6 Common Sex Mistakes Women Make

Mistake: Under-Focusing on Yourself

Is your sex life as good as it could be? Are you sure? Experts say even satisfied, sexually confident women don’t always know when they’re making between-the-sheets blunders.

Here are six common mistakes, and the simple ways to remedy each one.

Mistake No. 1: You wait until you’re “in the mood.”

If you put off sex until your brain and body are primed for it, you probably won’t get frisky very often. That’s because many women don’t feel desire until they’re already into the act itself.

“Research shows that foreplay, and even just touching, prompts your body to send a message to your brain that activates sexual interest,” Even if you don’t feel like you’re ready down there, that doesn’t mean you aren’t turned on. “Even younger women may find that they’re not as lubricated as they’d like,”. If this is a problem for you, try using lube during foreplay,

Mistake No. 2: You put your partner’s pleasure first.

Sex is the time to be selfish. Putting all your energy into pleasing your partner doesn’t make you a better lover. It makes you a less fulfilled one, and that can be a downer for both of you.

“Biologically, women are hardwired to put others’ needs first,” “But that instinct can put a damper on your sex life.”

The solution: Slow things down. “Women take longer than men to climax, and often even to get aroused. That’s OK,” “Don’t feel guilty. Your pleasure is a turn-on to your partner.”

It’s equally important to be honest with yourself -- and your partner -- about what works for you. Don’t like a particular position? Speak up. Too tired to get it on at 10 p.m.? Schedule an a.m. sex session instead

Mistake No. 3: Youthink he’s always up for sex.

If he doesn’t want to have sex, or he can’t get an erection, it doesn’t mean he isn’t into you or that he wants another woman.

,Stress exhaustion, and desperation can dull a man’s libido, the same way they can affect a woman’s sex drive,”

Men have a “recovery period” after a climax, and that time usually gets longer as they get older.

Mistake No. 4: You let body image stand between you and good sex.

Want another good reason to love yourself as you are? It improves your love life. Research shows that women with a strong self-image have sex more often, feel more at ease when they’re naked with their partner, and even have more orgasms than those who don’t feel good about themselves.

The truth is, “the majority of men have a passionate  attraction  for their partners, and are eager to have sex with them,” "They’re not worried about what they [women] are wearing, whether they’ve showered, or if they’ve put on weight.”

If you need a morale boost, don’t put yourself down and wait for your partner to cheer you up with a compliment. Instead, ask positive questions like, “Do you think you’d enjoy having sex with me tonight?” or, “What do you think the sexiest part of me is?”

Mistake No. 5: You don’t use your imagination.

Couples who have sex regularly are happier and more likely to stay together.

Many women think it’s a betrayal to imagine a different person or scenario, but it’s not. Fantasies trigger desire, which allows you to have a fulfilling sexual encounter with your partner. It’s win-win.”

How to Conceive Twins Naturally

While you will ultimately not be able to control how many babies your pregnancy produces, there are a few steps you can take which may increase your chances of having twins.

§  Increase your folic acid intake- Taking a folic acid supplement has been found to increase a woman's chance of conceiving twins. This supplement also helps prevent neural tube defects when combined with a multi-vitamin which helps ensure that any babies that you conceive will be healthy and less likely to suffer from defects.

§  Eat dairy products and wild yams- Eating dairy products has also been linked to an increase in multiple pregnancies. Women who regularly eat dairy products have been found to be up to five times more likely to give birth to twins than vegan or vegetarian women who did not consumed these products. Some scientists believe that it is not necessarily the dairy products that are increasing these occurrences of multiple pregnancies but the growth hormones that tend to be in milk in countries like the United States.Eating wild yams can also increase your chances of developing twins. Chemicals in the wild yam can over-stimulate the ovaries which can result in more than one egg being dropped during ovulation. This may be why the likelihood of having twins is more likely in African cultures which frequently consume this substance as part of their ethnic diet.

§  Use birth control pills- Birth control pills can also play a role in helping you conceive twins. When women stop using birth control pills it takes some time for the body to find its natural rhythm again, which can cause the body to have a higher hormone flux than normal during the first one or two cycles a woman experiences. If you manage to conceive during this time, there is a much larger chance that two eggs will be available in the uterus, which can lead to the conception of fraternal twins.

