How long does it take a baby to conceive

How long does it usually take to get pregnant?

It's impossible to say how long it takes to get pregnant because it's different for each woman.

Many factors can affect a couple's chances of conceiving, such as:

your age
your general health
your reproductive health
how often you have sex

Some women become pregnant quickly, while others take longer. This may be upsetting, but it's normal.

Fertility

Most couples will get pregnant within a year if they have regular sex and don't use contraception.

But women become less fertile as they get older.

The effect of age on men's fertility is less clear.

What does 'regular sex' mean?

Having regular sex means having sex every 2 to 3 days throughout the month.

Some couples may try to time having sex with when the woman ovulates (releases an egg).

But do not worry about the timing of when you have sex if it makes you feel stressed.

Fertility problems

Lots of factors can cause fertility problems, including:

hormonal (endocrine) disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and problems with the thyroid or pituitary glands
physical disorders, such as obesity, anorexia nervosa or excessive exercise
disorders of the reproductive system, such as infections, blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis or a low sperm count
menopause

Some of these factors affect either women or men.

The most common causes are ovulation failure (which can be caused by lots of different things) and sperm disorders.

Read more detailed information about the causes of infertility.

Getting help

If you have been trying for a baby for 1 year without success, see your GP for advice.

Further information

How can I tell when I'm ovulating?
Trying to get pregnant?
Doing a pregnancy test
Can I get pregnant just after my period has finished?
Pregnancy
Infertility
NICE guidelines: assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems

Page last reviewed: 8 September 2022
Next review due: 8 September 2025

How long does it take to get pregnant?

Tommy's PregnancyHub

Find out how long on average it takes couples to conceive.

Some women get pregnant very quickly, in fact 1 in 3 women who are having regular sex (every 2 to 3 days) or timing sex around ovulation, will conceive within a month. You can estimate your own ovulation period here using our ovulation calculator.

If they are having regular unprotected sex:

more than 8 out of 10 couples where the woman is aged under 40 will be pregnant by 1 year
more than 9 out of 10 couples will get pregnant by 2 years.

Regular unprotected sex means having vaginal sex every 2 to 3 days without using contraception.

However, age makes a difference. Starting at age 34 your ability to get pregnant starts to decline gradually.

Age and getting pregnant

Your age is not something you can control. Many women are having babies later in life for very valid reasons such as not feeling stable enough to support a child (for example, with money or housing), not wanting to have a child before or not having a partner to have a child with.

However, we know that fertility (ability to get pregnant) declines with age and this decline speeds up after the age of 35. This is because the number and quality of eggs decreases. Male fertility also declines with age, though not as much as female fertility.

One study found that for couples having regular unprotected sex:

around 7 out of 10 women aged 30 will conceive within one year
around 6 out of 10 women aged 35 will conceive within one year
around 4 out of 10 women aged 40 will conceive within one year.

After the age of 40, it gets harder to conceive and you may be offered fertility treatment.

Improving your fertility

Fertility is affected by lifestyle. There are some things you can do to improve your fertility. For example, if you smoke it will take you longer to get pregnant than a non-smoker. If you give up smoking now, your chances of conceiving faster will increase.

Other things you can do to improve your fertility include:

being a healthy weight
being active
eating a healthy, balanced diet
cutting caffeine to under 200mg a day
avoiding alcohol
avoiding recreational/illicit drugs.

Find out more about what to do before conception.

Stopping contraception and getting pregnant

Some types of contraception may delay fertility for a while after you stop taking it. For example the progestogen-only injection for contraception may delay normal fertility for up to one year after the last injection. Find out more about stopping contraception.

If you take the contraceptive pill many doctors advise that you should delay trying to conceive until you have had one normal period. This helps them to date a pregnancy more accurately.

When should I get help with conception?

Around 1 in 7 couples have difficulty conceiving. This is approximately 3.5 million people in the UK.

Speak to your GP if you have been trying for a year conceive.

Many doctors prefer you to have been having regular sex without contraception for at least a year before referring you for fertility tests. Regular sex means 2-3 times a week.

You should see your GP sooner if:

you are over 36
you have a known fertility issue, such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
your partner has a known fertility issue, such as low sperm count
you are concerned you or your reproductive partner may have an undiagnosed medical issue that may be affecting your ability to get pregnant.

There are ways to help couples conceive if they're having problems getting pregnant. Find out more about fertility problems.

Find out more about how you will know when you are pregnant.

Review dates

Reviewed: 05 June 2018 | Next review: 05 June 2021

This content is currently being reviewed by our team. Updated information will be coming soon.

9 rules of conception - what to do to increase the chances of conceiving a child

Sometimes it happens that it is not possible to conceive a child immediately, but after several unsuccessful sexual intercourses, you should not sound the alarm and diagnose yourself with infertility. Perhaps your “stork”, who will bring you a baby, just needs to actively help.

Rule 1

Everyone knows that the male reproductive cell is the basis of conception, therefore, a certain energy is required from the spermatozoon to ensure its mobility, because an energetic spermatozoon is able to go further, and one should not expect conception from a weak one. And if pregnancy occurs, then there is a high risk of DNA breakdowns, which lead to a missed pregnancy or spontaneous abortion. That is why, two weeks before the decisive sexual intercourse, you need to start preparing a man. To do this, you need to start feeding him properly: include more meat, nuts, vitamin E in the diet. Such nutrition will help increase sperm motility.

It is worth noting that the excessive activity of partners for conception is not only useless, but also harmful. Therefore, before the decisive sexual intercourse, a man should abstain for 2-3 days in order to accumulate energy. One couple went to the doctor because they could not conceive a child. During the conversation, it turned out that the couple wants a child so much that they have sex 2-3 times a day. After that, the doctor advised to abstain from sex for several days. Following the recommendation of the doctor, the couple managed to conceive a child.

