Planning to have a baby can be a stressful event, especially if you don’t succeed after a few tries. The fear of impotence and infertility is a very real fear for most people, so much so that having a child can become an obsession.

Here are some suggestions for improving your chances of pregnancy:

Plan ahead. Every couple should be aware of the woman’s fertile period, and plan their intercourse accordingly. If sacrifices have to be made, so be it. A husband or a wife should be willing to forgo an appointment or two so that the opportunity for conception is not missed.

Conduct some research. There is some good, solid information on the subject of fertility available today. Be sure to look some materials up, and sift the wheat from the chaff. Once you get excellent information, however, act on it! There’s a saying that goes, “Knowledge is power.” In trying to achieve pregnancy, though, “Applied knowledge is power.” You must apply what you have learned in order to get results.

Stay healthy. Remember, the fertilization process is a biological process influenced by biological factors. This means that the health of a couple plays a major role in pregnancy and birth. You owe it to yourself to keep yourself in the best possible health. Make sure you eat the right foods, get some regular exercise, and get enough rest.

Procure professional assistance. We all need some help at one point or another. There are various organizations that provide assistance for couples suffering from fertility problems. Seek these groups out and see what they have to offer.

Sperm Production

Male fertility is mostly a product of a man’s hormones. Sperm production, which is the most important part of male fertility, is initiated by the pituitary gland, which sends a hormone called FSH to the testicles. FSH, also known as the follicle-stimulating hormone, is the signal that induces the testicles to produce sperm.

After being manufactured, sperm cells travel to the seminal vesicle through a tube called the vas deferens. The seminal vesicle is where mature sperm is stored. Another gland, the prostate, produces seminal fluid, which is mixed with the sperm to allow it to travel to the urethra. The urethra, of course, is the tube which extends from a man’s bladder, passing through the prostate, and into the penis.

Erection

When a man is sexually excited, blood rushes to the penis and causes it to be harder and erect. Sperm is withdrawn from the seminal vesicle and mixed with seminal fluid – what we know as semen. During sexual intercourse, the prostate gland contracts, which forces semen out of the urethra into the tip of the penis; a process called ejaculation.

Fertilization

Once the sperm has been deposited into a woman’s vagina, the cells start to swim up to the uterus. When a woman is fertile, she produces cervical mucus that allows the sperm cells to survive the normally acidic environment in side the vagina. The mucus also separates the healthy sperm from the defective ones. From the uterus, the sperm swim to the fallopian tubes, where fertilization will be completed if the conditions are right.