§  Increase the length of breastfeed - If you have already had one child you can increase the length in which you breastfeed if you want to increase your chances of having twins later. Studies have shown that women who are breastfeeding while they try to conceive are nine times more likely to conceive twins with their next pregnancy.

§  Have more children- Having many children also increased the chances that you will have twins. The more times you become pregnant, the easier it is for your body to produce multiple eggs during ovulation, which can increase your chances of conceiving twins.

• Location and timing of birth- Location and timing may also seem to have something to do with the likelihood that twins will develop. In the United States, those living in Nebraska, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts are more likely to have multiple births than those living in warmer states. The number of twins born each year also increases in July and decreases in January. Scientists believe this might have something to do with the amount of daylight available in these locations and time periods, which can increase the secretion of the Follicle Stimulating Hormone.

Health & Sex How to Rekindle the Spark in Your Relationship

Health & Sex

How to Rekindle the Spark in Your Relationship

The honeymoon may be over, but that doesn’t have to mean the end of romance. Go on, break out of your relationship rut, reconnect with your partner, and fire up the passion that brought you together in the first place.

Focus on the positive.

Remember those fabulous qualities you noticed in your partner when you started dating? Time and stress may have brought their less-favorable traits into sharper focus, But their good qualities are probably still there.

Fixating on the negatives wouldn't have worked in the beginning and it doesn't work now. "In marriage, it's easy to freeze your partner into a fixed perception. Get out of that,"

Do something crazy (or new).

One study found that couples who did novel and arousing things together felt better about their relationships than those who stuck with routine, mundane activities.

"It's amazing what getting out of your normal routine and pushing your comfort boundaries will do for your love life,"

The trick is to pick something fun and exciting, not just pleasant. Ride a roller coaster. Visit a far-flung destination.

"When you're physically competing and experiencing new things together, those dopamine levels soar, which replicates those early butterflies and gets you excited," she says. Try one-on-one activities like tennis, racquetball, skiing, hiking, or fishing.

Touch.

"So many couples hold back kissing, touching, or holding each other until they have time or the desire to have sex," But that's a mistake. Researchers have found that affectionate touch boosts the body's feel-good hormones.

Hug your partner. Hold hands. Be playful with touch.

"Whisper sweet and adoring things into your partner's ear. Brush against him in a sexually seductive way," says Meyers. "Affection is a way to make love all day outside of the bedroom."

Having fun during sex, instead of doing it for obligation's sake, can stoke the fires of your relationship. "Sex is the playground of a marriage," says Campbell. "Fun doesn't have to mean you have to engage in sexual acrobatics; it just means have fun."

Talk.

Do you spend a lot of time trying read your partner’s mind? Limit the guess-work by being open and honest; it can bring you closer. "Ask your partner what he or she needs from you. Take turns. The goal is to show more and see more of each other, rather than defend the status quo," says Meyers. The rewards run deep. Great conversation often leads to more open, loving sex, she says.

Every discussion doesn't have to be serious. Light-heated laughter goes a long way in lifting your spirits and reconnecting. Have fun. Crack a joke. Revel in the humor of a situation together. "There is nothing sexier than a smile and a happy partner," says Campbell.

Focus on you.

What fuels your passion? Maybe it's having an exciting career or training for a half marathon. No matter -- just get out and do it. When you love yourself and your life, you bring more energy and interest into your relationship.

"Independence and a sense of purpose are sexy," explains Campbell. When you take care of your own needs and pursue what you're passionate about, you become less predictable and more interesting to your partner.

It's a win-win situation. You'll be more confident and peaceful as you keep evolving, and your relationship will thrive.

Use your history.

Remember those things you did when you were romancing your new love? Make a list and do them again now, suggests Paul N. Weinberg. He is the co-author of The I Factor: Simple Insights for Connecting in Your Personal Relationships. "It could be as simple as a way you kissed your partner on the cheek or as elaborate as the effort you put into a special date."

Identify your relationship's strengths, then build on them, husband-and-wife founders of the Centre for Relationship Development in Seattle. Know what works well in your relationship and do more of it.

Finally, dream big. Envision a future together than inspires you. Maybe it's a home bustling with a big family or vacations to new, exotic places. Whatever your dream, you can create a plan now to start making it happen

Turn Mediocre Sex into Great Sex

How to bring back the heat and get what you want in bed.