Rule 2

The first intercourse is decisive for conception. All further acts in the evening or night are just for fun. The fact is that after the first sexual intercourse, the concentration of spermatozoa decreases by almost half, so subsequent ejaculations, as experts joke, are one water.

Rule 3

Immediately after ejaculation, a man should remove the penis from the vagina to help the sperm to penetrate further, which greatly increases the likelihood of conception.

Rule 4

The female orgasm can prevent conception. This happens because during orgasm, the cervix rises a little, so the spermatozoa have to climb this peak, which significantly reduces the chance of one of them reaching the egg.

Rule 5

Proper timing of conception plays a significant role in conception. A woman is more fertile in the middle of the cycle, when the egg matures (ovulation period). 5-6 days before ovulation are also considered favorable: this is how long a sperm cell can live, waiting for an egg and remaining capable. The period within 6 days after ovulation is also considered favorable, since the female egg remains viable during this period of time.

Rule 6

Douching with baking soda before intercourse can significantly increase your chances of getting pregnant. It is known that a woman may have hidden inflammation, which she does not even know about. As a result of inflammation, an acidic environment arises, which is extremely harmful to spermatozoa and can not only significantly reduce their activity, but even completely destroy them. If there is no inflammation, then douching still does not hurt.

7 rule

The actions of a woman after intercourse are of great importance. Little depends on the man and he can safely go to the shower, but the woman should lie down for a while. With the normal position of the uterus and cervix, it is best to lie on your back, while pressing your knees to your chest. If a woman has a bend of the uterus, it is better to lie on her stomach. These positions allow the cervix to sink freely into the semen pool, which increases the chance of sperm penetration. There are also specific cases, for example, when there is inflammation of the appendages. In this situation, the uterus can turn to the side, but in which one - this can only be determined by a gynecologist at a consultation. Then the doctor can tell you exactly which side is better to lie on.

8 rule

Choosing the right position can greatly increase your chances of conceiving a child. Unfortunately, the choice of correct poses is not great - this is the classic missionary pose. But if you try to get pregnant, for example, while standing, then the liquid will simply pour out. There is indeed an exception. If a woman has a uterine bend, then the back position is suitable.

Rule 9

After sexual intercourse, it is imperative to relax and preferably be in an excellent state of mind for the next few days. Meditation, nature walks, outdoor activities, etc. can help with this. Waiting and worrying is not the best condition for this period. In a state of stress, the contractile activity of the fallopian tubes, which promote spermatozoa to the egg, is disrupted. Listen to the recommendations of gynecologists and you will succeed.

Preparation for conception and pregnancy

As a rule, in our society about 20 percent of pregnant women, if not less, think about preparing for childbirth, and about 10% about preparing for conception. And then, the vast majority of "conscious" couples are preparing for conception because it does not happen by itself, i.e. there is a possibility of infertility. Still, there are issues related to preparing for conscious conception and not directly related to treatment and medical diagnoses.

There is an opinion that children themselves "choose" their parents and a good harmonious couple has exactly the child they need. Experts know that juggling the timing of conception according to a calendar convenient for parents, according to the signs of the zodiac, etc. often ends in failure. And when the spouses wave their hand: "Come what may," then almost immediately wonderful children are obtained. Naturally, all of the above applies to healthy parents who have not been treated for years for miscarriage and infertility /
On average, the most favorable days for conception are 16-14 days before the start of the next monthly cycle. But in principle, pregnancy can occur any day. It depends on the characteristics of the woman's cycle and on the fertility (ability to fertilize) of the man.
Please note that pregnancy may not occur immediately in the first "dangerous" period, because. even healthy young women have 1-2 cycles a year in which ovulation (egg release) does not occur. In addition, ovulation is affected by stress, climate change, exams, etc.
Let's start with a banal enumeration. The best preparation for pregnancy is a healthy lifestyle, which includes many factors - nutrition, physical activity, mental comfort, hardening, the fight against chronic foci of infection, a change in harmful work.
Balanced nutrition is a very big topic. Pregnant women do not need nutritional supplements and synthetic vitamins. In extreme cases, according to the doctor's prescription, special mixtures of the Enfamama type can be used.
Folic acid occupies one of the leading places in the prevention of certain congenital diseases. 2-3 months before conception and in the first 3 months of pregnancy, you need to eat foods containing folic acid: fresh herbs (not leaning too much on parsley), cabbage, beets, carrots, potatoes with skins, peas, beans, whole grains, bran, seeds and nuts.
It is not recommended to abuse the liver, because. it contains too much vitamin A, which is harmful to the unborn child.
If a woman receives enough vegetable proteins and spends enough time in the air, then vegetarianism does not interfere with conception and successful pregnancy.
The most common foci of chronic infection in the family are the teeth, nasopharynx, vagina and intestines of the mother. Treat the teeth of the whole family and keep a close eye on them. Be sure to those who suffer from chronic diseases of the nasopharynx, it is necessary to carry out the prevention of exacerbations - washing and rinsing. The incidence of staphylococcal and streptococcal infections in newborns (which is usually blamed on maternity hospitals) could be significantly reduced if the family itself was not the source of the infection.
Stop using hormonal contraceptives 2-3 months before the planned conception. their residual amounts in the body reduce the absorption of vitamin C, magnesium, folic acid and increase the absorption of vitamin A. In addition, in the first months of the abolition of hormonal contraception, the likelihood of having twins increases, because. not one, but two eggs can come out of the ovaries.
Spermatozoa mature within 2.5 - 3 months, so during this time before conception it is advisable not to do X-ray examinations, especially for dad.
Overheating of the testicles in the bath or when working in a hot shop, wearing too tight underwear or jeans can impair the quality of sperm.
Learn more