Boosting Your Fertility and Increasing Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

How can I maximise my chances of getting pregnant?

While getting pregnant seems straightforward, it’s not uncommon for a natural pregnancy to take months or even years to occur. Even for a young, fertile couple, the chance of getting pregnant in any given menstrual cycle is around 20%. If you are about to start trying for a baby or have already been on your journey without success for a while, you may be seeking some help getting pregnant.

The best way to increase your chances of getting pregnant naturally is to have regular, unprotected sex every day or every other day, especially within the fertile window of your menstrual cycle. Your fertile window is the days before, of and after ovulation, typically days 10 to 16 of your monthly cycle.

In addition, you can increase your chances of getting pregnant naturally by:

• Tracking ovulation

• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle

• Managing stress

• Talking to your doctor or a fertility specialist

There are many factors that make a woman more likely to get pregnant and, in this article, we discuss these in more detail so that you can feel more confident in taking the right steps towards improving your chances of conception. 

Female factors that influence your chances of getting pregnant

Pregnancy begins when an embryo implants in the lining of the uterus. On the woman’s side, it helps to understand how factors like ovulation patterns, lifestyle and hormones affect chances of pregnancy. 

Tracking your menstrual cycles to increase chances of pregnancy

A typical menstrual cycle lasts around 28 days, but it’s a bit different for everyone. Tracking your cycle is key in predicting ovulation, the process in which a mature egg is released from the ovary, ready for the sperm to meet and fertilise it. Without synchronising intercourse and ovulation, pregnancy is more difficult. 

There are several ways to track ovulation:

• Menstrual calendar

• Over-the-counter ovulation testing kits

• Charting basal body temperature 

• Apps and online calculators

• Monitoring cervical mucus 

• Ultrasound

Each individual’s menstrual cycle is unique, and not all methods work equally well for everyone. You’ll need to track your cycle for several months to identify patterns and time sex. Keep in mind that factors like stress, illness or high levels of intense exercise can also disrupt your cycle. 

Many women don’t ovulate regularly – this is important information as well. Thyroid problems and conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are known to affect ovulation, but there are still ways to get pregnant. A fertility doctor may recommend ovulation induction, for example, a course of medication which encourages ovulation to facilitate pregnancy.

Considering the age that a woman stops being fertile when tracking ovulation is valuable too. Women are considered at the peak of their fertility in their 20s, with the quality and quantity of eggs decreasing into their thirties, and particularly after the age of 35. It is not impossible to fall pregnant naturally after this age, many women 35 or older have perfectly healthy pregnancies. However, if you notice irregularities with ovulation or your overall cycle and you are in your mid to late thirties or older, it is recommended that you reach out for help to better understand your fertility and likelihood of natural conception.

If you have any questions or concerns, a fertility specialist can help provide some personalised guidance. Make sure you share any menstrual cycle information with them if you’ve been tracking – it will probably be one of the first things they ask.

How maintaining a healthy lifestyle improves your chances of conception

When it comes to fertility, boosting overall health helps fertility. A well-balanced diet, regular exercise, and a healthy weight are all linked to favourable outcomes. The NHS also recommends folic acid and vitamin D supplements, although it’s best to consult with your doctor first, and always check any vitamin or supplement labels.

On the other side, you’ll want to avoid excessive alcohol, tobacco, caffeine and overly strenuous exercise. Some medications – including over-the-counter ones – can also interfere with fertility. 

Evaluating your natural fertility

Apricity has developed several free AI tools to help you learn how lifestyle can affect fertility whilst trying to get pregnant. You can try our AI-powered fertility predictor here to estimate your chances of conception.Checking Hormonal Balance

Hormones play an important role in fertility. To improve chances of conceiving, you’ll need to ensure that key hormones are at their right levels.

Some important hormones used for understanding fertility in women include:

• Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH)

• Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

• Luteinising Hormone (LH)

• Estradiol 

• Progesterone

• Prolactin

• Thyroid Hormones

• Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH)

Some of these hormones are tested in our fertility assessments for women, which include a consultation with a fertility specialist to answer questions and advise on next steps. Depending on any fertility conditions and history, a doctor may advise assessing some hormones over others.