The lights are low. A fire smoulders in the fireplace. Two wineglasses sit, half empty, on the nightstand. Your clothes lie in a heap on the floor. You reach for each other. The two of you tumble to the bed, and...Blah.

No explosions of passion. No breathy proclamations of desire. No tumultuous climax. Then you wonder: How can everyone in movies and romance novels be having fiery, combustible sex when you and your partner barely create a spark?

How to Get Your Wife to Have Sex With You,  "TV shows and movies give us this very skewed representation of what sex is supposed to be like.  Everyone seems to be climaxing and having orgasms all the time from whatever they're doing. When you grow up on a diet of that, and when your real life doesn't match, you think, 'There's something wrong with me,' or, 'There's something wrong with my partner.'"

Real-life sex can almost never measure up to the passion portrayed on the screen,. "People don't talk about the fact that it's likely that in an odd position you'll pass gas or the love of your life will take you in his arms and have"bad breath.

Sex in the real world isn't perfect, and it doesn't always end with an earth-shattering climax -- but it doesn't have to,. "Good sex doesn't necessarily have to be about an orgasm. It can just be an emotionally fulfilling experience between partners."

Getting What You Want in Bed

Even when everything else in the relationship is working, sexual styles aren't always compatible. You like long foreplay sessions. Your partner is ready to go in an instant. You long for wet, sensual kisses. He prefers dry, chaste pecks. "Sex is not just naturally perfect,". "There is the energy of a new relationship that is positive -- the excitement and the eagerness and the passion. And the negative is that you bump noses or knees because you just haven't learned how to dance together.

But even long-term couples can struggle in the bedroom. Though we can easily tell our partner what shirt we'd like him to wear, or what we'd like to cook together for dinner, we tend to get tongue-tied when it comes to the topic of sex.

"People tend to be very sensitive when it comes to talking about sex "They're afraid of hurting their partner's feelings, so they don't tell them what they like or don't like. But you're not going to get it unless you ask for it."

So how do you tell your partner what you want without bruising his or her ego? "I think it's really in how you bring up the statement,". "'I would love it if we...' or, 'Could we try this?' You don't want to make them feel bad about what they've done or haven't done."

You can have the conversation whenever and wherever it's most comfortable for you. But before you talk, you need to know exactly what it is about your sex life that bothers you. Is it a question of technique? Personal hygiene? Timing? "Once you know what isn't working for you," "there are things you can suggest that can mitigate those circumstances."

For example, if something about your partner's smell is turning you off, suggest taking a bath together before making love. If you crave more foreplay, ask for slower segues into sex.

Before you can tell your partner what you want him or her to do in bed, you need to know what you like. "I think especially for women, they've got to explore their own bodies," "You have to masturbate. Get a vibrator. Get some books. Teach yourself how to orgasm."

When It's Just Not Working

After you've tried talking and the sex still isn't working, what then?

"Learn to get to know each others bodies."

Try some sex aids. Read books with pictures (such as The Joy of Sex), or watch an educational video together, Not porn, but explicit videos in which a voice-over explains what's happening in the scenes

Sometimes, the problem is a physical one, such as premature ejaculation . Or it may be that the stress from your job is bleeding over into the bedroom and disrupting your sex life. In those cases it can help to see a sex therapist. "We unravel why you two are not getting along," "And then we try to remedy that."

If you're still unsatisfied, is it ever OK to fake it in bed?

"If you're faking it, you're doing yourself a disservice because you're not learning what really turns you on,". "I think eventually, it takes a toll. Your partner's going to realize that you're disconnected."

Can sex ever be bad enough to consider ending a relationship over? Possibly. "You might really love somebody and the sex is never going to be better than OK. You have to decide whether you can live with that,"

Whenever you're considering a breakup or divorce , you need to weigh every element of the relationship and not just the sex. "You can't have everything in life," "If you have a wonderful relationship and you love each other and you have kids but the sex isn't great, maybe you can live with that."

Every couple has the potential to have good sex if you’re willing to put a little effort into it. "If you're two emotionally and physically healthy people, you should be able to work with what you've got. Not everybody needs to be hanging off the chandelier,". "You can get better. But you have to practice, and you have to be open to discussing it and getting help when you need it."

