Before you’re in full-on baby-making mode, the process may seem pretty straightforward: Have sex, get pregnant. But conceiving sometimes takes a little more planning than that. As soon as you do begin to think about starting your own family, you’ll likely have more than a few how-to-get-pregnant questions. For example, what should you do before trying to conceive? When’s the best time to try? And is there anything you can do to get pregnant faster? To help, we’ve got all the best trying-to-conceive tips right here. Read on for the scoop on everything you need to know about how to get pregnant, from adr your odds of conceiving to what you can do to have a healthier pregnancy right from the start.
If you’re wondering what your odds are of getting pregnant, your chances are pretty good when you’re younger. In fact, an average healthy couple in their 20s and early 30s has about a 25 to 30 percent chance of getting pregnant during any one menstrual cycle, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
Though that number may seem low, over the span of a year it means your chances of conceiving are about 75 to 85 percent. Just keep in mind that those odds drop with age, which may be a factor if you’re finding that it’s difficult for you to get pregnant. One of the biggest factors is your age, since fertility declines over time. For example, the average, healthy 30-year-old has about a 20 percent chance of getting pregnant each month she tries. By age 40, the odds drop to less than 10 percent each month.
Up to 13 percent of infertility in women is caused by cigarette smoking, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). Smoking can lead to fertility problems in men, too, since it can reduce sperm production. Being overweight or obese can cause the body to produce too much estrogen, which can throw off the reproductive cycle, while being underweight can shut down ovulation. About 12 percent of all infertility cases are a result of a woman weighing either too little or too much, according to the ASRM.
Some research has shown that prolonged exposure to pesticides, pollutants and industrial chemicals — which usually occurs in certain jobs (more on that below) — can decrease a couple’s chances of conceiving. For women, these toxins can disrupt the menstrual cycle or sex hormone production and reduce fertility. Men may have low hormone levels, a lower sex drive, reduction in sperm or semen, or erectile dysfunction.
Even if your weight is just right, exercising too hard (or long, like more than five hours a week) can affect baby-making. But that doesn’t mean you should let your gym membership lapse. Regular, moderate exercise slightly increased fertility for all women, regardless of weight. If any test in your checkup uncovers a condition that requires treatment — from a health condition like high blood pressure to a sexually transmitted disease — make sure to take care of it before trying to conceive. That includes any gynecological conditions that might interfere with pregnancy (such as uterine polyps, fibroids, cysts or tumors; endometriosis; pelvic inflammatory disease; or recurrent UTIs).