Learn more about testing fertility in women.

Male factors that influence the chances of getting pregnant

Fertility isn’t just about women: sperm plays an equally significant role in conception. 

How sperm health improves the chances of conception

Healthy sperm are essential for pregnancy. Factors that affect sperm health include:

• Diet and nutrition: a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants supports sperm health.

• Lifestyle habits: smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and drug use can all harm sperm quality significantly.

• Stress: high stress levels are also known to negatively impact sperm health.

• Excessive heat: sperm are sensitive to temperature. Avoiding long exposure to heat (hot baths, saunas, tight-fitting underwear) can help.

Timing intercourse with the fertile window is important from the woman’s side, but sperm timing is important too. When men don’t ejaculate for a prolonged period of time, sperm can go stale. Many studies show that the ideal abstinence period before conception is somewhere between three and seven days. Abstaining from ejaculation for longer is linked to lower sperm movement. 

Undergoing male fertility tests

If you’ve been trying to conceive without success, a male fertility test is a great starting point: it’s the fastest and most cost-effective way to check a couple’s fertility. With Apricity, you can do your semen assessment at home or at a clinic.

A male fertility assessment involves providing a semen sample, which is sent to a lab to assess the sperm properties known to affect fertility:

• Sperm morphology: the size and shape of sperm

• Sperm concentration: the number of sperm present in a volume of semen

• Sperm motility: the ability of sperm to move

These three characteristics play a significant role in determining the overall health and fertility of sperm. 

Lifestyle factors, diet and stress can affect sperm more than many people realise. It takes a couple of months for sperm to regenerate; identifying any issues and improving lifestyle can improve sperm health in as little as three months.

Learn more about fertility testing for men. 

How to increase the chances of pregnancy by timing intercourse

To maximise chances of getting pregnant, you should have regular unprotected intercourse within the fertile window.

The fertile window typically falls around 12-16 days before a period begins. Many couples time intercourse only around ovulation day, but chances are boosted if you begin several days before – that’s why the fertile window is the day of ovulation and the five days preceding it.

Sperm can survive in a woman’s reproductive system for up to five days. But after a woman ovulates, the egg is only viable for 24 hours. That’s why having sex before and during ovulation greatly improves chances of conception. 

How do I make sure sperm stays inside my uterus after sex?

There’s little scientific proof to suggest that any particular actions can improve the chances of conception. However, there are some easy steps you can take that may give the sperm the best possible chance of reaching the egg.

For example, you can lie down for 10-15 minutes after intercourse. Using a pillow underneath your hips or resting with your legs up against a wall when you do this may allow gravity to assist the sperm.

Avoid rinsing or douching the vagina immediately after sex. Not only can this remove healthy bacteria that help prevent yeast infections, but it could also rinse away some of the semen.

Resuming your normal activities after intercourse is absolutely fine and there’s nothing to suggest that physical activity will lower your chances of conception. However, if you want to take things a little easier for your own peace of mind, that’s ok too.

How to boost fertility and ovulation for pregnancy: takeaways

• It is normal for it to take some time to get pregnant. 

• Tracking menstrual cycles and ovulation to time intercourse is key. Ovulation and fertility guides are available to help you determine the fertile window. 

• Boosting overall health is a great, natural way to increase fertility. Nutrition and diet are important factors for both men and women. 

• Apricity’s Natural Fertility Predictor is a great, free resource to help you understand how lifestyle improvements can boost your fertility.

• Fertility assessments are available to help you check if anything is impacting your chances of conception.

If you are under 40, heterosexual and having regular sex without using contraception, there is an 80% chance you will get pregnant within a year. That said, due to the link between age and fertility, if you are over 36 and struggling to conceive, or know you have a condition which impacts your fertility, it may pay to seek advice sooner rather than later.

Speak with a professional

If you have concerns about your fertility, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our fertility advisors are a tap away for discreet support and guidance on our live chat. You can also reach us on +447897035438.

References

1. National Library of Medicine. 

   
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6260894/
   &

   
   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28531319/