How to get pregnant fast:
Maybe you're just really eager to get pregnant, or maybe you want your baby's birth to happen at a specific time. Here are four tricks to make it more likely that you'll conceive soon after you start trying.
(You'll dramatically reduce the risk of certain birth defects if you begin taking folic acid at least one month before you start trying to conceive. Find out what else you can do ahead of time to give your baby a healthy start.)
Maybe you're just really eager to get pregnant, or maybe you want your baby's birth to happen at a specific time. Here are four tricks to make it more likely that you'll conceive soon after you start trying.
(You'll dramatically reduce the risk of certain birth defects if you begin taking folic acid at least one month before you start trying to conceive. Find out what else you can do ahead of time to give your baby a healthy start.)
Trick #1: See your practitioner and consider genetic testing
You're more likely to have a successful pregnancy if your body is up for the task. To find out whether you're in baby-making shape – and to learn what changes may help – schedule a preconception checkup with a doctor or midwife. You may not be able to get an appointment right away or resolve any health issues immediately, but taking these steps as soon as possible will help you conceive faster in the long run.
Depending on your ethnic background and family history, your practitioner may encourage you to consider genetic screening to see if you or your partner are carriers for serious inherited illnesses such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and others. This may be the single most important thing you can do to help ensure a healthy baby, and all it requires is a saliva or blood sample from each of you. It's even covered by most health insurance policies.
You're more likely to have a successful pregnancy if your body is up for the task. To find out whether you're in baby-making shape – and to learn what changes may help – schedule a preconception checkup with a doctor or midwife. You may not be able to get an appointment right away or resolve any health issues immediately, but taking these steps as soon as possible will help you conceive faster in the long run.
Depending on your ethnic background and family history, your practitioner may encourage you to consider genetic screening to see if you or your partner are carriers for serious inherited illnesses such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and others. This may be the single most important thing you can do to help ensure a healthy baby, and all it requires is a saliva or blood sample from each of you. It's even covered by most health insurance policies.
Trick #2: Figure out when you ovulate
The biggest secret to getting pregnant faster is knowing when you ovulate (release an egg from your ovary). Think of the egg as a bull's-eye and the sperm as arrows. One of the arrows has to hit the bull's-eye in order for you to get pregnant.
Since you ovulate once each menstrual cycle, there are only a few days out of each cycle when sex can actually lead to pregnancy. Knowing when you ovulate means that you and your partner can identify the bull's-eye and then aim for it, instead of just shooting a bunch of arrows and hoping the target happens to be there.
You can figure out when you ovulate using a few different methods. Our article aboutpredicting ovulation walks you through them.
If you notice that you have irregular periodsover the course of several months, pinpointing ovulation could be difficult. Ask your doctor for advice.
The biggest secret to getting pregnant faster is knowing when you ovulate (release an egg from your ovary). Think of the egg as a bull's-eye and the sperm as arrows. One of the arrows has to hit the bull's-eye in order for you to get pregnant.
Since you ovulate once each menstrual cycle, there are only a few days out of each cycle when sex can actually lead to pregnancy. Knowing when you ovulate means that you and your partner can identify the bull's-eye and then aim for it, instead of just shooting a bunch of arrows and hoping the target happens to be there.
You can figure out when you ovulate using a few different methods. Our article aboutpredicting ovulation walks you through them.
If you notice that you have irregular periodsover the course of several months, pinpointing ovulation could be difficult. Ask your doctor for advice.
Trick #3: Get busy at the right time
Once you know when your egg will be released from your ovary, you can plan to have sex during your most fertile days: from three days before ovulation through the day of ovulation. (Starting a little sooner can't hurt; some women have gotten pregnant from sex that happened six days before they ovulated.)
You have a range of days for baby-making sex because sperm can survive for three to six days in your body. (Your egg survives for only about a day.) That means if you have sex on Monday, sperm can survive in your fallopian tubes, waiting for an egg to float by, until around Thursday – or maybe even as late as Sunday.
If you're not sure when your fertile period will be, here's an easy rule of thumb: Hit the sheets every other day. Having sex this often means you'll have healthy sperm waiting in your fallopian tubes every day, ready to spring into action whenever your egg gets released.
