If you're considering having a baby, you probably have wondered how long it will take to get pregnant, when to have sex, and how often. Find the answers to your questions here.

The Odds of Getting Pregnant

It's a common question: What are the odds that I'll get pregnant this month? For most couples trying to conceive, the odds that a woman will become pregnant are 15% to 25% in any particular month .

But there are some factors that can affect your chance of getting pregnant:

Age: After you reach age 30, your chances of conceiving in any given month diminish, and they decrease as you age, dropping steeply in your 40s.

Irregular menstrual cycles: Having an irregular cycle makes it tricky to calculate when you're ovulating, thus making it difficult to know the ideal time to have sex.

Frequency of sex: The less often you have sex, the less likely you are to get pregnant.

Amount of time you've been trying to conceive: you haven't gotten pregnant after one year of trying to conceive, your chances of becoming pregnant may be lower. Talk to your doctor about tests for female and male infertility.

Illnesses or medical conditions can affect pregnancy.

Congratulations mommy! Now that your baby is finally here, it is time to take care of both the newborn, and yourself too! The time after delivery is known as the postpartum period and this is one of the most essential phases in a woman’s life. During this stage, your body undergoes several changes. It develops its own requirements which need to be fulfilled in order to return to a normal lifestyle.

What To Expect After Delivery?

Post-delivery, your body faces several changes which include physical and emotional problems.

a. Physically, you might experience:

• Constipation problems
• Sore breasts
• Hemorrhoids (blood clot)
• Hot and cold flashes
• Urinary incontinence.
• You may also lose a few pounds post delivery.

b. Emotionally, you may experience:

• Baby blues
• Postpartum depression
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Mood swings
• Guilt
• Prolonged periods of sadness.

Having a scan in the first few weeks of pregnancy can be thrilling. It's wonderful to see the little blob with a heartbeat that will become your baby.

Usually two scans are done during the first trimester. A dating and viability scan, between six and nine weeks and an early morphology scan or NT scan between 11 and 13 weeks.

Why do I need a dating and viability ultrasound scan?

Although you don't need a scan to confirm a pregnancy, having one in the early weeks will:

• Check if your baby is in the right position inside the uterus.

• Let you hear your baby's heartbeat, which is one of the signs that the pregnancy is viable. The heart usually starts beating at about six weeks.

• Find your accurate due date. If your menstrual cycle is irregular, an ultrasound scan can tell exactly how far into your pregnancy you are.

• Determine the reason for any spotting or bleeding you may have.

• Show how many babies you are carrying.

How is the ultrasound scan done in my first trimester?

There are two ways of doing a first trimester scan:

Transvaginal scan (TVS):

If your doctor wants you to have a scan earlier than 10 weeks of pregnancy, you will have a transvaginal scan. In these early weeks of pregnancy, your baby is too small and low in your abdomen to be picked up by an abdominal ultrasound scan.

A vaginal scan is done by introducing a probe into your vagina. It can pick up a better image of your baby.

Abdominal scan:

After 10 weeks and for the rest of your pregnancy, you will have an abdominal scan. However, if the doctor needs to check your cervix (mouth of uterus and birth canal), a transvaginal scan may be done as it is more accurate.

During an abdominal scan, the doctor will put some (usually very cold) gel on your tummy. She will then move a small hand-held probe or transducer over your skin to get views of your baby.

Pregnancy, also known as gestation, is the time during which one or more offspring develops inside a woman. A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy can occur by sexual intercourse or assisted reproductive technology. Childbirth typically occurs around 40 weeks from the last menstrual period (LMP). This is just over nine lunar months, where each month is about 29½ days. When measured from conception it is about 38 weeks. An embryo is the developing offspring during the first eight weeks following conception, after which, the term fetus is used until birth. Symptoms of early pregnancy may include missed periods, tender breasts, nausea and vomiting, hunger, and frequent urination. Pregnancy may be confirmed with a pregnancy test.

Pregnancy is typically divided into three trimesters. The first trimester is from week one through 12 and includes conception. Conception is when the sperm fertilizes the egg. The fertilized egg then travels down the fallopian tube and attaches to the inside of the uterus, where it begins to form the embryo and placenta. The first trimester carries the highest risk of miscarriage (natural death of embryo or fetus). The second trimester is from week 13 through 28. Around the middle of the second trimester, movement of the fetus may be felt. At 28 weeks, more than 90% of babies can survive outside of the uterus if provided with high-quality medical care. The third trimester is from 29 weeks through 40 weeks.

• Feeding Your Baby Can Mean So Much More

Studies have shown that routine touch can lead to improved physiological, cognitive, emotional and social development. Your baby’s first emotional bonds are built from physical contact, and these serve as the foundation for emotional and intellectual development later in life.

So while you hold her in your arms, your baby is getting the benefits of your touch (and your smell) along with the nutrients she needs, nurturing her happy healthy development.

• Breastfeeding

Many doctors agree that nothing is better for babies than breast milk. Nutritionally speaking, it's tailor-made for your child. It has all the vitamins and minerals that babies need, it's easier to digest than formula and it's less likely to cause allergic reactions. Breastfeeding lets a mother pass on antibodies from her own immune system through her breast milk, to boost her baby's defense against infections. And it naturally adapts to your baby's changing needs over weeks and months.

• Other Ways to Nourish

Sometimes mothers cannot breastfeed, due to medical problems or other special circumstances. Discuss with your pediatrician how best to feed your baby. No matter how you decide to feed your baby, always be sure to hold him while feeding . The cuddling that comes with nursing and feeding helps to build a strong, loving bond between you and your baby. Invite your partner to participate — feeding time is a great opportunity for your baby and partner to feel close.