How to increase your chances of getting pregnant - 12 tips

What are the chances of getting pregnant?

For couples who are actively trying to conceive, it is important to understand that the chance of pregnancy can vary from month to month. Research has shown that the typical range of chance for conception is between 15% to 25% per month, depending on various factors. However, the good news is that the majority of couples are successful in conceiving within the first year of trying.

It is essential to note that several factors can influence the likelihood of conception. These factors include the overall health of the individuals, age, fertility of both partners, and the timing of sexual intercourse during the menstrual cycle. In the following text, you can read 12 tips on how to improve your chances of getting pregnant.

1. Monitor your ovulation to increase your chances of getting pregnant

Smoking harms your fertility, which has a negative effect on your general chances of getting pregnant. Normally, menopause happens in your 40s or 50s, but women who smoke reach menopause earlier than the average woman and smoking also increases the risk of miscarriage.

So, if you are thinking about getting pregnant, or perhaps already are pregnant, you should avoid cigarettes. If you do smoke, our advice is that you stop smoking as soon as possible. Quitting cigarettes and avoiding passive smoking will help increase your fertility.

2. Timing is everything when trying to get pregnant

During each menstrual cycle, there is a period, also called the fertile window,  where it is possible for the woman to become pregnant. The window occurs approximately 14 days after the first date of the last menstrual period. Therefore, it is important to monitor your ovulation, to provide yourself with an overview of the best times to have intercourse with your partner and thereby improve your chances of conceiving. Today, there are plenty of apps available to register periods and times of ovulation. It is always a good idea to get to know your own body and your menstrual cycle, and when you reach the point where you want to get pregnant it can be a useful tool in the process.

Here below you can see our webinar about fertility and how to improve it. In the webinar, the fertility doctor, Saghar Kasiri, explains how fertility works and how to improve it.

3. Supercharge your fertility with a healthy diet

If you want to increase your chances of getting pregnant, a healthy diet is one of the most important tips we can give. A healthy diet supplies you with the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Among other things, we use nutrients to form cells, and our hormones are sensitive to fluctuations in blood sugar. Sugar and refined carbohydrates increase your blood sugar, which can influence your hormone system.

A diet favouring the long-chain omega-3 fatty acid from fish appears to have a positive effect in relation to increasing fertility for women. Other types of foods, that are said to help improve your fertility are:

• Poultry
• Whole grain food
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Nuts
• Kernels
• Avocado

Source: National Library of Medicine

4. Stay hydrated and increase your odds

Staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining good health, and it is also important for couples who are trying to conceive. Proper hydration can increase the chances of getting pregnant by supporting overall reproductive health and optimizing the conditions for conception.

Proper hydration contributes to the regulation of hormones that are essential for fertility, as well as the production of cervical fluid which helps the sperm travel through the female reproductive system.

5. Supplements to your diet are an important tip when getting pregnant

Supplements to your diet are an important tip when trying to increase your fertility. One of the most important supplements you can focus on is folic acid. Folic acid is a vitamin B that helps the body make new healthy cells, and if you want to improve your chances of conceiving, it is recommended you start taking the supplement as soon as you try to become pregnant. Studies have proven that folic acid can increase fertility, and if you become pregnant, it will help your baby’s brain and spine to develop.

Another vitamin you can use as a supplement is vitamin D. Vitamin D is actually very important to remember, as many couples with infertility problems have low vitamin D levels. Studies show that vitamin D has a positive impact on improving fertility in both men and women.

6. Focus on your BMI to increase your fertility in your 30’s

Being either overweight or underweight can harm your chances of getting pregnant. Being overweight can cause difficulties in becoming pregnant as the larger amount of fat can affect the hormone system. The optimal BMI is between 19-25.

If your BMI is more than 30, your chances of becoming pregnant are remarkably reduced and the chances of getting preeclampsia, bleeding and diabetes during the pregnancy are increased. If you are about to enter fertility treatment (ICI, IUI, IVF, or ICSI) it is recommended to have a BMI below 30, as a higher BMI can affect the treatment negatively.

Moderate exercise and a healthy lifestyle can help improve your menstrual cycle and health and increase your fertility and chances of becoming pregnant. However, too much exercise is not healthy either since it can cause irregularities in your period.

