There's more than one way to get pregnant. You can get pregnant by having sex in the traditional way, or you can get pregnant even though you and your partner are in different rooms--or different countries. You can get pregnant even if you don't have a partner, as long as you have a sperm source, or you can get pregnant with an embryo created by another couple. The possibilities, while not endless, are certainly more varied than they were a few decades ago.
Have Sex Around the Time of Ovulation
The traditional and by far most common way to get pregnant is to have sex a few days before or up to 1 day after ovulation, which is the release of an egg from the ovary. Surprisingly, couples actively trying to get pregnant have a 30 percent chance per month of actually achieving their goal, according to Marjorie Greenfield, M.D., Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Case School of Medicine and director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Dr. Spock.com. Some couples do get pregnant briefly, but abnormal sperm or eggs cause an early miscarriage even before the first menstrual period is missed. Others fail to get pregnant because of bad timing.
Eggs live only 12 to 24 hours after release, the American Pregnancy Association explains, so having sex the day or two before, day of or day after ovulation are the best ways to get pregnant. Over-the-counter ovulation predictor kits, which analyze urine samples for hormone changes, can be used to pinpoint the time of ovulation.
Undergo an Intrauterine Insemination
Women who don't ovulate regularly, or whose partners have male fertility issues, may get pregnant through artificial insemination, more commonly known today as intrauterine insemination (IUI). Your partner's sperm, or donor sperm selected from a center that screens donors and maintains a "catalog" of available sperm, can be used for insemination during IUI. Sperm is "washed" to make the sperm count more concentrated, increasing the odds of pregnancy. At the time of ovulation, as determined by blood tests and ultrasound, the sperm is placed into the uterus via a sterile catheter.
Have an Embryo Transfer
Embryos are created in laboratories by putting eggs removed during an in vitro fertilization cycle with sperm obtained either by masturbation or by sperm aspiration. Three to 5 days later, embryos are placed into the uterus via a catheter for a fresh embryo transfer, according to the Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Embryos can actually be put back years after an egg retrieval, probably 10 years later and possibly more, if they're properly frozen in a laboratory. What that means is that not only can you get pregnant using your own embryos years after their creation, but you can also "adopt" someone else's biological embryos and have them implanted in your own uterus. It's also possible to use an egg donor's egg and fertilize it using your partner's sperm or donor sperm, and then transfer the embryo to your own uterus. Embryos can also be implanted in a gestational carrier, a woman who carries a child not biologically related to her for another couple.
