How To Get Pregnant Fast — Hormone Testing and Lifestyle Choices Help Boost Fertility and Ovulation

May 16, 2024

Women who spent their teen years and even their 20s avoiding pregnancy, are sometimes shocked by how hard getting pregnant can be. Yet despite persistent obstacles, many women are not just trying to conceive but want to know how to get pregnant fast. The challenge is that there are often unaddressed hindrances – many they have never considered. 

When it comes to successful fertility and ovulation, lifestyle plays an outsized role. A woman’s diet, fitness level, stress, and lifestyle choices including drinking, smoking, drug use and sexual frequency all come into play. These variables often affect hormones – when they are functioning properly the likelihood of successful fertility and ovulation is significantly increased.

Any woman wondering about how to boost fertility, should be looking at her hormones. Optimal hormone levels can be achieved through diet, exercise, supplements, and even medication. Still, before embarking on the path to pregnancy, the first step should be a lab test. Fortunately, if she uses Kyla, checking the hormones driving fertility and ovulation requires nothing more than a few drops of blood drawn in the comfort of home. Sent to a lab for analysis, the results are fast, private, and secure – with the at-home testing company offering an opportunity to discuss the results with a highly qualified medical professional. 

For any woman wondering how to get pregnant fast, here are some insights into the hormones that come into play along with guidance on how to improve the chance for successful fertility and ovulation.

Worried About Fertility and Ovulation? Hormone Testing Can Help

The average age of a first-time mother keeps getting older. In some parts of the U.S., including the Bay Area and New York City, their average age is in the low 30s. That means there are many first-time moms who are significantly older. 

Across the U.S, the average age of a first-time mom was 21 in 1972. Today it’s over 27. More and more women are trying to conceive in their late 30s or even their 40s. While older mothers enjoy innumerable advantages including generally better finances and a more secure lifestyle, it can bring challenges as well. Getting pregnant is often more challenging.

For healthy couples engaging in regular, unprotected intercourse, conception typically takes place within a year. However, women over the age of 35 who have been having unprotected sex for six months or more and are having trouble getting pregnant are advised to seek help from a medical professional. Improving the fertility odds can be a lengthy and difficult journey. However,  for women of any age who are wondering how to get pregnant fast, a lab test is often the first step.

Long before taking a pregnancy test, a woman who is trying to conceive should look into hormone testing. Her period provides valuable insights into her health. On the third day of menstruation, blood work can be done to check levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol (E2). 

Secreted by the pituitary gland, FSH stimulates production of a woman’s estrogen and eggs – getting it checked is essential for any woman wondering about how to get pregnant fast. That’s because it’s used partly to diagnose fertility and ovulation issues. Besides being a vital marker for fertility health, testing FSH is an important component in preventive care because it’s often used to identify ovarian cysts along with a host of other women’s health issues. 

The LH blood test is another component of hormone testing. Measuring the amount of luteinizing hormone, it’s an important element of preventative care because women with higher-than-normal levels of LH are at risk for polycystic ovarian syndrome and ovarian failure. Estrogen testing is essential for any woman who is experiencing fertility issues. Produced mainly in the placenta, ovaries, and adrenal cortex, the estrogen estradiol is responsible for the normal development of a woman’s breasts, uterus, and fallopian tubes among other aspects of puberty. 

Hormone testing for (FSH), (LH), and (E2) were once done exclusively in doctor’s offices. Now thanks to advanced technology, lab tests can be done at home. While many companies charge hundreds of dollars for similar tests, Kyla offers a $99 test that lets women empower their reproductive health while learning more about fertility potential. Not only does the Female Hormone Panel examine levels of FSH, LH, and E2 but it also delivers vital information about thyroid and cortisol levels along with insights on any vitamin or mineral deficiencies while providing insights into menopause markers. 

Although women who are concerned about how to get pregnant fast often look at FSH, LH, and E2, as Dr. Jennifer E Mersereau explains, “While a few hormones seem to be named more often than others when it comes to conceiving, the truth is that many come into play. In fact, the number of different hormones that impact fertility is one of the things that can make addressing hormone-related infertility particularly challenging.” 

 Women wondering how to boost fertility, may not realize the importance of a healthy, functioning thyroid gland. That’s because the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) do more than just stimulate digestion and affect the metabolic rate. They are also linked to reproduction. Any woman who is having issues with fertility and ovulation should be getting her Free T4 and Free T3 levels examined. While many labs charge extra fees for each test, Kyla’s Female Hormone Panel includes testing for those two thyroid hormones.  

