There’re not many things in life better than becoming a parent. Giving birth to another human is beautiful and gracious in so many ways. But, unfortunately, not every couple can experience the joy of it. Depending on many factors, pregnancy is not an option for some women. So, nontraditional ways of raising kids come into play.

Although in vitro fertilization and adoption are popular practices in Western culture, they’re not the only two options for people who can’t have a child on their own. Nowadays, lots of couples opt for surrogacy. They arrange for someone else to bear their child for them. In some ways, this is still subject to taboo, so we’re willing to take you through the ins and outs of this topic step by step.

What Is Surrogacy?

Essentially, surrogacy is an arrangement between two sides where one accepts to bear a child for the other. The …

Conceiving through IVF is a long, expensive, and unpredictable process. That’s probably why only 5% of couples who struggle with fertility turn to it. However, it’s a safe procedure that (eventually) has a great success rate.

It’s jarring to think that IVF was in its infancy 40 or so years ago. People didn’t know what it was and referred to babies born thanks to IVF as “test-tube babies.” In reality, IVF is the best thing the 20th century brought to couples who had trouble conceiving.

Today, infertility treatment, fertility medication, and the entire relevant field of medicine have advanced so far that in-vitro fertilization IVF is just another way to conceive.

A Walk Down Memory Lane — Brief History of IVF

IVF saw its beginnings in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Back then, it was a pioneering procedure. Not everyone thought so, though. The technique (and its trailblazers, Robert …

There are so many myths about couples who are trying to conceive. Some believe that specific sex positions will increase your chances of having a baby, while others go as far as claiming that they can determine their baby’s sex. For years, people wondered if sex during pregnancy was safe. Here are some of the most popular myths when trying to conceive.

Always Be in Missionary

Over the years, there have been many theories about the perfect sexual position and how it could increase the odds of conception. One of the most popular examples is, of course, the missionary.

As you probably know already, the missionary is a position where the male is on top, and it is popularly known as the most vanilla pose ever. Moreover, the woman will lie on her back, and, during ejaculation, the gravity will do its job, and everything will be successful. But in …

Masturbation and Sex Toys During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is such a glorious time! Everything is new, and each day is an opportunity to experience some novelty. Oh, wait, that actually sounds quite scary, right?

Yup, because pregnancy, although a miracle, is essentially a wild ride into the unknown. Sure, you can read all the books you can get your hands on and listen to the wisdom other women bestow upon you. But, at the end of the day, your pregnancy will be a uniquely singular experience.

Thus, it’s entirely logical for you to be somewhat scared. It’s also sensible to have many questions. For example, many women have a lot of questions about pregnancy sex and masturbation during pregnancy. Is it perfectly safe? Will it cause preterm labor? Will it cause vaginal bleeding?

Is It Safe to Have Sex While Pregnant?

The good news is that any and all sexual activity …

Conceiving isn’t as easy as people might think. It takes a lot more than some sperm and an egg to make a baby. Everything has to be perfect and according to plans.

You have to be in sync with your menstrual cycle and not let anything affect that. Unfortunately, many factors can mess with that. Number one being stress.

Stress can change your behavior, make you engage in toxic activities, and weaken your immune system. You need to learn how to cope with it healthily.

Stress Can Affect Your Behavior

If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, there might be more than one thing wrong. All of the getting pregnant challenges are very real. You have to track your menstrual cycle and do everything perfectly. Just to be able to conceive!

If nothing is working, and you simply cannot pinpoint your problem, stress is the most likely cause. There are many …

It sounds like you’re getting into something scary. Why should you need to prepare emotionally? 

If you look up some anal hook images right now, they might immediately put you off. But we promise it’s not all as dark and twisted as it seems. However, it can be if you’re into that kind of stuff.  

Anal hooks may not be a beginner-friendly toy, but beginners can research it. It requires a bit of prep beforehand. If you’re not familiar with any type of anal playing, you’ll need to be. Otherwise, maybe this hook should not be your first-time anal experience.

Prior Anal Sex Experience

We know the sole existence of anal hooks may intimidate you. Especially if you’re unsure of what it’s all about or if you have no prior anal sex experience.

If you’re looking to jump the gun and use an anal hook immediately, we recommend slowing down. …

If you’re a sex toy fanatic or are just starting to look into them for you or your partner, vibrators should be at the top of your list. But while they can mindlessly tease you and boost sexual pleasure almost immediately, there’s another toy that will truly help you get the best bang for your buck! 

If you’re ever seen some double dildo porn, you’ve undoubtedly noticed the massive range of naughty uses for this toy. It’s excellent for nearly anything, including anal play, double penetration, vagina-to-vagina sex, extreme insertions, teasing, gagging, foreplay, and more! And what happens when you add vibrating motors to a regular double-headed dildo? Check out the top reasons you should use vibrating double dildos! 

Vibrating Double Dildo vs. a Regular Dildo and Vibrators

Double dongs are made from similar materials like regular dildos and vibrators. However, they do not contain a base. Instead, you get …

There are things you can do now before you try for a baby that will affect your fertility and the health of your baby.

Your health before pregnancy will affect the lifelong health of your baby. By following the advice below you can:

• improve your fertility
• protect your baby’s future health
• bring down your risk of problems in pregnancy.

Once you start trying for a baby (have stopped contraception) you won’t know you’re pregnant for the first few weeks.

So, if you’re trying for a baby, making these changes sooner rather than later will give you peace of mind when you get pregnant.

What to do

1. Get help to stop smoking

Smoking affects fertility (the ability to get pregnant) in men and women. If you stop smoking now it will improve your chances of conceiving. Smoking has also been shown to damage the DNA of your baby. During …

There is nothing that can make you feel more alone—or stressed out—than trying to conceive. While you might have spent the better part of your youth doing all that you could to not get pregnant, when you’re ready to build your family and the going gets tough, it’s normal to have anxiety. Though TTC can feel exhausting, frustrating and lonely, the CDC estimates that more than ten percent of all couples will struggle with fertility—that’s 1 in 10 partnerships. Whenever you’re feeling discouraged, take a read of these inspiring stories.

The Fosters

Got Pregnant In: 2 years

Their Story: After getting married in 2001, Ashley and James began trying to conceive. “When we first started trying, I was obsessive and bought many pregnancy tests even if I knew my period was coming,” says Ashley. “We probably spent hundreds of dollars on tests. We viewed making love as work, and …

To optimize women’s fertility, taking better care of their bodies is a good first step. But what else can women do to improve their odds of having a baby?

The most important advice for a woman who wants to get pregnant is to get to know her body, specifically her menstrual cycle, said Dr. Ellen Turner, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist and medical director of the in-vitro fertilization program at Northwestern Medicine’s Fertility and Reproductive Medicine department in Chicago.

“It’s important to know how far apart her cycles are so she can more accurately time intercourse to try to get pregnant,” Turner said.

Here are 10 tips that may help increase a healthy woman’s chances of becoming pregnant.

1. Record menstrual cycle frequency

A woman who wants to have a baby should monitor whether the first days of her periods tend to come the same number of days apart …