How Gender Selection is Done

How is Gender selection (sex selection) done?
Patients that desire to have a child of a specific sex undergo a process that extracts multiple eggs from the mother and these eggs are fertilized with the father's sperm. This technique is known as IVF. The joining of sperm and egg will produce embryos. The embryos are then tested to find out the genetic makeup of each embryo. During this genetic testing we can determine the sex of the embryo as well as test for other chromosomal abnormalities or genetic disorders. Once the genetic makeup is known the desired embryo or embryos are transferred back into the mothers uterus.

how to have twins

The idea of having twins tends to polarize people. Some couples say they’d love the chance to parent two babies and others react in an entirely different way. If you are a twin or have twin siblings then your concept of the reality is likely to be very different to someone who’s never had anything to do with more than one baby at a time.

Are twins common?
Many reproductive experts believe that as humans we probably have more twin pregnancies than any of us are aware of. Technological advances have found that it is reasonably common for there to be more than one embryo conceived and implanted, but of these, only one is viable and survives.

How do twins happen?
If you are keen to increase your chances of conceiving two babies then it’s important to understand how twins are made.
There are two types of twins; identical and non-identical. Identical or monozygotic twins are formed when one egg is fertilized by one sperm which then divides into two separate embryos. Each shares exactly the same genetic components and identical genetic structures. Identical twins also share a placenta.
Non-identical or dizygotic twins form from two separate eggs being fertilised by two separate sperm. These twins are their own unique little individuals and share no more genetic composition than siblings with the same parents. Each baby in a non-identical twin pair will have its own placenta.
Another name for non-identical twins is fraternal; the other name for identical twins is non-fraternal.

What about twins in families?
Twins do run in families. But the genetic predisposition for having twins only applies to the mother. It is her family history which influences the chances of her having hyper ovulation.
Any woman can have identical twins and family history does not play a role with these.

What are the odds of having twins?
Currently in Australia 1.6% of all pregnancies result in multiple births and of these, 98% are twins. Naturally conceived twins occur once in around every eighty nine births. The majority of twins who are born are non identical and a result of two eggs being fertilised.
Some fraternal twins look very similar; others share some resemblance whilst the remainder may not even look the slightest bit related.

What will help boost my chances of having twins?

Being older rather than younger helps. It seems to be a twist of nature that just before a woman enters peri-menopause, her ovaries start releasing more than one egg each month. This “fertility spike” is also influenced by a surge of oestrogen. Fertility research has proven that twin pregnancies are much more common in women who are over 35 years. But this only applies to non-identical twins.
• Have fertility assistance such as in vitro fertilisation or take fertility drugs. These stimulate the ovaries to support more than one ovarian follicle each month towards maturity. The result is that more than one egg is released.
• Pick your own genetics carefully! Though we all know this is impossible. But if you come from a family where non-identical twins are common then your family history and genetic endowment means that you’ve got a greater chance of having them yourself. But identical twins can occur in any family.
• Be of African/American heritage. Women from this ethnic background have a distinctly higher rate of twin pregnancies.
• Having been pregnant before. Women who have previously had a baby or two have a higher chance of conceiving with twins.
• Have a big family. This theory is based on pure maths; the more times you conceive the greater the likelihood of conceiving more than one baby.
• Get pregnant while you are on the pill. Difficult as this can be overall, there is a higher incidence of women conceiving with twins when they are on oral contraceptives.
• Try to conceive straight after you have stopped taking the pill. The theory is that for the first couple of cycles the woman’s body is going through a hormonal readjustment phase.
• Already have a set of twins. Because the likelihood of conceiving with twins again is higher in women who’ve already had them.
• Be heavier rather than lighter so that you’ve got a higher body mass index (BMI). Some researchers claim that a woman with a BMI of greater than 30 boosts her chances. But considering a healthy range during the fertile years is 20-25 and 30 would put you into the overweight/obese category then this is not a healthy recommendation.
• Taller women tend to conceive more twins. But there is nothing you can do about your height, other than blame your parents!
• Take a folic acid supplement before you conceive. The general recommendation for women who are planning to conceive is to start taking folic acid supplements one month before conception.
• Encourage your partner to eat some oysters. The urban myth about oysters being an aphrodisiac is not entirely without basis. Oysters are high in zinc and this helps with sperm production. The more healthy and mobile his sperm are, the greater the likelihood of being able to fertilize an egg or two. If he’s keen to take supplements, the recommendation for men in their fertile years is 14mg/day. Green leafy vegetables, cereals, bread, seeds and wheat germ are all excellent sources of zinc.
• Be a twin yourself. Mothers who are twins are more likely to have twin babies. There is no influence on the male partner’s side, only the mother’s. But it does seem that fathers may pass the twin gene onto their daughters for their future conception possibilities.
• Eat more yams/sweet potatoes. It is a fact that more women conceive with twins who live in areas where yams are a major component of their diet. It seems that a naturally occurring chemical component of the yams helps to support ovarian function.
• Keep breastfeeding your older baby or toddler. Women who are producing prolactin and breastfeeding are more likely to conceive with twins. Though some women do not resume regular ovulation and menstrual cycles for the entire time they are breastfeeding; this is very individual.

