25 Tips To Get Pregnant, According to Experts
The journey to conception is exciting, but it's also a time of uncertainty for many couples. Everyone is different and if you have any medical concerns, questions, or are having difficulty getting pregnant, you should always consult with your doctor. But if you're looking for some tips as you start the journey, experts share 25 tips for getting pregnant, along with their most effective fertility advice——no office visit required.
1. Get Preconception Counseling.
About 60 to 90 days before you're ready to start trying, make an appointment with your OB-GYN. "They will discuss your reproductive goals, screen you for conditions such as anemia that might need treatment, and consider alternatives to any prescription or over-the-counter medications you take," says Kelly Pagidas, M.D., a fertility specialist with Women & Infants Center for Reproduction and Infertility in Providence, and an associate professor at Brown University Medical School. Clearing any issues upfront can prevent delays down the road, when your fertility might be declining due to diminished quality and quantity of eggs that happens naturally with age.
2. Schedule Your Annual Exams.
In addition to your Pap smear, mammogram (if it applies), and regular physical, make sure to visit the dentist regularly for cleanings. Certain infections may not be treatable while you're pregnant and could result in reproductive delays. "Some people believe that gum disease may cause more complications later in pregnancy," Dr. Pagidas says.
3. Learn Your Family History.
Find out how easily your female relatives got pregnant and if there's a family history of hereditary medical conditions. "If you or your partner have Jewish, French Canadian, or Hispanic ancestry, for example, or a family history of Down syndrome, you may want to seek genetic counseling before trying," says Steven R. Bayer, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF fertility clinic in Boston. "It's much better to find out if you're both carriers of complications like cystic fibrosis before you conceive."
Getty Images. Art: Jillian Sellers.
4. Get Vaccinated.
Make sure all your shots are updated—particularly those for COVID-19, German measles, chicken pox, and influenza—before trying to get pregnant. "You're at higher risk of complications if you get sick during pregnancy, and some vaccines are not safe during pregnancy," Dr. Bayer says. If you have any questions, be sure to talk to your doctor about the COVID-19 vaccine.
5. Check Your Thyroid Levels.
"We're seeing increasing numbers of women whose thyroid is very subtly under-functioning," says Jani Jensen, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist and assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "A slight dysfunction could lead to difficulty becoming pregnant or miscarriage."
6. Have Your Partner Tested.
If you're having a baby with a male partner, you'll want to ensure your partner is healthy too. "It makes sense to do a basic semen analysis on men when you start trying," says Alan Copperman, M.D., director of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York and co-director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. "Many guys have low sperm counts, or they take some supplement at the gym that interferes with the motility of their sperm." Early testing can also give you a heads-up if he's experiencing andropause, a permanent reduction in sex hormones.
7. Don't Wait to Have Sex After Stopping Birth Control.
"There's a myth that after you stop using hormonal birth control, it takes a long time to get fertility back," Dr. Jensen explains. "Most people will have regular periods and the ability to be pregnant within three months of stopping use."
8. Time Your Baby-Making Sex Just Right.
"Once an egg is released, it can only be fertilized for somewhere between 12 and 24 hours," says Angela Chaudhari, M.D., a gynecologic surgeon and assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
On the other hand, sperm can survive in the reproductive tract for up to five days. That's why it's best to start having sex well before you ovulate. A study showed that the day with the highest chance of baby-making success was the one right before ovulation.
9. Don't Feel You Have to Abstain From Sex.
You may have been advised to wait a few days between sex because males need time to build up sperm. "That's not true," says David Ryley, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF fertility clinic and clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School. "Ejaculation affects seminal volume, not the concentration of sperm. The concentration is more important and not influenced by the frequency of sex." That said, having sex too often can lead to burnout, so use your judgment wisely.
10. Switch Up Your Sex Positions.
Some research suggests that missionary is best for conceiving, but the data isn't conclusive. "There's no doubt that some [positions] are more comfortable," Dr. Pagidas notes. "Just do what feels right so you're more likely to keep up a consistent routine." Also, you don't need to elevate your legs afterward. Says Dr. Jensen: "It does not make one bit of difference in conception."
11. Take Care With Vaginal Lubricants.
Many commonly used water-based lubricants can inhibit sperm movement. If you want to use lube, choose one marketed as "sperm-friendly" or "fertility-friendly." Check out this article for recommendations.
12. Consider Using an Ovulation Predictor Kit (OPK).
Doctors previously relied on basal body temperature to predict ovulation. "It only tells you once you've already ovulated, which is too late. Plus taking your temperature daily often adds stress," Dr. Bayer explains. An ovulation predictor kit (OPK) is now the recommended method. OPKs monitor luteinizing hormone (LH), which surges shortly before ovulation. "Once it turns positive, you want to have sex in the next 24 to 36 hours" for the best chance of baby-making success, Dr. Bayer says.
