Okay, we know what you’re thinking: An article about how to get pregnant? Really? And that’s precisely the problem.
Most people spend a large part of their sexual lives trying to avoid pregnancy. With age and maturity, you realize that getting pregnant can happen anytime you think about having sex. So, you go to great lengths using birth control, condoms, and other methods to avoid unintended pregnancy. Then, suddenly, the inklings of parenthood hit, and you think that by simply coming off the pill or skipping barrier methods, you’ll blissfully conceive on desire alone. While it’s true that getting pregnant requires the meeting of a sperm and an egg, it is a very specific act that demands thousands of bodily reactions to occur seamlessly. Even then, despite all things being in order, things may not go exactly as planned.
First, let’s discuss the statistics. On average, it takes around five months for a couple without fertility issues to conceive—those who simply stop trying to avoid pregnancy and wing it. For couples with a history of irregular periods, female health issues, or those who smoke, it can take an average of one year. For this reason, most fertility doctors do not intervene until a couple has tried for 6-8 months without success. Even then, the intervention typically involves a series of basic tests. Approximately one in three couples has some condition that impedes fertility, such as low sperm count, blocked fallopian tubes, failure to ovulate, hormonal imbalances, or most commonly, stress!
Figuring Out How to Get Pregnant Isn’t as Simple as You Might Think
The first step in learning how to get pregnant is for women to figure out when they ovulate. There are plenty of methods to do this. Start by counting the days in your cycle. A cycle begins on the first day of your menstrual period and continues to the next one. For most women, this is around 28 days but can range from 21 to 45 days. Women who cycle every other month likely ovulate on only one side, meaning they aren’t fertile every month. Planning to have a baby will make you more in tune with your body. By noticing changes and differences in how you feel and keeping track of them, you can become adept at predicting ovulation.
Next, to pinpoint ovulation so you can time sex, most women ovulate around days 10-14 of their cycle. There are telltale signs of ovulation, such as increased cervical mucus, cramps, increased libido, and even breast tenderness. Additionally, if you track your basal body temperature, which is a reliable way to detect ovulation, you’ll notice that your temperature rises by a tenth of a degree for about 2-3 days. During these days, you can assume you are ovulating. The easiest way to detect ovulation is to use the quick ovulation predictor tests available at your local drugstore. Start taking the tests on day 10 from the first day of your last menstrual cycle and continue for a week. As hormones that trigger ovulation increase, they will be detected in your urine.
When you know you are ovulating, it’s time to figure out when to have sex. The medical community has differing opinions on the best approach. Some doctors suggest having sex every day during the week of ovulation as a surefire way to conceive. Others argue that this may weaken sperm counts and advise couples to have sex the day before ovulation, on the day of ovulation, and the day after. Regardless, ovulation alone won’t resolve the challenges of getting pregnant. However, it’s definitely the best place to start.
Once the sperm are released into the uterine environment, they can survive for up to five days. However, if the cervical mucus or uterine environment is acidic, the sperm may not survive at all. If there isn’t enough lubrication to help the sperm enter the female reproductive organs, pregnancy will not occur. Additionally, if the egg cannot travel into the fallopian tubes and into the uterus to be fertilized, even seven million sperm will be for naught. If the sperm and egg do meet, there are thousands of mini chemical reactions that must take place for implantation, along with another hundred or so to ensure that the female body can support the pregnancy. Perhaps this complexity is why it can be so hard to conceive. If one mechanism is off, lying with your legs up in the air for 10 minutes or two hours won’t help.
The good news is that many of the issues that impede pregnancy are relatively simple to fix. For instance, many women have a thyroid imbalance that can disrupt the hormonal responses needed for conception. Stress, worry, and other external factors can also affect both men’s and women’s reproductive performance.
Your best bet when trying to get pregnant is to ensure that you are healthy in both body and mind. Start taking prenatal vitamins, eliminate stress, figure out when you ovulate, and avoid toxins like alcohol and nicotine. Focus on healthy eating, see your doctor for a check-up to rule out any underlying issues, and then enjoy sex because it’s fun—not just because you want to conceive. If things don’t work out right away, refrain from worrying! At some point, you WILL get pregnant! With the hard decision to try behind you, there’s likely nothing that can stop you.