What’s fact andwhat’s fiction when having twins?

• The idea that conceiving twins skips a generation is not true. Although there can appear to be a pattern in some families of this happening, the odds of having identical twins is the same for every woman.
• Eating a diet which is high in dairy foods, milk and meat is said to help, especially at the time of ovulation. But there is no scientific evidence to support this.
• Alternative therapies do not increase the likelihood. There is no scientific evidence to support the theory that acupuncture, naturopathy, aromatherapy, chiropractic or flower essences increase the likelihood of having twins

How to Conceive a Boy

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Follow the Chinese Lunar Birth Calendar

Although most doctors and fertility experts claim that we can’t influence whether we have a girl or boy, there’s certainly a lot of compelling anecdotal evidence out there to the contrary.
Some parents are absolutely convinced that they conceived a baby boy by following certain techniques, changing their diet, using various “positions” in the bedroom or even drinking particular concoctions. Although medical doctors largely disregard these rituals as old wives’ tales, it can’t hurt to try a few, right? (Well, depending on the method or “position,” it could hurt a little.)

If you’re absolutely determined to have a baby boy and are willing to try anything, consider these tricks that some parents, astrologists, and even a few doctors swear by.

This famous gender-predicting calendar was purportedly drawn up by a Chinese scientist and then buried in a royal tomb 700 years ago. Or was buried for 700 years until a Chinese scientist dug it up. Or was it devised by a 700 year-old Chinese scientist? Well, something like that … the history and background behind it is not easy to establish, but how to use it is. With this mystical calendar, a baby’s sex is determined by the mother’s age and the month in which she conceives.
Lunar calendar adherents say the chart is 99 percent accurate. (I must admit, it correctly predicted the gender of my little girl.) Working backwards, you can use the Chinese lunar calendar to find the month that will help you conceive a boy. If you are intent on this method, some practitioners say there are rules to follow, such as not trying to conceive during the very beginning or very end of a boy-yielding time frame.

Eat a Boyish Diet

Some gender-predicting “experts” claim that following a specific diet for a few weeks before conceiving could increase your chances of having a boy. They say that switching your diet changes the pH balance in your body, which some believe contributes to the sex of your baby.
According to this theory, your daily “boy producing” menu should be packed with plenty of salty foods, red meats, eggs, peas, raisins, zucchini, mushrooms, beans, sweet corn, bread, and fish. This diet also recommends you avoid acidic foods in quest of a more alkaline (less acidic) environment for the boy-bearing sperm to thrive. (An alkalizing diet, in fact, doesn’t necessarily shun acidic foods.  As with all the other advice dished out in this article, you should take this suggestion with a grain of salt … and an extra dash or two if you’re trying for a boy.
Also, a recent study suggests that maintaining higher levels of glucose—which means sustaining a high intake of food throughout the day—will increase your chances of having a little boy. Consume a wide range of nutrients such as potassium, calcium, and vitamins C, E, and B12. Breakfast, is particularly important, so never skip!

Take Your Position

Another popular school of thought says that certain sexual positions can improve your odds of having a boy. In ancient times, beliefs abounded about the positions that would lead to male offspring, such as having intercourse with your heads pointing north or having the would-be mother sleep on the left. Discoveries in science over the centuries have led to somewhat more complex theories about positioning (and a lot else). For one thing, we now know for sure it’s the male who determines the sex of a child. The mother always provides an X chromosome in the egg; the father contributes either an X chromosome (yielding XX = girl) or a Y chromosome (yielding XY = boy). Each individual spermatozoa carries either X or Y and the baby’s sex depends on which one penetrates the egg most effectively first.

