If you’re ready to start or expand your family, you might be wondering if there are any tips or tricks to help you get pregnant faster. While there’s no guaranteed method to conceive right away (everyone’s journey to parenthood is different!), there are a few things you can do to maximize your fertility and improve your chances of becoming pregnant.
This article provides practical, evidence-based advice from the fertility experts at RMA Network to help you get pregnant sooner.
Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle
Understanding the menstrual cycle, including the time between the first day of one menstrual period and the first day of the next, is an important first step in getting pregnant.
Most people have an approximately 28-day cycle, with ovulation (the release of a mature egg from the ovary) occurring around day 14. However, the cycle can range anywhere from 21 to 35 days, in which case ovulation can happen earlier or later.
Fertile Window vs. Ovulation
The “fertile window,” the most likely time for conception to occur, is approximately five to six days before ovulation through the day of. This means that it is statistically the best time to achieve a pregnancy. It’s important to have unprotected intercourse regularly during this timeframe to maximize the chances of getting pregnant.
Sperm can live in the female reproductive tract for up to five days thanks to the nourishing and protective cervical mucus, which changes consistency throughout the menstrual cycle.
Ovulation occurs once per cycle (12-24 hours), whereas the fertile window lasts up to six days.
How Tracking Ovulation and Your Cycle Can Help You Get Pregnant
Tracking your menstrual cycle can help pinpoint your most fertile days, provide insights into the overall health of your reproductive system, and flag any irregularities, such as unusually long or short cycles, missed periods, or abnormal bleeding — symptoms that may indicate an underlying condition like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can contribute to infertility.
Tips for Tracking Ovulation
- The calendar method: The calendar method involves tracking your menstrual cycles to estimate your fertile window. To use it, mark the first day of your period and count the days until your next period. Track this over several months to identify patterns. (Tip: You can also use RMA’s ovulation calculator to predict your most fertile days.)
- Ovulation predictor kits (OPKs): Ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) offer a slightly more accurate way to predict ovulation. These kits detect a luteinizing hormone (LH) surge up to 36 hours before ovulation.
- Basal body temperature (BBT) charting: Your basal body temperature increases by 0.5 to 1 degrees Fahrenheit after ovulation. Take your temperature with a special basal thermometer first thing in the morning before getting out of bed and record the results. (Tip: Combining OPKs with BBT charting might increase accuracy.)
Signs of Ovulation
In addition to tracking your cycle, you can watch for physical signs of ovulation, including:
- Mild lower abdominal pain or cramps: Sometimes referred to as “mittelschmerz,” this mild pain or discomfort occurs midcycle (between days 7 and 24).
- Cervical mucus changes: As the body gets closer to ovulation, cervical mucus becomes stretchy and clear, resembling raw egg whites.
- Spotting or brown discharge: Some people may experience a small amount of bleeding or spotting around the time of ovulation.
- Breast tenderness or soreness: Hormonal changes can lead to breast sensitivity around ovulation.
- Changes in sex drive: Many people experience an increase in libido right around ovulation.
- Slightly increased basal body temperature (BBT): After ovulation, the body’s progesterone levels rise, causing a slight increase in BBT.
Health and Wellness Foundations
Understanding your cycle and what’s going on hormonally is just the start. While tracking your fertile window is important for timing intercourse, overall health and wellness are essential for maximizing your fertility and prepping your body for a successful and healthy pregnancy.
Below, we list some of the most important things to focus on:
Preconception Health Checkup
Planning is a key part of having a healthy pregnancy. Before you start trying to conceive, schedule a visit with your doctor or OB-GYN for a preconception health checkup. This proactive appointment is beneficial for both your well-being and the health of your future baby.
During this visit, your doctor will review your medical history, do a physical exam, and discuss any health conditions or medications that could impact fertility or pregnancy.
Preconception care focuses on identifying potential health concerns early on so you can address them before pregnancy and avoid any complications. It’s also a good time to discuss any emotional concerns you may have about starting a family.
Remember, preconception care is a shared responsibility. Encourage your partner to get a checkup, too.
Achieving a Healthy Lifestyle for Fertility
What you do in the months leading up to conception can make a big difference in your fertility. Making positive changes to your diet, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, avoiding excess alcohol, and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle can help your chances of getting pregnant.