Kyla provides further hormone testing that can also help with fertility issues including ones for the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) – higher levels of which indicate that a woman has more eggs and a higher ovarian reserve which is vital information for those concerned about fertility and ovulation. A steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) is converted into both estrogen and testosterone (which are present in varying levels in both men and women. Women looking into how to get pregnant fast should not ignore the role played by this hormone, since high levels of DHEAS have been linked to irregular or missed periods, infertility, and vaginal atrophy. While women with regular periods likely have normal levels of DHEAS, it’s still worth checking since it can impact fertility and ovulation. Tests for this hormone are included in the $99 price for a Female Hormone Panel from Kyla

Any woman who is trying to conceive should not ignore the TPO Antibody.  As explained in a recent medical journal article, “Autoimmune thyroid disease occurs when the body makes antibodies that attack the thyroid, turning it on (hyperthyroidism) or off (hypothyroidism). Increased levels of thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO Antibody) in the blood is a marker for autoimmune thyroid disease. Positive thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) levels in the blood have also been associated with difficulty getting pregnant (infertility) and pregnancy loss…”

Getting Pregnant Means Lifestyle Changes Are Often Necessary 

Getting hormone levels checked is a vital first step, but it’s only the first step. That’s why it’s important to have a lab test done with a healthcare company that does more than just give the results from a sample. Kyla offers the opportunity to speak with a qualified healthcare professional. Women wondering how to boost fertility need to address and work to normalize their hormone levels. This can be challenging but for anyone trying to conceive, healthy hormones are vital. 

The good news is getting pregnant means adjusting lifestyle, not expectations. Having frequent, even daily intercourse is the advised method to maximize fertility and ovulation. That’s because while ovulation occurs at a set time, getting the timing right can often be challenging. Equally important, women trying to conceive should limit their caffeine consumption to two cups of coffee (or its equivalent in tea or caffeinated soda), avoid smoking (tobacco or marijuana) along with second-hand smoke, and limit alcohol intake as it can affect fertility and ovulation. Strenuous exercise for more than five hours a week has also been shown to have a negative impact on fertility and ovulation. Stress is another factor – one reason Kyla checks cortisol levels. The so-called stress hormone, elevated cortisol can negatively affect pregnancy. 

For women and their partners who want to learn how to get pregnant fast, accessing Kyla’s risk engine and anti-aging program will not only give them insights into their health and how it affects fertility and ovulation but they can also get a deeper understanding of their overall well being. Although modern healthcare too often focuses on treating symptoms rather than addressing root causes, Kyla’s mission is to identify health risks early on. By addressing these root causes long before they develop into serious issues, Kyla becomes a valued partner in extending the healthy life of all their patients. One reason is because of Kyla’s Anti-Aging Primary Care where science and AI technology come together to combat the impact of time on health. Getting a full risk assessment means just answering a few questions in the Kyla App. This will allow patients the opportunity to address their risks proactively and receive personalized plans – all from the convenience of their own home. Healthy humans produce healthy babies. With some adjustments and help from Kyla, there’s a good chance that after the lab test a positive pregnancy test is in a woman’s future.

Source:

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  2. Schaeffer, Katherine. “Key Facts About Moms in the U.S.,” Pew Research Center. May 9, 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/05/09/facts-about-u-s-mothers/
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  4. “Fertility Testing: What is Cycle Day 3?” Illume Fertility. https://www.illumefertility.com/fertility-care/fertility-testing/what-is-cycle-day-3
  5. Mersereau, Jennifer E.. M.D., MSCI. “Top questions answered: hormonal imbalances and trying to get pregnant,” Shady Grove Fertility. May 19, 2023. https://www.shadygrovefertility.com/article/9-must-read-faqs-about-hormonal-imbalances-and-trying-to-get-pregnant
  6. “Anti-Mullerian Hormone Test,” Cleveland Clinic. April 7, 2022.  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22681-anti-mullerian-hormone-test
  7. “What is a DHEA sulfate (DHEAS) test?” Cleveland Clinic. November 24, 2021. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22148-dheas-test-dhea-sulfate-test
  8. Bliddal, Set al. “Thyroid peroxidase antibodies and prospective live birth rate – a cohort study of women with recurrent pregnancy loss,” Clinical Thyroidology. August 13, 2019. https://www.thyroid.org/patient-thyroid-information/ct-for-patients/october-2019/vol-12-issue-10-p-12-13/