What Are Your Chances of Being Pregnant?

You’ve decided that you want to have a child. Congratulations! Congratulations! With excitement comes optimism and a feeling of confidence. We’re ready. “How hard can it be?”

Welcome to the emotional rollercoaster of trying to conceive. Spoiler alert! Making a baby does not always go as planned. The journey is not always as easy as the movies or even high school sex education would have us believe.

What is the chance of getting pregnant every month? Why doesn’t it happen immediately? What can you do to increase your odds?

Break it down.

Let’s talk about timing: What Are Your Chances of Being Pregnant?

You’ve likely heard the term “fertile period” if you’ve used a period tracking app or visited fertility forums. It’s the brief period during your cycle that you are most likely to become pregnant. And, spoiler alert: it isn’t as long as you may think.

What is the “best time” to try something?

Ovulation occurs on average around day 14 for a woman who has a 28-day cycle. The egg travels from the ovary to the fallopian tubes, where it meets a friendly sperm.

Not all women follow a 28-day cycle. Many don’t. Some cycles are shorter (hello, day 10 ovulation), while others are longer.

There’s also the egg. It has a very short life span, between 12 and 24 hours. Sperm are more resilient. In ideal conditions, sperm can survive in a woman’s uterus for up to 5 days. If you have sex during the days before ovulation, then the sperm will stay and wait until the egg arrives.

What are your actual chances each month?

Take a moment to absorb that.

It is possible to do everything “right” and yet not be able to conceive right away. It’s not that something is wrong; it’s just biology.

Let’s dive into the statistics:

• 80% of couples who have regular sexual activity during the fertile period and no fertility problems will be able to conceive in a year.
• Many women who do not conceive within the first year conceive without any medical assistance in the second.
• The age factor is also important. Women under 30 have a higher chance of getting pregnant per cycle. By age 35, the chances are closer to 15%. By 40, the odds are around 5-10%.

Why is there a decline? Both the quality and quantity of eggs in women decline as they age. While men continue to produce sperm every day, the quality of sperm also tends to decrease with age.

The fertile window isn’t always when you think it is

This exact topic was the subject of a fascinating study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the mid-1990s. The study tracked women who were trying to conceive and analysed their fertile window timing.

What is the surprising conclusion? More than 70% had their fertile period before or after day 17, even if they considered their cycle to be “regular.”

It is a challenge to the old belief that ovulation occurs on day 14. Real life is much more variable. Apps and ovulation calculators, while helpful, are not foolproof.

If you have been using ovulation dates from textbooks to time your sex, you may be completely off the mark.

Don’t Forget About the Guys

After all, it’s a group effort.

Women are often blamed and held responsible when conception is delayed. But the truth is: around 40-50% of infertility cases are caused by male factors.

What factors affect male fertility?

• Age: Sperm Quality begins to decline after 40.
• Weight: A 10kg weight gain can increase the risk of infertility by 10%.
• Lifestyle: Stress, alcohol, smoking, poor diet, and stress all hurt sperm motility and count.
• Heat exposure. Frequent sauna use, hot tubs or tight underwear may cause the testicles to become too warm and affect sperm.
• Extreme exercise: Overtraining and anabolic steroids may suppress sperm.

What’s the silver lining? Men produce sperm at a rate of 300,000,000 per day, which is more than women. Positive lifestyle changes will improve sperm quality in 2-3 months. It’s true: What he does, eats, or drinks today could affect sperm quality for your next cycle.

What can you do to improve your chances of conception?

Don’t be alarmed if you feel a bit overwhelmed by the many variables. You’re not helpless. Here are some science-backed tips to increase your chances:

1. Learn Your Cycle

Track your cycle for a few weeks. You can use an app to track your cycle, or you can take your body’s temperature and ovulation prediction kits (OPKs).

2. Adopting a Fertility-Friendly Diet

Both partners can benefit from a balanced diet that includes vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, as well as healthy fats. The antioxidant-rich foods like berries, spinach and nuts are especially beneficial for sperm.

3. Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

Being underweight or overweight can disrupt ovulation. Weight can affect hormone levels in men and the quality of their sperm. Talk to your doctor about where you fit in the BMI range.

4. Stop the Bad Habits

Smoking, excessive drinking, and recreational drugs can all decrease fertility. You can improve your fertility by cutting back on these activities or eliminating them altogether.

5. Manage Stress

Stress can affect sperm and ovulation production. We know that it’s easier said than done when trying to conceive becomes emotionally charged. Mindfulness practices, counselling or acupuncture can all help.

6. Don’t overdo it (or underdo it)

Have sex every 1-2 days during your fertile window. It’s not necessary to have more than this, and it can even lead you to burnout. A less frequent sexual activity can cause the fertile period to be missed.

When Should You See A Fertility Specialist

It’s normal to feel anxious if you’ve tried to conceive and nothing has happened. How long is?

The following are general guidelines:

• After 12 months, you should see a physician if you are below 35.
• Check in after six months if you are 35 years old or older.
• It’s important to seek advice as soon as possible if you or your partner suffers from a medical condition that affects fertility or has irregular periods.

The fertility assessment does not mean that you will be going straight to IVF. Simple blood tests, cycle tracking, and semen analysis can often provide answers, or at least give you peace of mind.

Be gentle with yourself

The process of trying to conceive is often emotionally draining.

It’s exciting and hopeful at first. As the months go by without a positive result, excitement can change to frustration, sadness and even guilt. Each period may feel like a little heartbreak. The double line may start to look like a mythical creature.

You are not alone.

Conception can be complicated. It’s not easy for some couples despite the notion that conception should be simple and quick. This doesn’t mean that you are broken or doing something wrong.

If you need to, take breaks. Celebrate your health. Respect your body and what it is doing. Reach out to your doctor, therapist or trusted friend if you require support.

Final Thoughts

In a world of teenage pregnancy headlines and celebrities who “bounce back” in just three weeks from giving birth, birth control is advertised as being 99% effective, because pregnancy is always around the corner.

When you begin actively trying to conceive a child and it does not occur immediately, it can be confusing or even alarming.

Let’s start over. It can take a long time to get pregnant. This happens a lot. Your body is not a machine. It’s full of hormones and timing and a delicate dance between the egg and sperm.

You can find encouragement in the following: