Getting a Bun in the Oven

This new, multi-part feature is written for women who are trying to conceive - or may try to conceive in the future - or have been around the rollercoaster and remember the ride. It's designed to be educational, but it's also meant to be amusing. Happy reading.

So - you want to have a baby. You’ve thought it all through, weighed up all the available options, and decided that sleepless nights, disgusting smells and very loud, irritating noises would be a fantastic lifestyle choice. Congratulations!

How are your family and friends reacting?

Let me guess - your single, childless friends are torn between looking at you in horror and burbling about bubsy-wubsy-cutesy-pies. Friends who’re already parents are smiling at you with a patronising ‘if only you knew!’ sort of smile. Your parents are either gratified that their decades of ‘when are you going to give me grandchildren?’ nagging is finally paying off, or appalled at the idea of being old enough to be grandparents.

And your partner?

He’s not entirely sure what he’s gotten himself into, but he thinks he’s proud that his little guys will finally get a chance to show off.

What are the odds?

Look, let’s face facts. For some women, it’s as easy as this: sex - orgasm - vomiting - waiting - ow ow ow - baby. But how many of us get such an easy run? For most of us, life just isn’t that simple. In the next article, we'll look into the factors that make conception a breeze or a bust.