How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

Female Factors 

Pregnancy begins when an embryo implants in the lining of the uterus. On the woman’s side, it helps to understand how factors like ovulation patterns, lifestyle and hormones affect chances of pregnancy. 

Tracking menstrual cycles

A typical menstrual cycle lasts around 28 days, but it’s a bit different for everyone. Tracking your cycle is key in predicting ovulation, the process in which a mature egg is released from the ovary, ready for the sperm to meet and fertilise it. Without synchronising intercourse and ovulation, pregnancy is more difficult. 

There are several ways to track ovulation:

• Menstrual calendar

• Over-the-counter ovulation testing kits

• Charting basal body temperature 

• Apps and online calculators

• Monitoring cervical mucus 

• Ultrasound

Each individual’s menstrual cycle is unique, and not all methods work equally well for everyone. You’ll need to track your cycle for several months to identify patterns and time sex. Keep in mind that factors like stress, illness or high levels of intense exercise can also disrupt your cycle. 

Many women don’t ovulate regularly – this is important information as well. Thyroid problems and conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are known to affect ovulation, but there are still ways to get pregnant. A fertility doctor may recommend ovulation induction, for example, a course of medication which encourages ovulation to facilitate pregnancy.

If you have any questions or concerns, a fertility specialist can help provide some personalised guidance. Make sure you share any menstrual cycle information with them if you’ve been tracking – it will probably be one of the first things they ask.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

When it comes to fertility, boosting overall health helps fertility. A well-balanced diet, regular exercise, and a healthy weight are all linked to favourable outcomes. The NHS also recommends folic acid and vitamin D supplements, although it’s best to consult with your doctor first, and always check any vitamin or supplement labels.

On the other side, you’ll want to avoid excessive alcohol, tobacco, caffeine and overly strenuous exercise. Some medications – including over-the-counter ones – can also interfere with fertility. 

Evaluate your natural fertility

Apricity has developed several free AI tools to help you learn how lifestyle can affect fertility whilst trying to get pregnant. You can try our AI-powered fertility predictor here to estimate your chances of conception.Checking Hormonal Balance

Hormones play an important role in fertility. To improve chances of conceiving, you’ll need to ensure that key hormones are at their right levels.

Some important hormones used for understanding fertility in women include:

• Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH)

• Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

• Luteinising Hormone (LH)

• Estradiol 

• Progesterone

• Prolactin

• Thyroid Hormones

• Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH)

Some of these hormones are tested in our fertility assessments for women, which include a consultation with a fertility specialist to answer questions and advise on next steps. Depending on any fertility conditions and history, a doctor may advise assessing some hormones over others.

Learn more about testing fertility in women.

Male Factors 

Fertility isn’t just about women: sperm plays an equally significant role in conception. 

Sperm Health

Healthy sperm are essential for pregnancy. Factors that affect sperm health include:

• Diet and nutrition: a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants supports sperm health.

• Lifestyle habits: smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and drug use can all harm sperm quality significantly.

• Stress: high stress levels are also known to negatively impact sperm health.

• Excessive heat: sperm are sensitive to temperature. Avoiding long exposure to heat (hot baths, saunas, tight-fitting underwear) can help.

Timing intercourse with the fertile window is important from the woman’s side, but sperm timing is important too. When men don’t ejaculate for a prolonged period of time, sperm can go stale. Many studies show that the ideal abstinence period before conception is somewhere between three and seven days. Abstaining from ejaculation for longer is linked to lower sperm movement. 

Male Fertility Tests

If you’ve been trying to conceive without success, a male fertility test is a great starting point: it’s the fastest and most cost-effective way to check a couple’s fertility. With Apricity, you can do your semen assessment at home or at a clinic.

A male fertility assessment involves providing a semen sample, which is sent to a lab to assess the sperm properties known to affect fertility:

• Sperm morphology: the size and shape of sperm

• Sperm concentration: the number of sperm present in a volume of semen

• Sperm motility: the ability of sperm to move

These three characteristics play a significant role in determining the overall health and fertility of sperm. 

Lifestyle factors, diet and stress can affect sperm more than many people realise. It takes a couple of months for sperm to regenerate; identifying any issues and improving lifestyle can improve sperm health in as little as three months.

Learn more about fertility testing for men. 

Timing and Conception

To maximise chances of getting pregnant, you should have regular unprotected intercourse within the fertile window.

The fertile window typically falls around 12-16 days before a period begins. Many couples time intercourse only around ovulation day, but chances are boosted if you begin several days before – that’s why the fertile window is the day of ovulation and the five days preceding it.

Sperm can survive in a woman’s reproductive system for up to five days. But after a woman ovulates, the egg is only viable for 24 hours. That’s why having sex before and during ovulation greatly improves chances of conception. 

How to Boost Fertility for Pregnancy: Takeaways

• It is normal for it to take some time to get pregnant. 

• Tracking menstrual cycles and ovulation to time intercourse is key. Ovulation and fertility guides are available to help you determine the fertile window. 

• Boosting overall health is a great, natural way to increase fertility. Nutrition and diet are important factors for both men and women. 

• Apricity’s Natural Fertility Predictor is a great, free resource to help you understand how lifestyle improvements can boost your fertility.

• Fertility assessments are available to help you check if anything is impacting your chances of conception.

If you are under 40, heterosexual and having regular sex without using contraception, there is an 80% chance you will get pregnant within a year. That said, due to the link between age and fertility, if you are over 36 and struggling to conceive, or know you have a condition which impacts your fertility, it may pay to seek advice sooner rather than later.

Speak with a professional

If you have concerns about your fertility, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our fertility advisors are a tap away for discreet support and guidance on our live chat. You can also reach us on +447897035438.

References

1. National Library of Medicine. 

   
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6260894/
   &

   
   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28531319/