7. Stay away from cigarettes and tobacco

Studies have shown that smoking can decrease the number and quality of a woman's eggs and cause damage to reproductive organs. Smoking has also been linked to an increased risk of infertility, miscarriage, and premature birth. Therefore, we highly recommend you stay away from cigarettes and tobacco products if you are trying to conceive.

8. Avoid alcohol and reduce caffeine intake to increase your fertility

Too much alcohol and coffee, more specifically caffeine, can harm your ability to get pregnant. Therefore, a piece of good advice is to stop drinking alcohol when you decide to try to get pregnant.

Additionally, research has shown that caffeine can reduce fertility, but the amount of caffeine must be fairly high (5 cups of coffee or more a day) before it has a direct impact on your ability to get pregnant. By avoiding alcohol and caffeine you can increase your fertility and your chances of becoming pregnant. Remember that tea and soft drinks also contain caffeine.

9. Try out alternative treatment such as Acupuncture

One of the more alternative things you can try is acupuncture. It can be a good supplement to fertility treatment and perhaps help increase fertility. However, it is important to mention that there is no evidence that acupuncture works on infertility, but there is no harm in trying, and it does have a lot of positive effects, as acupuncture can help regulate your hormone system, immune system, nerve system, and may help you relax. It can also help with mental balance and sufficient blood supply to the ovaries and uterus.

10. Keep stress levels low

Trying to conceive can be a challenging and emotional experience, and managing stress can help increase your chances of conception. It is recommended to keep stress levels as low as possible to promote a healthy mind and body. One effective way to manage stress is through relaxation techniques such as meditation or engaging in activities that can distract your mind. These activities may include exercise, reading, spending time in nature, or spending time with loved ones.

11. Focus on high-quality sleep is an important tip when getting pregnant

It is difficult to say whether stress can have an impact on female fertility. Some studies suggest that stress can affect your menstrual cycle and thereby your fertility. Trying to get pregnant can be very stressful on its own, especially if you are having fertility treatment. Try to limit other stress factors in your life and think about becoming a parent as an exciting journey. The project should not take up all your focus or energy and is not supposed to impact your mood or affect you mentally.

Engaging in stress reduction activities may help increase fertility. Try to find out what works for you – meditation, exercise, being with friends or perhaps therapy? Also, don’t forget to enjoy yourself and your unique body in all aspects of your life – both before getting pregnant, in the process of trying, and when you get pregnant.

An important part of limiting your stress is a good night’s sleep. Try to focus on improving the quality of your sleep, as this is the time of the day when your body relaxes. An idea for improving your sleep patterns is to try to go to bed and get up at the same time each day. You can also remove any electronic devices from your bedroom, as well as regular physical activity during the day might help improve your sleep. By reducing stress and increasing your sleep quality, you might be able to increase your chances of getting pregnant.

12. When in doubt, contact your doctor

We understand that trying to conceive can be a challenging journey, and we hope that the tips provided can help improve your chances of success. However, it is important to remember that every couple's experience is unique. Regardless of age, if you have been actively trying to conceive for a year or more, or if you suspect any serious problem regarding your reproductive system, we recommend you make an appointment with a medical professional or fertility expert.

If you have tried to become pregnant, but have not succeeded and are in need of donor sperm or donor eggs, then contact our Customer Care to receive answers to any questions you might have. If you are interested in seeing the donors available, then follow the button below to see our Donor Search.

Free Sperm Donor Search

Facts about the female reproductive system

Women are born with around 1 - 2 million follicles (premature eggs) and, unlike sperm cells, no new follicles are produced during a lifetime. During every ovulation, one or more follicles are released from the ovary. Out of these, some go to waste while others develop into eggs. Since no new follicles are developed, the number of eggs will slowly decline, which means a woman’s chances of conceiving naturally decrease the older she gets.

Studies show that your chances of conceiving naturally start to decrease rapidly when you enter your 30s. That is why it is a good idea to focus on increasing your chances of getting pregnant if you plan to conceive during your 30s. The difference between trying to conceive in your 20s and 30s will often show in the time it takes from the first try to actual conception. The decline in fertility that is to be expected in your 30s will make it more complicated, but not impossible, to conceive, and by focusing on increasing your chances of getting pregnant, you may shorten the time from start to successful pregnancy.

If you are curious about women’s reproductive system and want to learn more, we can recommend our blog post on women’s eggs and fertility or our blog post about ovulation.