(If you want to have sex more often than every other day, that's fine. It won't help you conceive faster, but it won't hurt, either.)
Another tip: If you and your partner are waiting to have sex until your most fertile time, make sure you haven't gone through too long of a dry spell beforehand. Your partner should ejaculate at least once in the days before your most fertile period. If he doesn't, there could be a buildup of dead sperm in his semen when it's go time, and dead sperm can't get you pregnant.
Once you know when your egg will be released from your ovary, you can plan to have sex during your most fertile days: from three days before ovulation through the day of ovulation. (Starting a little sooner can't hurt; some women have gotten pregnant from sex that happened six days before they ovulated.)
You have a range of days for baby-making sex because sperm can survive for three to six days in your body. (Your egg survives for only about a day.) That means if you have sex on Monday, sperm can survive in your fallopian tubes, waiting for an egg to float by, until around Thursday – or maybe even as late as Sunday.
If you're not sure when your fertile period will be, here's an easy rule of thumb: Hit the sheets every other day. Having sex this often means you'll have healthy sperm waiting in your fallopian tubes every day, ready to spring into action whenever your egg gets released.
(If you want to have sex more often than every other day, that's fine. It won't help you conceive faster, but it won't hurt, either.)
Another tip: If you and your partner are waiting to have sex until your most fertile time, make sure you haven't gone through too long of a dry spell beforehand. Your partner should ejaculate at least once in the days before your most fertile period. If he doesn't, there could be a buildup of dead sperm in his semen when it's go time, and dead sperm can't get you pregnant.
Trick #4: Set the stage for super sperm
Sperm have their best shot at fertilizing an egg when they're healthy, strong, and plentiful. Several things can help your partner get his sperm supply in fighting shape:
- Cut back on alcohol (studies show that drinking daily can reduce testosterone levels and sperm counts and raise the number of abnormal sperm)
- Nix tobacco and recreational drugs (these can cause poor sperm function)
- Eat enough of certain key nutrients – like zinc, folic acid, calcium, and vitamins C and D – that help create plentiful, strong, wiggly sperm
- Avoid hot tubs, saunas, and hot baths, since heat kills sperm (testicles function best at 94 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit, a couple of degrees cooler than normal body temperature)
The sooner your partner can make these changes, the better: Sperm take a while to develop, so the improvements he makes today will yield better sperm specimens about three months from now.
Sperm have their best shot at fertilizing an egg when they're healthy, strong, and plentiful. Several things can help your partner get his sperm supply in fighting shape:
- Cut back on alcohol (studies show that drinking daily can reduce testosterone levels and sperm counts and raise the number of abnormal sperm)
- Nix tobacco and recreational drugs (these can cause poor sperm function)
- Eat enough of certain key nutrients – like zinc, folic acid, calcium, and vitamins C and D – that help create plentiful, strong, wiggly sperm
- Avoid hot tubs, saunas, and hot baths, since heat kills sperm (testicles function best at 94 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit, a couple of degrees cooler than normal body temperature)
The sooner your partner can make these changes, the better: Sperm take a while to develop, so the improvements he makes today will yield better sperm specimens about three months from now.
How long to try before seeking help
If you're going to get pregnant naturally, it's very likely to happen within the first three months. About 6 out of 10 couples have conceived by then.
After that, how long you should keep trying before you seek help from a fertility specialistdepends in large part on your age. Fertility declines as you get older, so if you're over 40, get help from an expert right away. If you're 35 to 40, talk to a specialist after you've tried for six months with no luck. And if you're under 35, it's probably fine to keep trying for a year before seeking assistance.
Of course, if you have reason to suspect a fertility problem in yourself or your partner, go ahead and make an appointment – there's no reason to wait.
If you're going to get pregnant naturally, it's very likely to happen within the first three months. About 6 out of 10 couples have conceived by then.
After that, how long you should keep trying before you seek help from a fertility specialistdepends in large part on your age. Fertility declines as you get older, so if you're over 40, get help from an expert right away. If you're 35 to 40, talk to a specialist after you've tried for six months with no luck. And if you're under 35, it's probably fine to keep trying for a year before seeking assistance.
Of course, if you have reason to suspect a fertility problem in yourself or your partner, go ahead and make an appointment – there's no reason to wait.
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