Dietary Adjustments
The “fertility diet” isn’t exactly a diet; it’s more so mindful eating habits that support reproductive health.
Some key recommendations include:
- Eating fruits and veggies high in antioxidants, like vitamins C and E and lutein. Examples include sweet potatoes, butternut squash, spinach, kiwifruit, and strawberries.
- Consuming healthy fats, like omega-3 fatty acids, in foods like avocados, nuts, and fish.
- Drink at least eight to ten cups of water daily and avoid sugary drinks and excessive caffeine.
- Switching refined carbs for whole grains. (If you have PCOS, aiming for low-GI foods is especially important.)
- Focusing on fiber- and protein-rich foods can help regulate hormone levels. Examples include legumes (lentils, chickpeas, black beans, etc.), quinoa, avocados, and Greek yogurt.
- Consider taking a prenatal vitamin with folate, with the advice of a healthcare professional.
Note: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements. Consult a doctor before taking supplements or vitamins.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight is important for both male and female fertility. Being overweight or underweight can negatively impact ovulation, egg quality, and sperm health. It can also lead to issues with assisted reproduction techniques (ART) and certain fertility treatments, including ovulation induction (OI), in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a BMI higher than 24.9kg/m2 or lower than 18.5kg/m2 is outside of the healthy range. If your BMI isn’t within this range, speak to your doctor about a safe weight management plan.
Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle
What you eat and how much you weigh aren’t the only factors influencing fertility.
Other healthy habits that can boost your chances of getting pregnant include:
- Exercising for at least 30 minutes daily on most days of the week.
- Managing stress through activities like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing.
- Getting a minimum of eight hours of sleep per night.
- Avoiding tobacco, excessive alcohol, and recreational drug use.
Understanding the Impact of Birth Control
Birth control methods like oral contraceptive pills, injections, intrauterine devices (IUDs), and implants can temporarily affect your menstrual cycle and fertility. The extent depends on the type of birth control and how long you’ve been using it.
Hormonal Birth Control
Hormonal birth control prevents ovulation by thickening cervical mucus and thinning the uterine lining, all of which make it difficult for sperm to reach and fertilize an egg.
These changes make it difficult for sperm to reach and fertilize an egg. For many, hormonal birth control can also cause lighter, shorter, or less painful periods, while others may experience irregular bleeding or spotting.
Non-Hormonal Birth Control
Non-hormonal birth control methods, like condoms, diaphragms, and copper IUDs, create a physical barrier that prevents sperm from reaching and fertilizing the egg.
The copper IUD releases copper ions that create a sperm-hostile environment, preventing fertilization.
Unlike hormonal birth control, these types of birth control have little to no effect on the menstrual cycle. However, many people do experience heavier, longer, and more painful periods when using a copper IUD.
How to Become More Fertile After Birth Control
When you stop birth control, for most, it does not take the body long to return to normal menstrual cycles. However, if you were placed on hormonal birth control to help with cycle regularity (e.g., history of PCOS), your cycles may resume irregularity after stopping. Speak to your healthcare provider if you do not resume regular menses within three months after discontinuing the birth control.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- For hormonal birth control, your cycle may resume immediately after stopping, or it may take a couple of months for your fertility to return to pre-birth control levels. Non-hormonal birth control, such as condoms or the copper IUD, does not suppress ovulation or fertility, so your fertility should return to normal right away. However, if you were using a copper IUD, you may want to wait until after your first period post-removal before trying to conceive. This can help ensure accurate dating of your pregnancy.
- Tracking your menstrual cycle as soon as you discontinue birth control can help you gain insight into your body’s natural patterns and fertile days. You can do this by monitoring your BBT and cervical fluid or using over-the-counter ovulation test kits.
- Don’t be discouraged if you don’t conceive immediately. It can take up to three months to get re-regulated after stopping birth control.
Note: If you have concerns about your fertility or are not conceiving after one year of trying (or six months if you’re 35 or older), consult with a fertility specialist for further evaluation and guidance.
Optimizing Fertility in Both Partners
When we talk about fertility, the first thing that comes to mind is the intended mother’s health. However, conception is a team effort, and both partners’ health and lifestyle play a role.
