Where To Start if You Can’t Conceive

When we’re young, we hear how easy it is to get pregnant. What fewer people talk about is just how difficult it often is to get pregnant when you’re actually ready. It can be hard to know where to start if you can’t conceive, but there are many things you can do, and doctors who can help improve your chances of conceiving.

Pregnancy Statistics

When you’re trying to get pregnant, every month you don’t conceive feels way too long. But  it’s very common not to conceive right away. In fact, if you’re in your 20s or 30s, you have about a 25% chance, on average, of becoming pregnant during a particular menstrual cycle. If you’re over 40, that number drops to about 10%. So truthfully, in any given cycle, you have a greater chance of not getting pregnant than you do of conceiving. 

While those numbers may sound disheartening, it simply takes time for many couples to become pregnant. The good news is 80% of people become pregnant within the first six months after they begin trying to conceive, and a further 5% become pregnant within 12 months. When you’re wondering where to start if you can’t conceive, the answer is often simply to try proven methods to increase your chances.

Understanding Conception

Conception can only occur for about one week out of your menstrual cycle–your fertile window–and if you want to become pregnant, it’s essential to have sex during that week.

Your fertile window includes the day you ovulate, along with about five days before you ovulate. Once you ovulate, your egg is viable for 12-24 hours. If it’s not fertilized in that timeframe, your body will break it down and absorb it. 

Fortunately, sperm can live in the female reproductive tract for about five days, so as long as you have sex at least a few times within the five days leading up to ovulation, you have a chance of becoming pregnant.

How to Predict Ovulation

How do you know when you’re in your fertile window? It comes down to learning to predict ovulation. There are several ways to do this, and you may want to try multiple methods, especially if your cycle is irregular. 

Calendar Method

The first method simply involves tracking your menstrual cycle on a calendar over several months. The first day of your period is Day 1 of your cycle. For most people, ovulation occurs on Day 14, though this will vary depending on the length of your cycle; it may be around Day 15 if your cycle is 29 days, or Day 11 if your cycle averages 25 days. 

Monitor Your Cervical Mucus

Your cervical mucus changes around the time of ovulation, and paying attention to its consistency can help you know when you’re ovulating. As your body prepares for ovulation, you produce more cervical mucus with a thin, slippery consistency that resembles egg whites. If you choose this method, you’ll need to monitor your cervical mucus throughout your cycle so you can learn to identify these changes. 

Check Your Basal Body Temperature

Your basal body temperature is the lowest temperature your body reaches after you’ve slept for at least several hours. To use this method, you must take and record your temperature with a basal thermometer every morning at the same time, before you get out of bed. Your temperature should be the same for most of your cycle, but about 24 hours before ovulation, it will rise by approximately one degree. 

Use an Ovulation Test or Predictor Kit

Over-the-counter ovulation tests and predictor kits require you to test your urine, or sometimes your saliva. Ovulation tests help you know if you’re fertile on a particular day, while ovulation prediction kits measure the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine. Once the kit detects a surge in LH, you should try to have sex within 24-36 hours. 

Other Ways to Increase Your Chances of Conceiving

While understanding and timing sex to ovulation is crucial to conceiving, there are many lifestyle changes you and your partner can do to improve your chances of becoming pregnant:

• Eating a healthy diet
• Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight
• Getting a moderate amount of regular exercise
• Quitting smoking
• Abstaining from alcohol and other drugs
• Limiting your caffeine intake
• Avoiding environmental toxins, like pesticides, heavy metals, and harmful chemicals
• For men, avoiding exposure of the genitals to heat sources like hot tubs and saunas
• Taking the right vitamins
• Getting plenty of sleep and trying, if possible, not to work the night shift

When to See a Doctor

While most couples who have regular sex without birth control will conceive within a year, not all do. It’s important to see a doctor if you’ve been trying to conceive for 12 months without success, and after six months if you’re over 35. If you  have a known problem, like PCOS that may impact your ability to conceive, you should see a doctor sooner. 

It’s common not to know where to start if you can’t conceive, and trying the methods here is a great place to start. If you still experience infertility or would like to talk to a doctor boosting your odds of conception, contact us here to get started with Dr. Marcus Rosencrantz at Reproductive Health and Wellness Center in Laguna Hills, CA.