Beyond the well-known basics of getting pregnant — that is, when a sperm fertilizes the egg and creates a baby — there’s a lot more to conceiving than people are often aware of. That means that how long it takes to get pregnant can vary greatly from person to person.
Once you’ve decided you’re ready to have a baby, it’s natural to start wondering how you can get pregnant quickly, but it’s important to note that it can take a bit of time. While getting pregnant may be easy for some couples, for others, the process can be a lot more difficult, and that’s totally normal. As a general indicator, recent research suggested the following timelines for couples under 35:
- 45% of couples will conceive after three cycles of unprotected sex.
- 65% of all couples will conceive after six cycles of unprotected sex.
- 85% of all couples will conceive within their first year of having regular unprotected sex.
With that in mind, it always helps to be prepared to try to conceive as best you can. Want to hear some genuinely useful tips? We spoke to Dr. Jenna Flanagan, obstetrician and gynecologist (OB-GYN), US, to create this must-read guide about the actions you can take to hopefully help to increase your fertility and improve your chances of pregnancy.
Trying-to-conceive tips
Ready to get started? Let’s take a look at some tips to help you on your journey.
1. Talk to your gynecologist
Once you know you’d like to start trying to get pregnant, you can get off to a strong start by booking an appointment with your gynecologist. The CDC advises that you should see your doctor before getting pregnant so that they can talk through things like your overall health and medical history, as well as any lifestyle factors or behaviors that may need to be adjusted. They can also discuss any vaccinations you might need and steps you can take to ensure the very best outcome for your possible future baby.
You can make the most out of this appointment by doing some prep beforehand, too. For example, you might have some questions you’d like to ask about how to get pregnant, including how quickly it could happen (so how many weeks or months it might take) or the best time to try to get pregnant. You might be wondering what can make it hard to get pregnant, you may be curious to know exactly how long it takes to get pregnant after sex, or you might just be open to some general tips on how to conceive. Whatever it is you want to know, your doctor should have some answers for you. While it can be helpful to chat with your friends and family about their experiences, remember that everyone is different, and an OB-GYN is the most qualified person to steer you through.