How Long Does It Take
Once a couple starts trying to conceive, they expect and want pregnancy to happen quickly. More than half of women expect to become pregnant within six months, with younger women tending to expect it to happen more quickly. However, in a study of over 1,400 women who had planned their most recent pregnancy, 30-44% found it took longer than expected5.
A common, and easily remedied, factor is mistiming of intercourse6. As many as half of all couples may be trying to conceive at the wrong time, because they dont know when their most fertile days are3.
As the graph above shows, you are most likely to conceive if you time intercourse on the day of ovulation on the day before but you still have a chance of falling pregnant on the days leading up to ovulation.
If you have been trying to get pregnant for longer than a year, it is recommended that you seek medical opinion.
Lets First Look At How Pregnancy Happens
To get pregnant ovulation must take place. This occurs when a mature egg is released from the ovary, pushed through the fallopian tube, and is available to the sperm for fertilization. The lining of the uterus has thickened to prepare for a fertilized egg. If conception does not occur, the uterine lining will be shed. This shedding of an unfertilized egg and the uterine wall is called menstruation.
What Is The Average Time To Get Pregnant By Age
The older a couple gets, the fewer viable eggs a woman has and the lower the quality of a mans sperm, Omurtag says. This means it could take longer to get pregnant.
In a 2017 cohort study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers followed 2,962 couples that were all trying to get pregnant. After six months, 62 percent of women between 28 and 30 years old were pregnant, but only 55.9 percent of women between 34 and 36 years old were. The same pattern held true for male partners, but the differences between age groups were less pronounced.
Although fertility begins to decline in our early 30s, its our late 30s when that decline really becomes pronounced, Omurtag says. Thirty-eight is actually the magic number here, he said. In the same study, only 46 percent of couples between 37 and 39 years old were pregnant after six months.
Experiencing frustration while trying to get pregnant is common, especially when considering that one in four couples struggle to do it, Omurtag says. Its important to be mindful of that and how prevalent it really is. But just because youre not pregnant after a month, or six, or even a year, doesnt mean it wont ever happen.
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I Have Been Referred For A Tubal Patency Test What Is It
A tubal patency test might be available if you have been trying to conceive for a year and are not pregnant if you are under the age of 35, or six months if you are over the age of 35. You should visit your health care provider to discuss this.
Hysterosalpingography or HSG test is a procedure to investigate the shape of the uterine cavity and the shape and patency of the Fallopian tubes. The test involves having a speculum examination like a during a smear test and an x-ray of the uterus and the Fallopian tubes. The doctors inject a special radiographic dye into the uterine cavity through the vagina and cervix which shows up on the x-ray. They then watch to see if the dye moves freely through the uterus and Fallopian tubes to look for a block that may be causing fertility problems. Hysterosalpingo Contrast Sonography is a similar process using ultrasound. If the Fallopian tubes are open, the special dye will fill the tubes and spill out into the abdominal cavity. If the Fallopian tubes are full or partially blocked the dye will not flow freely and whether the blockage is located at the junction of the Fallopian tube and the uterus or whether it is at the end of the Fallopian tube can also be determined.
People are able to try to conceive again during their next menstrual cycle after a tubal patency test unless medical professionals suggest a longer wait time. It has been claimed that pregnancy rates are increased in a cycle when a tubal patency test has been performed.
How Many Months Pregnant Are You
Women who are planning to have a child expect their pregnancy to last about nine months. But many expectant fathers and mothers wonder how many weeks there are in nine months. The average pregnancy lasts forty weeks from the first day of the last normal menstrual period.
To get a more specific prediction of pregnancy duration, most physicians and midwives use a gestation calculation like the one below to provide a personalized estimate. You can use the first date of your last period or the date of conception if you know it.
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How Long Will It Take To Get Pregnant
Most hormonal birth control methods stop you from ovulating, or releasing an egg. If you do not release an egg, there is nothing for sperm to fertilize. This is why you do not get pregnant.
When you stop using hormonal birth control, you will start ovulating again. When you are ovulating, you are fertile. But a return of fertility does not automatically mean you will get pregnant.
How Long Does It Take To Get Pregnant Well That Depends
No two people are the same, but we can tell you how factors such as age, birth control, weight, substance abuse, medication, and stress may prolong your ability to conceive. With some help from an OBGYN, we may be able to pinpoint a TTC timeline for you.
There is no one size fits all strategy for getting pregnant, which means its difficult to determine how long it could take any given person to conceive. If you are having trouble getting pregnant, youre not alone or hopelessthis is a lot more common than you may realize. According to Thebump.com, 1 in 7 women TTC face challengesmost couples conceive within six cycles with calculated intercourse.