 He explains that a woman’s vagina is most acidic near the entrance, and—as mentioned before—some evidence suggests male sperm don’t fare well in acidic environments.  Deeper penetration puts sperm closer to the egg, reducing the distance the sperm have to travel through the acidic vagina. This gives faster-swimming Y-chromosome (male) sperm a head start over the X-chromosome (female) sperm. Therefore, he recommends rear-entry intercourse for couples who want a boy. (Do I really have to clarify “rear-entry”? OK, fine … he’s talking about “doggy-style,” people. There, I wrote it.)

Get the Timing Right

Other medical experts also believe that Y sperm (boys) swim faster than X sperm (girls). However, girl sperm typically are more robust and live longer in the reproductive tract than the boy sperm.

So what does this theory mean to you? In a nutshell, if you’re hoping for a boy you should try to abstain from sex for several days before ovulation and then have intercourse as close to ovulation as possible. This increases the likelihood that the boy sperm (the faster swimmers) will beat out the girl sperm to the egg, and not have to survive too long while waiting around for the egg to show up. You’ll have to do some very careful calendar watching or take an  ovulation test to determine precisely when you’re ovulating.

Boxers or Briefs?

Sperm are stored “outside” the body for a reason. They can’t tolerate excessive heat and the testicles’ independent structure and considerable surface area keep them safe from the elevated core temperatures inside the body. Some people claim that Y-chromosome sperm (boys) are even less tolerant of heat than X-chromosome sperm. So, if you’re trying for a boy, ask your mate to wear boxers for a while. This will keep things cool and give his “boys” some breathing room.
A cool bath or an ice pack to the scrotum would take matters further, but it’s probably a rare male who would be that keen on producing a son.

Crank up the Coffee-Maker

Based on his research, that you’re more likely to conceive a boy if your man drinks a strong cup of caffeinated coffee just before intercourse. Why does this work?, it will give your mate a little extra energy boost for the deed!

Down Some Cough Syrup

Some people claim that if a woman takes a dose of cough syrup a couple of hours before intercourse, she’s more likely to have a boy. Supporters of this theory say that the medicine works by thinning the cervical mucous (just as it thins respiratory mucous when you have a cough), making conditions more favorable for sperm, especially those fast Y swimmers. The key ingredient that makes this work is guaifenesin, so if you’re going that route, look for a product that contains it.

Make It Quick

To conceive a boy, you should have unplanned, unromantic intercourse.
“Basically, a boy can be conceived with little time, absolutely zero romance, and the high possibility that you could get caught in the act,” Casey puts it simply.

Pay the Big Bucks

If you’re absolutely desperate to have a boy, you could try just shelling out $20,000. Scientists have discovered a way to ensure that you’ll have a girl or boy through in vitro fertilization (IVF)—where the egg and sperm first meet in the laboratory, not your body. The procedure is a complex medical one that carries a hefty price tag and that couples generally only opt for when all other avenues to conception have been unsuccessfully attempted.

Many people consider this kind of sex selection to be immoral and unnatural and, indeed, some physicians will not test for the embryo’s sex before implanting it. Then again, the moral issue is not a common one so far, as most couples can’t afford this much green just to get the baby’s nursery painted blue.

Adaptation  is another route where you can be assured of your child’s sex.

Can I Conceive Now? The Ins and Outs of Ovulation

Ovulation Symptoms and Figuring Out When You’re Most Fertile

Just saying the word ovulation makes my husband want to vomit. (Though not sure why it grosses him out so much.) But, if you want to get pregnant then it’s important to know when you ovulate and also to be able to spot ovulation symptoms that warn you that ovulation is happening. There are a number of ovulation symptoms that you can look out for that will tell you that it is just around the corner, so that you can prepare yourself (and your partner) for doing the ‘deed’ and hopefully, conceiving a baby.

Sign #1: Me so horny…

The first of these is that you will likely experience as an increase in desire for sex. (Boy is this true for me and is especially so as I get older. TMI…sorry.) When you are at your most fertile, your body wants you to reproduce (that whole nature thing at work) and so you will find that you want to have sex more. This is something that you obviously have to gauge for yourself, but if you really start to pay attention to your body, then it shouldn’t be too difficult to judge if you are feeling hornier than normal.

