Trying to conceive can feel overwhelming, but tools and planning can help. Here’s your step-by-step guide to getting pregnant, with a bonus section covering all your questions about sex when TTC.
Deciding to have a baby is the beginning of an exciting chapter in your life, but maybe you’re not quite sure where to start.
That’s OK—there’s a lot to keep track of, and a lot to learn! Luckily, you’re in the right place.
Here’s your go-to guide on how to get pregnant. We’ll cover everything from what to do before you even start trying to conceive, to how to optimize your chances of pregnancy each cycle, plus where to turn if you need some extra fertility support. Let’s go!
1. Prepare yourself physically and mentally for pregnancy Before you start trying to conceive, it’s essential to prepare for the path you’re taking. Prioritizing your physical and mental health will get you ready for whatever your fertility journey has in store, and just may help the pregnancy process along.
Preparing for pregnancy often means making certain lifestyle adjustments. Here are some tips:
Eat a healthful, balanced diet Cut back on alcohol Stop smoking Get your body moving with regular, moderate exercise Aim to reduce stress—try making time for activities or hobbies that bring you joy Talk to your doctor about prenatal and fertility vitamins , or other pre-pregnancy support measures You should also get to know your unique menstrual cycle. This will help you understand when you’re fertile each cycle, which makes the next steps to pregnancy that much easier. We’ll get into how to monitor your cycle below—hint: hormone-tracking fertility kits are your friend!
2. Wait for ovulation to return If you were on hormonal birth control before, you now need to wait for your body to start ovulating again. Keep in mind that ovulation can return before your period.
Ovulation is the moment each cycle when your ovaries release a mature egg. Ovulation is the key to pregnancy: without an egg, there’s nothing to fertilize, and that makes conceiving impossible.
Here’s when you can expect ovulation to return following different forms of contraception:
Once you’re ovulating again, you’re able to get pregnant .
>>MORE: When To Have Sex After LH Surge
3. Look for signs of ovulation When you’re trying to conceive, determining whether and when you ovulate is crucial information for confirming that pregnancy is possible and identifying when to have sex. So, how can you tell if you’re ovulating?
You can start by keeping an eye out for signs of ovulation , like:
Looking out for signs you’re ovulating is a great starting point, but there’s an even better strategy for monitoring ovulation when trying to conceiving: step 4!
4. Track your hormones to monitor your cycle and ovulation Hormone tracking is the most reliable way to follow your cycle, enabling you to track ovulation, pinpoint ovulation timing , and confirm successful ovulation. Monitoring your fertility this way helps you optimize your chances of conceiving each cycle.
Methods to track your hormones and your ovulation include:
Advanced fertility trackers like the Oova fertility kit work by measuring key reproductive hormones in urine—LH , estrogen , and progesterone —to detect the hormone changes that indicate ovulation. (OPKs measure LH only , which doesn’t confirm ovulation.)
Monitoring your hormones to track your ovulation is useful for anyone who’s trying to conceive, but it’s extra important for those with irregular cycles , since irregularity makes it harder to accurately predict ovulation. Fortunately, hormone tracking can decode any cycle!
>>MORE: Preconception Care in Your 30s: Tips For Trying To Conceive Naturally
5. Find your fertile window Your fertile window is the part of your cycle when you’re most fertile and can get pregnant. That makes the fertile window crucial to trying to conceive.
This window of time lines up with your ovulatory phase , so once you know when you ovulate, you can find your fertile window . The fertile window typically starts five days before ovulation and lasts through the day of ovulation , for a total of six days of maximum fertility.
6. Time sex according to your cycle You probably know that you need to have sex regularly when you’re trying to conceive. But did you know that timing is more important than quantity?
The key is to time sex according to your cycle. What that timing looks like for you depends on your unique body—once you confirm that you ovulate, you know when you ovulate, and you’ve found your fertile window, you have all the information you need!
To maximize your chances of conceiving each cycle, have sex regularly during your fertile window .
As much as you’re able, try to enjoy yourself, too! Yes, it’s important to have sex at the right time, but it’s just as important to be comfortable . Go at a rhythm that feels good to you and your partner. If that means skipping sometimes, that’s OK—there’s always another day.
Sex when trying to conceive: FAQ For answers to your most pressing questions about sex when trying to conceive, look no further:
When do you need to have sex when trying to conceive? During your fertile window.Do you need to have sex during ovulation in order to conceive? Nope! You just need to have sex during your fertile window—sex on the actual day of ovulation is optional.What to do if you’re having trouble conceiving If you’ve been trying to conceive for one year without success (or six months, if you’re over 35), it may be time to consult a fertility specialist.
Both you and your partner should make appointments with a reproductive endocrinologist (REI) and a reproductive urologist for evaluation.
The type of fertility treatment that fits your needs depends on your fertility diagnosis. Treatments include:
With the advanced methods available today, many people dealing with infertility are able to get pregnant and have a baby.
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Trying to conceive: The bottom line on how to get pregnant If you’re trying to conceive, it’s important to first prepare yourself physically and mentally for pregnancy.
From there, use hormone tracking tools to monitor your cycle, understand your ovulation, and find your fertile window. To maximize your chances of conceiving each cycle, time sex according to your fertile window.
If you’re having trouble conceiving, considering consulting a fertility specialist for support.
