How to Increase the Chance of Conceiving

Deciding to have a baby -- whether it's your first or your fifth -- is a hopeful and perhaps anxious time for your family. However, trying to get pregnant month after month can be a frustrating endeavor, one that can cause you and your partner undue stress. Optimize your chances of conception every month by paying attention to the calendar and your body and timing intercourse accordingly.

Instructions

    • 1

      Study your cycle. While women, on average, have 28-day cycles and ovulate near day 14 of the cycle, you might be different. Track your cycle for a few months to determine when you are ovulating. Use ovulation predictor kits midcycle or track your basal body temperature throughout your cycle to determine your average day of ovulation.

    • 2

      Time intercourse around the middle of your cycle. The American Pregnancy Association reports that the egg lives just 12 to 24 hours following ovulation, whereas sperm can live inside a woman's vagina for three to five days, according to Dr. Roger W. Harms of the Mayo Clinic. If you have sex every day in the five days leading up to ovulation, the sperm will be waiting to implant the egg when it's released during ovulation.

    • 3

      Monitor cervical mucus as a sign of ovulation. Look for an increase in quantity of cervical mucus in the days preceding ovulation. You will notice that your mucus also changes to an egg-white consistency. This wet, slippery mucus nourishes and protects the sperm as it moves toward the egg, the American Pregnancy Association explains. Have sex daily until this cervical mucus dissipates after ovulation.

    • 4

      Moderate caffeine consumption. If you're a big coffee or soda drinker, it's time to cut back. Drinking more than five cups of coffee a day can reduce your fertility, according to WebMD. Moderate caffeine consumption, on the other hand, does not reduce your fertility.

    • 5

      Use a sperm-friendly lubricant. Some lubricants kill sperm, which can decrease your odds of conception. You can skip the lubricant altogether or choose one that doesn't kill sperm.

    • 6

      Stay put after sex. While you don't have to do headstands to help those sperm find the egg, lie down after sex to keep the sperm inside of you. Avoid going the bathroom for approximately 10 to 15 minutes after sex.

    • 7

      Stop smoking. Smoking can interfere with fertility, and you'll have to stop this habit when you do get pregnant. Increase your odds of conception and boost your health at the same time by throwing away the cigarettes.

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