Sign #2: Damn my boobs hurt!

The second most noticeable symptom of ovulation for many women is that ‘the girls’ (i.e. your breasts) will feel tenderer. This isn’t a 100% accurate signal, but is a surprisingly good indicator. You may however find that the tenderness actually comes immediately after ovulation, so in some cases experiencing this may actually be an indicator that the horse has already bolted.

Sign #3: Gotta love that discharge.

The third most noticeable symptom is one that you will need to check carefully and one where you really need to know how your body usually operates. This involves checking the consistency and the amount of your cervical mucus. Typically, when you are ovulating, your cervical mucus becomes far more evident and abundant and becomes more watery in appearance and consistency. This is in direct contrast to periods of time when you are not ovulating where the quantities of cervical mucus go down considerably, and take on a much creamier appearance.

Sign #4: The old temperature trick!

The fourth most noticeable symptom is tracking your body’s basal temperature. After a woman has ovulated, her basal temperature will rise up by fractions of a degree. The reason for this is because of the increased levels of progesterone in your system.

If you track this temperature consistently, then this is a very good indicator of whether or not you have ovulated. Not to mention, a cheap way to keep track of it, because essentially the only special equipment you need is a thermometer.

The downsides to this particular approach are that for some women it can seem a little overwhelming to constantly be taking their temperature and it can also be time consuming, as well as the risk of becoming obsessive. (Don’t make you temperature some huge science experiment!)Take note that the other major downside is that it is NOT 100% accurate because certain factors, such as sleep patterns, can affect how accurate it is.

One good option to determine ovulation, if you are not concerned about the cost, is to buy an ovulation predictor test. The way these work is a bit like a pregnancy test, in that you have to pee on a test stick. It is however quite a bit more involved, because you have to do this every day in the week before you expect to ovulate.

This test determines whether or not you have raised levels of luteinising hormone, which would indicate that you are ovulating.

You can also find ovulation calculators online which claim to be able to do much of the above. But in practice you are better off to look out for the above ovulation symptoms and check in with your body on a regular bas. Here is the link to find out more.

4 Things to Know Before You Get Pregnant

4 Things to Know Before You Get Pregnant

The road to conception can be very smooth for some couples, while others find that it can take years before they are able to become pregnant. While there are many factors that can affect successful conception, understanding some basic things can help make your journey easier. If you are trying to conceive, here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Know Your Monthly Cycle. One of the best ways to increase your chances of becoming pregnant is to understand how your monthly cycle works. Every woman is different and in some cases, every cycle is different. Before you conceive, take a few months to chart your cycle from beginning to end. Keep track of the first day of your period and when you ovulate.

This information will help you determine when you are most fertile and when you should be scheduling intercourse. I know it can kill the romance to schedule sex in, but if you do want to conceive quickly, and especially if you want to try to push for a specific gender, this can really help.

2. Predict Your Monthly Ovulation. In order to find that window of opportunity, you have to know when you ovulate. There is a period of five days within each cycle that you are at your most fertile. The three days preceding ovulation and the day following ovulation. Once you know when this occurs, you can greatly increase the likelihood of fertilization.

Remember that once an egg is released from an ovary, it only has a period of 24 hours when it remains viable. It is vital to make sure that you are having intercourse as close to the date that you ovulate as possible.

3. Get Healthy Ahead of Time. In order to be at your most fertile, you need to take care of yourself. Start taking prenatal vitamins ahead of time and have yourself looked over by a doctor. If you have noticed any irregularities with your monthly cycles, now is the time to talk about it.

Getting plenty of rest and practicing a healthy lifestyle can go a long way. Try to remove stress from your life and take good care of your body. Being pregnant is not an easy task!

4. Don’t Get Discouraged. It can take a healthy couple a year to conceive naturally, so don’t give up if another month goes and your not-so-fun friend shows up right on schedule. This advice can help you to increase your chances of becoming pregnant in less time. But, if you don’t conceive right away, don’t get disheartened.

