Getting pregnant isn't as easy as it first appears; of couples with no fertility issues who are trying to get pregnant each month, only 20 out of 100 succeed. It's easy to increase your odds of pregnancy by understanding exactly how pregnancy occurs. Many things, from timing issues to hygiene practices, can affect your chances of pregnancy.
Before Trying
Be aware of your menstrual cycle. Is it regular or irregular? How many days apart? Contrary to popular belief, women do not always ovulate on Day 14; they ovulate 14 days before the start of their next period. Women who have 26-day cycles ovulate on Day 12, and women with 30 day cycles ovulate on Day 18. If your cycles are very long and very irregular, you may not be ovulating at all, and should see your doctor for some blood tests to determine your hormone levels.
If you're a fanatic exerciser, stop. Many women who are extremely thin don't ovulate, because you need some body fat to create hormones, and over-exercising is associated with infertility, according to a 2009 "Human Reproduction" study. Stop smoking, because smoking can damage eggs, and smokers take longer to get pregnant.
Don't forget your partner; he can do a few things to ensure an adequate sperm count, like quitting smoking, which can lower sperm counts, and making sure he's not overheating his testicles in hot tubs or by holding his laptop directly on his lap. Don't wait until the month you're trying, though; it takes around 80 days to make new sperm.
Before Ovulation
Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary; you can't get pregnant unless an egg is released at the same time that sperm is available to fertilize it. Sperm can live for two to three days, so having sex a day or two before ovulation means sperm will be waiting for the egg. You can determine when you're ovulating by simple observation of cervical mucus; when the mucus becomes watery, thin, stretchy and copious, you're about to ovulate. According to a study published in 2004 in the journal Contraception authored by Richard Fehring, cervical mucus accurately predicted ovulation 93 percent of the time. You may also notice a sharp pain in the side, called mittelshmerz, when you're about to ovulate.
A few days before ovulation, the typically thick mucus starts to change. Watch for the change, and save sperm up by not having sex for a day or two when you notice mucus changing. This ensures an adequate supply around ovulation.
At Ovulation
Have sex again the day of ovulation. Man on top is best for conception, simply because of the laws of gravity, and douching is absolutely forbidden; you'll wash out some of the sperm. In fact, don't get up at all, not even to urinate, for an hour or two, to give sperm a chance to get upstream into the uterus.
