Trying to get pregnant can be a lot of fun - you've always got an
excuse to snuggle up with your partner and have some luvin'. But
while lots of people think that getting pregnant will just take a
matter of days, it can actually take a long time.
If your body has been used to the pill, patches or implants it can
take time for it to get back into the swing of things.
It can be frustrating, we know. So we've done a little research to
find out how to get pregnant fast. From changing your diet to
trying different sex positions, there are numerous ways that you
can boost your chances of getting pregnant
Trick #1: 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.
Ovulation Calculator
Find out when you're likely to ovulate – and boost your chances of
conceiving.
Since most women release an egg 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 about predicting ovulation walks you through
them.
If you notice that you have irregular periods over the course of
several months, pinpointing ovulation could be difficult. Ask your
doctor for advice.
Trick #2: 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 five 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 #3: Lie down on the job
For a long time, no one really knew whether lying on your back
after sex (to prevent sperm from leaking out) would help boost
the chances that a sperm would successfully reach and fertilize
your egg.
Now there's reason to believe that staying horizontal can help. In
2009, researchers in Amsterdam found that women who lay flat
for 15 minutes after being artificially inseminated (that is, a
doctor inserted sperm into their uterus) were 50 percent more
likely to get pregnant than women who got up right away after
the procedure.
While we can't be sure that the same is true for intercourse, this
study suggests that staying put for a bit after sex could help
your partner's sperm along. In any case, it doesn't hurt to try.
Trick #4: Enjoy the process
If you're in a rush to get pregnant, you might find yourself feeling
anxious about it. While that's totally normal, you actually have a
better shot at conceiving if you aren't stressed out. The
hypothalamus – the gland in the brain that regulates the hormones
of ovulation – doesn't function as well when you're stressed,
which means you may ovulate later than usual or not at all that
cycle.
So do whatever you can to enjoy the process of getting pregnant.
Having fun with your sex life (instead of a "must conceive now,"
Type-A approach) will actually boost your chances of success.
And if you're looking to keep things spicy, good news: No single sex
position is more effective for baby-making than another.
Trick #5: 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.
Trick #6: Get your body ready
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.
In the meantime, cut out the alcohol, recreational drugs, and
smoking if you can, since these things interfere with fertility. (Not
to mention being harmful to a fetus.) Think about cutting back on
caffeine, too: Having more than the equivalent of a daily cup or
two of coffee has been linked with a lower chance of conceiving.
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 specialist depends 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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