I recently went to a lecture given by one of the top infertility experts in the country who said that if you are 36-37 it is best not to wait it out if you are having trouble getting pregnant. Research shows that our egg count drops rapidly at this age.  As he said, “You don’t want to waste precious time.” My advice, consider being evaluated by a fertility specialist if you find yourself in this situation month after month. Since I am at this age bracket, I’m keeping my fingers crossed! Nothing like a clock screaming in your ear to hurry up and make the decision of whether we are going to try for another baby 

Timing Intercourse to ‘Choose’ the Gender of Your Baby

While there are no guarantees to getting what you want when it comes to natural gender selection, there are surely a few things that can be done to increase the likelihood of having a baby boy or baby girl. If you specifically hope for a boy or girl, it certainly can’t hurt to try a few natural techniques right? (At least this is what I’m going with.)

In order to understand how the timing of when you have sex can impact the gender of your child it is important to look at two different things – first, how ovulation works and second, how the differences in sperm affect this timing.

Ovulation- Releasing of the Queen Egg

Every month, there is a window of fertility that is approximately only five days long. Three days prior to ovulation to one day following ovulation are the best times to conceive. Remember, the egg only has a shelf life of 24 hours, while sperm can live for up to five days in the woman’s reproductive tract. Though each woman is somewhat different, this is the generally accepted “window of fertility” that occurs every month.

So, now that you’ve narrowed doing the deed down to these five days of the month where you are fertile, you have to figure out how to time your intercourse to help choose the gender of your child. That should be easy right? Ok, not so much!

Sperm Basics

A sperm carrying the Y chromosome will result in a boy if it successfully fertilizes the egg. A sperm carrying the X chromosome will result in a girl. There are some main differences in these sperm which plays a role in all this. The Y sperm are very small, but also very quick and agile. The main downside is that they don’t live very long. The X sperm are bigger and much slower, but on the flip side, they live a lot longer.

So in timing sex in order have a boy, it is vital to allow the Y sperm the time they need to reach the egg first. This means that you need to time intercourse on the day that you ovulate. The Y sperm won’t live much longer than that 24 hour period that the egg is viable and you need to give them that chance to meet the egg.

On the other hand, if you want to have a girl, you should time intercourse to two to three days prior to ovulation. During this time, the Y sperm will have died out, leaving the slower but more durable X sperm behind. This greatly increases the chances that you will have a girl.

There are also many other factors that can affect the gender of your child including such diet, and even the sexual position that you use, but timing it properly can help you naturally select your child’s gender.

4 Tips for Conceiving a Girl

Choosing the gender of your child may seem impossible, especially if you are not considering genetic manipulation. However, there are several techniques that can increase the likelihood of conceiving the gender of your choice. While there is no 100% accurate way to naturally select the gender of your future child, you can increase the likelihood of having a boy or a girl by following some very easy steps.

The sperm that are responsible for having a girl carry the X chromosome. These sperm are slower than their Y counterparts and require a few different techniques if you want to ensure that they successfully reach the egg first resulting in a girl.

1. Eating the Right Foods

In order to have the right PH balance in your body to ensure that the X sperm can reach the egg, you need to give them an environment that is acidic. This is considered to be ideal. Recommended foods include broccoli, apples, fish (as long as it is farm raised and contains no mercury), and dairy products. Focus on foods that are high in calcium and magnesium for the ultimate balance.

2. Getting Sex in at the Right Time

In order to give the X sperm the chance to reach the egg, you need to time intercourse so that by the time you ovulate, the Y sperm have already died off. This means that it is ideal to have intercourse two to three days before you ovulate. Sperm can remain viable within the body for up to five days and X sperm live longer. By the time the egg drops from your ovary, the only ones left will most likely be the sperm that carry the X chromosome.

3. Choosing the Perfect Position

In order to give the X sperm the edge they need to outlast the faster Y sperm, sexual positions that offer shallow penetration are ideal. Positions such as missionary are perfect for this, but any position where the man does not orgasm deep within the vagina will work. Once again, you are stacking the deck so that the longer lived X sperm can outlast the Y sperm before they reach their destination.

4. Sorry Ladies- Men First

Whether or not a woman orgasms before a man does have some determination in the gender of the child they will conceive. This is due to the fact that once you orgasm, the PH inside the vagina changes due to the secretions. Before an orgasm, the environment within the vagina and around the cervix is acidic, which is perfect for sperm carrying the X chromosome. Once you do orgasm, the secretions change the PH to more alkali in nature, allowing the Y sperm the chance to get through. It is recommended that a woman not orgasm first when trying for a girl