Boosting Male Fertility for Quick Conception
Male fertility depends on the quality (sperm motility and morphology) and quantity (sperm count) of sperm. Several factors can influence sperm health, including:
Lifestyle Factors
- Smoking: Men who smoke have a higher risk of sperm abnormalities and low sperm count compared to non-smokers.
- Excessive alcohol: Heavy drinking can lower testosterone levels, leading to reduced sperm production and erectile dysfunction.
- Drug use: Drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and opioids can impact sperm production, motility, and morphology.
- Obesity: Carrying extra weight can lead to poor sperm quality and quantity.
Environmental Factors
- Environmental toxins: Chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals can harm sperm production.
Medical Conditions
- Varicocele: A varicocele is an enlarged vein in the scrotum that can damage sperm.
- Infections: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause infertility if left untreated.
- Hormonal imbalances: Conditions like hypogonadism, where the body doesn’t produce enough testosterone, can lead to low sperm count.
- Genetic Factors: Certain genetic disorders can affect sperm production and quality.
Additional Factors
- Age: Sperm quality and quantity tend to decline as men get older, similar to the age-related decline in female fertility.
- Medications: Some prescription drugs, like certain cancer treatments, can negatively impact sperm.
- Stress: Stress can interfere with the normal hormonal regulation of sperm production.
How to Improve Male Fertility
Sperm health isn’t something that can be changed overnight. But there are several steps men can take to support fertility and increase your chances of achieving a pregnancy:
- Quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption
- Maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise
- Practice safe sex and get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) regularly
- Avoid exposure to environmental toxins and chemicals
- Manage stress through relaxation techniques, like meditation or yoga
- Limit exposure to high heat, such as saunas, hot tubs, and laptops on the lap
- Consider taking a male fertility supplement (under the guidance of a healthcare professional)
- Be choosy about the lubricants used during sex, as some can be harmful to sperm
Ensuring Effective Sperm Retention
The concept of “sperm retention” is often misunderstood. While lying down or elevating hips after sex may seem intuitive, there’s no scientific evidence to suggest it significantly improves sperm retention or fertility outcomes.
Having intercourse during the fertile window, particularly the few days leading up to and including ovulation, is the most effective way to increase the chances of conception.
Professional and Medical Interventions
If you and your partner have been trying to conceive for one year (or earlier if you’re over 35) without success, it may be time to consult a fertility specialist.
Signs of potential fertility issues include:
- Irregular or absent menstrual cycles
- Severe menstrual cramps or pain
- History of sexually transmitted infections or reproductive organ surgery
- Small, firm testicles or varicocele in males
- Difficulty maintaining an erection or low libido in males
- Family history of infertility
Exploring Fertility Treatments
When lifestyle changes and timing of intercourse don’t lead to pregnancy, exploring fertility treatments may be the next step.
Some common fertility treatments include IVF, ICSI, intrauterine insemination (IUI), and fertility medications like Clomid or letrozole.
Additional options include using donor eggs or sperm, gestational carriers (surrogacy), and embryo cryopreservation (freezing).
The Role of Supplements and Vitamins
In addition to making lifestyle changes, taking prenatal vitamins and certain fertility-boosting supplements can benefit both partners when trying to conceive.
Folic acid, for example, helps prevent neural tube defects (serious birth defects of the baby’s brain and spinal cord). Prenatal vitamins typically include folic acid and other essential nutrients like iron, calcium, iodine, and vitamin D, which support the baby’s development and prevent anemia during pregnancy.
For men, antioxidants like CoQ10, vitamin C, and zinc may also support male fertility by protecting sperm from damage and improving overall health.
Quick Tips for Boosting Your Chances of Getting Pregnant Fast
Here are a few quick tips for decreasing your time to get pregnant.
- Track your menstrual cycle and fertile window using ovulation test kits or fertility apps.
- Focus on having unprotected sex during your fertile window, particularly in the days leading up to and including ovulation.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle with balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and stress management.
- Be patient and kind to yourself — getting pregnant doesn’t always happen on the first try, even for healthy couples.
A Word from RMA
Whether you’re just starting to try or have been trying for a while, we’re here to guide you through the process, from understanding your menstrual cycle to accessing advanced fertility treatments, if needed.
You’re not alone in this; we’re committed to helping you build the family you’ve always dreamed of.
