Helping Conception

Sometimes getting pregnant can be a difficult and frustrating process. If you've been trying to get pregnant for quite some time -- more than one year if you're under 30 and approximately six months if you're over 30 -- then you may want to consider seeing a fertility specialist for testing and possible treatment options.

If you've just started trying to conceive and are interested in options that could increase your chances of getting pregnant, then you've come to the right section of this website. There are a variety of things you can do and techniques to try that could help you get pregnant faster. Here's a basic overview of some of these techniques. Check out other sections of this site for more in depth information about these tips.

Your Health

It's important to make sure you're as healthy as possible to ensure all your reproductive hormones are functioning at peak efficiency. For women, good health increases the likelihood that the delicate balance of hormones required for regular ovulation are correct. It can also help with the consistency of the cervical mucus making it a friendlier environment for sperm instead of killing them off. Men who are healthier tend to produce more viable sperm that are strong enough to swim all the way to the fallopian tubes and fertilize and egg.

For women it's also important to make sure to take enough folic acid. Folic acid will not help you conceive but it does reduce the chance birth defects in your baby's brain and spine if you do get pregnant.

Watch Your Body

A man can help a woman become pregnant any time of the month. He doesn't have a peak fertile time like a woman. Women only release an egg once a month and can only get pregnant around this time. This means that there are only approximately four days a month where conception is possible.

Ovulation typically occurs two weeks after your last period. In a woman with an average 28-day cycle, this means that you'll ovulate on day 14 of your cycle. But this can change based on stress levels, exercise levels or for no discernable reason. Since the egg is only viable for 24 hours, it's important to make sure there's sperm available when the egg is released. Ideally you should have sex before ovulation. Watch your body for signs of ovulation. Signs include watching the consistency of your cervical mucus and monitoring your basal body temperature.

The Sex

Frequency of sex can affect your ability to get pregnant as can the timing. It's a good idea to have sex three times a week if you're trying to have a baby. Try not to wait until the day you ovulate to have baby-making sex. Some physicians also suggest you have sex in positions that keep the sperm in your body longer. Often the best baby-making sex is the missionary position.