No one can say exactly how long it'll take you to get pregnant. But we can tell you how long it typically takes couples to conceive – and how you can speed things along.
How long it takes to conceive
The majority of couples get pregnant within three months. Your own timeline could be longer if you're older, have certain fertility-unfriendly habits (like smoking), or have a condition that impairs fertility.Of all couples trying to conceive:
- 30 percent get pregnant within the first cycle (about one month)
- 59 percent get pregnant within three cycles (about three months)
- 80 percent get pregnant within six cycles (about six months)
- 85 percent get pregnant within 12 cycles (about one year)
- 91 percent get pregnant within 36 cycles (about three years)
- 93 to 95 percent get pregnant within 48 cycles (about four years)
If you're 35 or older, time is even more precious and you should get help sooner: Set up an appointment with a specialist if you're not pregnant within six months.
About 80 to 90 percent of couples conceive naturally. Ten percent are eventually diagnosed with infertility. (About 93 to 95 percent of couples probably could conceive naturally if they tried long enough. It's just that some get help rather than waiting to find out.)
An "infertility" diagnosis simply means one year of trying without success in women under age 35 or six months of trying without success in women age 35 or older. Once couples diagnosed with infertility get medical help, a good number of them do manage to get pregnant. The rest typically end up considering other options, like sperm donation, surrogacy, or adoption.
How age affects pregnancy rates
The older you get, the longer it may take you to get pregnant. That’s primarily because your eggs tend to decrease in quality as they age. (They've been with you since you were born.) That means fewer of them are able to join with a sperm and grow into a healthy baby. Interestingly, male fertility rates don’t appear to start to decline until around age 50.After one year of trying, about 86 percent of healthy, fertile women in their early 20s will get pregnant. The rate drops to about 63 percent among healthy, fertile women in their early 30s, and 36 percent among healthy, fertile women in their early 40s. By age 45, close to 0 percent of women are able to get pregnant naturally.
Read more about the pros, cons, and likelihood of getting pregnant in your 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Can I get pregnant faster?
Happily, the answer is yes. Here are a few steps you can take to speed things along.First, figure out when you'll ovulate. You can only get pregnant when you ovulate (release an egg from one or your ovaries). There are a few different methods you can try to help pinpoint when you'll ovulate.
Next, time sex with ovulation. Studies show that couples who schedule sex to coincide with ovulation get pregnant faster. (The best time to have sex is from two to three days before ovulation through the day you ovulate.)
In one study, the pregnancy rates of couples who timed intercourse with ovulation were higher than typically seen among couples trying to conceive:
- 38 percent were pregnant after one cycle (up from 30 percent)
- 68 percent were pregnant after three cycles (up from 59 percent)
- 81 percent were pregnant after six cycles (up from 80 percent)
- 92 percent were pregnant after 12 cycles (up from 91 percent)
Meanwhile, get your body ready for pregnancy. Your general and reproductive health are both important factors in fertility, so schedule a preconception checkup with a doctor or midwife. Give up smoking, illicit drugs, excessive alcohol consumption, and high amounts of caffeine. Learn which nutrients your body needs for pregnancy and stock up on the right foods. Also, see how being overweight or underweight can hurt your chances of conceiving.
