There are thousands of “get pregnant fast” tips out there, but we’ve separated the ones that work from the ones that are a waste of your time.
Get pregnant fast by trying these tips
While there is no guarantee, these tips have helped couples TTC before. Give them a try and see what happens.
1) Get a checkup first
Being in good overall health is an important part of conceiving. Get a checkup with your primary care physician to make sure you don’t have any underlying medical issues that could get in the way.
2) Take a prenatal vitamin
Taking a prenatal vitamin every day is one of the easiest things you can do to support conception. It can be a regular multivitamin, too, as long as it contains key ingredients like folic acid. Try to find one that contains the following vitamins and minerals:
- Folic acid also called B9 (helps prevent brain and spinal cord problems in developing babies): at least 400 micrograms
- Iron (fights anemia): at least 30 milligrams
- Calcium (helps with bone growth and strength): at least 300 milligrams
- Vitamin D (also supports bone growth): 400 international units
- Omega-3s also known as DHA (helps baby brain development): at least 300 milligrams
- Vitamin C (supports your immune system): at least 50 milligrams
- Zinc (helps ward against birth defects and low birth weight): at least 15 mg
- Other nutrients thought to be helpful in a vitamin as you’re trying to conceive include selenium, magnesium, biotin, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, and Vitamin E.
Note that you shouldn’t take a vitamin with more than 770 milligrams of Vitamin A, as research has shown that too much can lead to birth defects. Also, you shouldn’t take a vitamin without eating beforehand because it can be harsh on your stomach and cause nausea or vomiting.
3) Get to a healthy weight beforehand
Being either significantly overweight and underweight can hurt your fertility, so try to reach a healthy weight before you begin trying to conceive. Body Mass Index (BMI) can be a helpful tool to show you what a healthy weight might be for your height, but it gets less accurate when taking into account things like muscle mass or especially tall or short people, so it’s not perfect. Whether you’re gaining or losing weight to reach your goal, aim for an achievable 1-2 pounds per week. More than that can negatively impact your metabolism.
4) Track your cycle
It’ll help you better understand your body, notice trends, predict the day you ovulate, and correctly time intercourse with ovulation. Using an app like Ovia Fertility makes it even easier, but you’ve already got that part down!
5) Have sex at the right time
This might seem like an obvious point, but plenty of people think that they can get pregnant at any time during the month. You can only conceive during the 5-6 days surrounding ovulation, called the fertile window, so make sure you’re having sex during that time (even multiple times per day if you’re up for it). You have the best chance of conceiving if you have sex in the few days before ovulation, because you’re ensuring that sperm will be in your body right when your egg is released.
6) Quit smoking
Cigarettes and conception don’t mix. Smoking can affect ovulation and hormone levels, even making your eggs less receptive to sperm. Quitting is hard, but now’s the time to do it: it can reduce your chances of getting pregnant and increase your baby’s risk of miscarriage and birth defects.
7) Stop using your hormonal birth control at least a month before you start trying
It takes a few weeks–or even months, for some women–for your body to fall back into a natural menstrual cycle after you stop taking hormonal birth control, like the pill or a NuvaRing. Give yourself enough time to adjust.
8) Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Working out can boost your mood, improve your skin and muscle tone, strengthen your heart health, and increase your chances of getting pregnant. Try for moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day, five times a week (that’s two and a half hours each week). If you don’t have time for the gym, simply going out of your way to walk instead of driving or taking public transportation can make a difference. Note that extreme exercise can have a negative effect on fertility, so if your body fat is very low or you’re training hard for more than seven hours a week, you should talk to your healthcare provider about backing off.
9) Limit alcohol to one drink a day (or none)
Most experts agree that a glass of wine or a beer here and there are fine when you’re trying to conceive, but more than that can hurt your fertility. Some studies have found that just two drinks a day can reduce your fertility by about 60%. If you do drink, one serving is only 5 fluid ounces of wine or 12 fluid ounces of beer a day, which is probably less than you’re used to. Your safest bet is to avoid drinking alcohol altogether.
