It’s even more important to look after yourself because it’s likely that looking after baby number one has taken a toll on your mind and your body. Conception the first time around may have been straight forward, but you’re coming back from behind the eight ball. So do all the things you did to prepare your body the first time around so you’re ready to go again.

Get Strategic

While you both might be keen to get between the sheets, there are lots of things that can interrupt the passion – think crying baby, or your own overwhelming need for some of those elusive zeds. So introduce some strategy here. Get yourself an ovulation kit so you have some insight into when you’re fertile. This one here comes highly recommended. While it might not be the most romantic way to make a baby, at least you know you’re timing is right. When the bedroom action is intermittent, a bit of strategy goes a long way.

Go See Your Doctor

It’s worth arranging a visit to your GP to make sure you’re ready to go. The hormone roller coaster of growing and birthing a baby can wreak havoc in some women. If you have an inkling that things aren’t quite right it’s worth going to see your GP. They can check that your hormones have returned to normal and what you’re feeling is just the normal baby-brain fatigue that comes with looking after a human being’s every need.

Get Your Zen On

Often women tie themselves in knots about conceiving their second child, or not conceiving as quickly as their first. And while secondary infertility is a reality for some women; for most women it’s just the demands of looking after a baby or toddler, running a household and juggling paid work. Carving out some time for yourself can be the difference between managing a niggling worry, and stopping it from turning into a major obsession. Making time for some quiet mediation, a yoga class or a solo walk will make all the difference to your state of mind.