How Long To Conceive?

How Long Does it Take to Get Pregnant?

All of us know at least one woman who, it seems, becomes pregnant by just thinking about it. We love to hate her. While there are some women in the world like that, most are not. The numbers more closely resemble successive efforts over several cycles before a connection is made and a woman conceives. So, the answer to the question, "How long does it take to get pregnant?" is as varied as the women who ask it. Depending upon which charts you look at, the general numbers for couples who make love regularly indicate the following time periods for conception:

· About 50% of healthy couples get pregnant after 4-5 months

· 70% get pregnant after 9 months

· 85% get pregnant after one year

· 90% are pregnant within 18 months

There are Other Factors to Consider

Now, having given you these stats, it is important to remember that there are several factors that go into a healthy conception and there are factors affecting the chances of getting pregnant.

· First of all, ovulation has to be occurring regularly. If periods are irregular or ovulation is sporadic, then conception is at best difficult.

· The older a woman is, the longer it will take to conceive.

· Sperm count, motility and morphology are all critical to conception. 40 percent of fertility issues are male related.

· The fallopian tubes have to be open and functioning well.

· Timing is everything - especially during the fertile period - so make love often.

If all of the above criteria are happening optimally, then the chance of conception is about 25 to 30 percent in an ovulatory cycle. If there is anything abnormal about any of these factors, the chances of conceiving diminish considerably - almost to zero in some cases. After the age of 30, the ability to conceive lessens yet again.

How Fit are You?

There are other factors that can affect conception as well - on both sides of the relationship. One that affects both men and women is weight. It is a big issue in terms of conception, but it also happens to be one of the easiest to resolve as well. It will take time (depending upon how much weight you have to lose), but the effects of weight loss can trigger an increase in fertility from the very first weeks of healthy eating. Provided neither of you are dealing with a serious illness, your diet can be changed to a healthy, organic, low-fat, balanced eating program that will help you lose weight and improve your chances at conception.

Don't forget that fitness figures into the equation as well. Did you know that men and women who are fit and feel good about their bodies are often more virile and fertile? Whodatho't? Staying fit is a great way to ensure stamina and to help keep weight under control. When fat collects around the ovaries they become sluggish and can't function well. In order to optimize the function of your organs (all of them) dealing with fat is important.

There was a study done at Harvard University linking diet choices and fertility. The study results indicated that women, who consumed slowly digesting carbs (not sugar), good fats and a few not-so-good fats, and plant-based proteins, were more likely to conceive than those who fed themselves junk food and fast food. By the way, that goes for the guys as well.

What are You Eating? Do You Drink?  Does He?

You probably don't even have to be told this one, but we'll say it anyway. Alcohol and drugs are bad choices even on good days. But, when you're trying to conceive, they can really negatively affect both of you. Men have reduced levels of sperm and a much lower rate of conception. Ovulation in women is affected and, if they do conceive, they can miscarry as a result of the effects of alcohol and drugs. We'll include cigarettes as well.

So, how long does it take to conceive? Well, how healthy are you? If you become proactive and take good care of your body, then conception will likely happen when you aren't even thinking about it.

You can find out more about pregnancy, conception and the things you can do to hasten the process on our site.