10) Try ovulation prediction kits (OPKs)
OPKs work by detecting a surge in luteinizing hormone in your urine that occurs 24-36 hours before ovulation. Experts are split on the value of OPKs: some say they’re expensive and inaccurate, and others swear by them to test when they’re ovulating. You can detect when you’re ovulating using other factors, like changes in your cervical mucus and basal body temperature (BBT). If you have an irregular cycle, however, you’re more likely to benefit from OPKs because ovulation may be more difficult to predict.
11) Cut down on caffeine
The research is split on whether caffeine can harm your fertility, but most experts agree that a moderate amount of caffeine is safe. Some studies have found that more than 500 milligrams of caffeine a day–that’s about five cups of coffee–has a negative effect on fertility, but that’s a very coffee-heavy day for most people. There’s far less caffeine in most teas than in a single cup of coffee, so switch to tea or limit yourself to a 12-ounce cup of coffee a day to be on the safe side. Also note that caffeine can be present in things you might not expect, including chocolate and supplements, so read your labels carefully.
12) Tell your partner to keep masturbating
Regular masturbation, even every day, helps procreation by keeping a man’s reproductive system flowing and functioning. It also cleans out older sperm and replaces it with newer cells, which research suggests are less damaged and have better motility. Not ejaculating for five days or longer can negatively affect sperm count and sperm health, so don’t hold it in!
13) Stay hydrated
To produce the optimal cervical fluid to support conception–the clear, stretchy kind that helps sperm swim through–you’ll have to stay hydrated. Try to drink at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day. If you’re finding it tough to drink enough water, try keeping a big water bottle with you, recording the water you drink in an app like Ovia, infusing water with fruit for flavor, adding ice, or mixing things up with carbonated water. If you’re taking allergy medications with decongestants, be aware that they can dry out mucus membranes throughout your body, leading to an adverse effect on your cervical mucus as well.
You can tell how hydrated you are by checking your urine. If you’re urinating every two to four hours and your urine is clear or very light yellow, you’re good. If it’s yellow, you should drink a bit more. If it’s orange or dark orange, you’re dehydrated and need to drink more right away.
14) Lie flat on your back for 15 minutes after sex
You’ve probably heard this tip before, and there’s actually some truth to it. Researchers conducting a 2009 study on intrauterine insemination (IUI) found that women who laid on their backs for 15 minutes after the procedure were 50 percent more likely to conceive. Intercourse isn’t the same thing as IUI, so it’s unclear how applicable this study’s findings are outside of the laboratory, but it certainly can’t hurt.
15) Eat healthy food
There isn’t one miracle food that you need to be eating to conceive. It’s more important that you eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, complex carbohydrates, and lean proteins. Aim for at least 3 cups of vegetables a day, and try to include protein with every meal. Eating a variety of colorful fruits and veggies will infuse your diet with antioxidents and nutrients. And don’t skip your green leafy vegetables: they’re loaded with the folate and iron you need now more than ever.
Here’s what you want to avoid:
- Refined carbs like white bread and sugary treats
- Processed meats like hot dogs
- Too many carbohydrates generally (we all tend to eat more than we really need)
- Fish high in mercury including canned tuna, frozen swordfish, tilefish, and shark
16) Don’t get sick
It’s harder to conceive when your body is under the stress of an illness. Avoid raw and undercooked foods, especially meats; wash your hands frequently with soap and hot water; exercise regularly; take your vitamins; and try to get at least seven hours of sleep a night.
17) Make sure your male partner is doing his part
Even if you’re doing everything right, your male partner needs to do his part, too. Read more about whether your male partner could be hurting your fertility and what he can do to fix it.
18) See a fertility specialist
If you’ve been trying to conceive without success for one year and you’re under 35 or for six months if you’re over 35, you should consider seeing a fertility specialist. There may be an underlying issue in your way that treatment can address.