13. Consider Your Caffeine Intake.
While a daily cup of java is just fine, you may want to consider the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommendation to limit caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day, which is equivalent to about two cups of coffee. Soda, tea, and energy drinks count, too. "Half the time I see patients totally forgetting about the monster power energy drinks they're consuming," Dr. Pagidas says.
RELATED: How Do I Know I'm Fertile?
14. Reduce Exposure to Cigarette and Marijuana Smoke.
"We already know that smoking clearly impacts blood supply to ovaries and results in a more exponential loss of eggs," Dr. Ryley says. But passive smoke has been linked to increased pregnancy complications as well. There's really no safe level of exposure, so limit your time around family members, friends, or coworkers who won't kick butts. Along those lines, studies have shown that marijuana might negatively impact female fertility.
15. Stop Binge Drinking.
Cutting back alcohol is recommended; eliminating booze fests is essential. "Nobody knows exactly what happens with prolonged heavy drinking before you conceive, but there are likely structural changes in the eggs that affect the quality," Dr. Pagidas says. "It's hard to know how long it takes for them to recover, if at all, so stop as soon as possible when you are ready to start trying."
16. Keep an Eye on Your Weight.
Being too far on either side of a healthy body mass index can affect the health of your eggs and result in pregnancy complications. "Women with excess weight are particularly challenged because they don't ovulate as regularly, which can render them more infertile," Dr. Ryley says. Aim to be within 15% of your target body weight when you start trying to conceive.
17. Keep Bad Habits Under Control.
"A lot of men continue to smoke cigarettes or marijuana, and that can seriously affect the motility of sperm," Dr. Ryley notes. This means that if you have a male partner, they should stop smoking as well as drinking in excess. It's also helpful for male partners contributing sperm to reach a healthy weight too. Says Dr. Ryley: "The more overweight a man is, the lower [his] testosterone and sperm function." Obesity can also do a number on sperm production and ejaculatory function.
18. Get Your Blood Pumping With Regular Exercise.
"The rule is 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise five to six days per week, both before and during pregnancy," Dr. Chaudhari says. Some doctors suspect that super high-impact workouts might hinder conception, as very athletic people tend to have irregular periods. But if you're at a healthy weight and have regular cycles, don't feel you need to give up that intense Spin class you love.
19. Limit Your Exposure to Radiation.
There's not a lot of data about what happens when people go through newer security scanners at the airport. TSA says they're safe for pregnant people, but "because we don't know the cumulative effects of repeated exposure, I recommend frequent flyers do a security pat-down instead to minimize any radiation that could affect reproduction," Dr. Chaudhari says.
20. Combine Eastern and Western Medicine With Caution.
"There may be benefits to doing acupuncture while trying to get pregnant, particularly in stress reduction," Dr. Jensen says. "What makes me a little wary is when Chinese herbs are added to the mix. We're not certain exactly what they are and how they're formulated." Some studies show that herbs may interact negatively with conventional medicines, so use them only under a doctor's care.
21. Don't Douche.
"We discourage it—not because you're flushing out the sperm, but because it makes the environment in your vagina less hospitable to them," Dr. Pagidas says. Douching has also been linked to an increased risk of vaginal infection (bacterial vaginosis), pelvic inflammatory disease, and pregnancy complications like preterm birth and ectopic pregnancy. It's also smart to limit the use of scented tampons and vaginal sprays.
22. Do Certain Beauty Treatments Sparingly.
Some research suggests that people who work in nail and hair salons—with frequent exposure to chemical fumes such as acetone—had a lower chance of achieving pregnancy and higher chance of miscarriage and even birth defects. An occasional mani-pedi or highlights shouldn't be harmful for the average person. "Just make sure the salon is well-ventilated and wear a respirator mask if you're really concerned," Dr. Chaudhari says.
23. Find Your Own Pace After a Miscarriage.
After miscarriage, "I've had patients hear they need to wait three months or a specified amount of time, but that isn't true," Dr. Jensen says. As long as you're emotionally ready and feeling up to it physically, there's absolutely no reason to delay trying again. (Note, however, that most doctors recommend waiting until you heal, which usually takes a couple of weeks. Ask your health care provider for guidance).
24. Be Realistic About Your Chances of Conceiving After 40.
As maternal age increases, the chance of pregnancy decreases. "We all see celebrities getting pregnant with twins when they're in their 40s and think it can happen to anyone that age," Dr. Ryley says. "But the vast majority of those are donor eggs, because women that age don't have enough healthy eggs of their own." Even if you look like a movie star on the outside, it's important to manage your expectations and be open to various options for motherhood.
25. Stop Worrying About Being Stressed.
"The theory that you should just relax and go on vacation to magically get pregnant is an old wives' tale," Dr. Copperman says. Worse yet, it makes people feel guilty if they can't Zen themselves to motherhood and parenthood. Anxiety over fertility is totally normal and it's not likely to be harmful in the long run. Says Dr. Copperman, "The stress that comes along with fertility challenges has not been shown to affect whether a woman makes a good egg or not."
