The average, healthy woman has a 20 percent chance of becoming pregnant each month, with an 85 percent chance of conceiving during the first of year of regular, unprotected heterosexual intercourse. That rate drops significantly after age 30, and numerous factors affect the chances of becoming pregnant in any given month. The best tips to increase the chance of success include learning to recognize signs of ovulation, timing sexual intercourse to coincide with ovulation, and avoiding substances that can interfere with conception.
A typical menstrual cycle consists of 28 days, although this can vary significantly among women. The first day of the cycle begins with the first day of menstruation. Approximately 14 days into the cycle, ovulation occurs. The best chances of becoming pregnant occur the day before, during, and after ovulation. Having sexual intercourse every other day or every three days should be adequate, but when this is not feasible, timing intercourse to coincide with those three days is ideal.
Learning the signs of ovulation can help a woman determine her most fertile days. Tracking the basal body temperature — the body’s temperature when at rest — and charting it on a graph can help determine when ovulation occurs. The temperature typically increases slightly, less than one degree, when ovulation has occurred, and a digital thermometer that measures to the tenth of a degree is recommended to chart changes. After several months of tracking, a pattern should emerge.
Proper timing is crucial to increasing the chances of becoming pregnant, but it is not the only factor to consider; a healthy lifestyle is just as important. Smoking can drastically reduce the chances of conception because it affects the consistency of the cervical mucous and makes it difficult for sperm to pass through. Being overweight can also decrease chances of becoming pregnant because fat cells produce estrogen, and too much estrogen acts in a manner similar to birth control pills.
Healthy sperm is vital to increasing the chances of becoming pregnant, as the egg cannot be fertilized without it. Keeping the testicles from overheating is one of the most important tips to increase male fertility. Hot tubs, saunas, electric blankets and tight clothing can all increase the temperature of the testicles and damage the sperm. Alcohol and marijuana can decrease sperm count, as can certain chemicals in the work environment.
Women who are unable to become pregnant after a year of trying should contact a fertility specialist for evaluation. Approximately 12 percent of couples experience infertility, and about two-thirds of those succeed in becoming pregnant with treatment. Finding the underlying cause behind the infertility can help determine the best course of action for becoming pregnant.