Even if youre in the small percent of women who conceive during their first cycle, one must remember pregnancy doesnt begin the day you have sex. Planned Parenthood explains it can take up to six days for the sperm and egg to form a fertilized egg and six to 10 days for the fertilized egg to implant into the uterus. Pregnancy officially begins once the hormones needed to support a pregnancy are released.
Now that we have determined that our timeline begins 12-16 days after sex if successful the first go, lets deep dive into some common variables that could prolong conception.
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How Do I Increase My Chances Of Getting Pregnant
- Have sex near the time of ovulation.Have sex every two to three days per week starting soon after the end of your period. This can help ensure that you have sex when you are most fertile.
- Maintain a normal weight.Overweight and underweight women are at increased risk of ovulation disorders.
- Fertility-friendly lubricants. Use lubes that are sperm and egg-friendly. Fairhavens BabyDance lubricants are specially designed for couples trying to conceive.
- Consider a supplement. Fairhavens FertilAid delivers all of the essential nutrients both women and men need to ensure the best chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy and baby.
- Dont smoke. Tobacco has multiple negative effects on fertility, not to mention your general health and the health of a fetus. If you smoke, ask your health care provider to help you quit before conception.
- Dont drink alcohol. Heavy alcohol use can decrease fertility. Avoid alcohol if youre hoping to conceive.
- Cut caffeine. Research suggests that fertility isnt affected by caffeine consumption of less than 200 milligrams a day. Thats about one to two cups of 6 to 8 ounces of coffee per day.
- Dont overdo strenuous exercise.Strenuous, intense exercise of more than five hours a week has been associated with decreased ovulation.
Why Cant I Get Pregnant
When youre ready to start a family and youre not getting pregnant, it can be frustrating and overwhelming. Especially if youve tried the conventional methods to maximize your chances: having frequent intercourse during your fertile window, tracking your temperature every morning and using tools like ovulation tracker apps and predictor kits.
You may start to wonder is this a medical problem or do I simply need to be more patient? Youre not alone. One in 8 couples struggles to conceive. Chantel Cross, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist with the Johns Hopkins Fertility Center at the Johns Hopkins Health Care & Surgery Center Green Spring Station in Lutherville, Maryland, explains what factors might be affecting your ability to get pregnant and when you might consider infertility treatment.
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Can My Home Pregnancy Test Tell Me If I Am Ovulating And Can My Ovulation Predictor Kit Tell Me If I Am Pregnant
The DNA that makes up the strands for hCG, which is the hormone associated with pregnancy, is only one strand different to the luteinising hormone which detects ovulation. Both hormones, at a molecular level, are nearly identical. hCG has a beta sub-unit, meaning that it has an extra molecular twist. This means that it is possible for an OPK to detect pregnancy, although this is not always reliable. It is not, however, possible to use an HPT to detect ovulation.
Get A Preconception Checkup
Before you officially start trying, get a checkup. Ask your doctor aboutprenatal vitaminsthat havefolic acid, which helps protect against some birth defects, such asspina bifida. Folic acid works during the early stages of pregnancy, so that’s why it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough folic acid even before you get pregnant.
“Do this the cycle before you start trying,” says Paula Hillard, MD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University. “If you have any underlying medical problems, they need to be under control before you can safely become pregnant.”
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What If Its Been More Than A Year
If its been a year or sometimes less, depending on your age it might be time to see your doctor to create a more thorough plan.
It is never too early to get a reproductive check-up, Copperman said, adding that its recommended for patients under 35 to get checked after trying for one year, and for patients to get checked after six months of trying if theyre over 35. But no matter how old you are, if you want to go in before that, you should be empowered to ask questions and get answers sooner rather than later, he said.
In other words, if youre concerned, theres nothing wrong with getting checked out no matter where you are in the process of trying to conceive. Or, if youre just getting started, try setting an appointment with your doctor a year from now just so you dont have to stress about it.
When you do go get checked out, you can start with your OB-GYN. Some may refer you to a fertility specialist who will check for infections, problems with sperm production or delivery, structural damage, ovulation disorders and more.
There is a lot we can learn by taking a thorough history, Copperman said. In an initial consultation, a trained fertility specialist can usually narrow down whether the cause of infertility is related to eggs, sperm, uterus or tubes.
If youre not pregnant after the first cycle of IVF , your doctor may suggest some changes to your medications or routines to improve your chances the next round.
Causes Of Male Infertility
Male infertility is a factor for about 8 percent of couples who are trying to conceive.
Causes of male infertility include:
- enlarged veins on the testicles, called varicocele
- abnormally shaped sperm
- injury to the testes that reduces sperm production
- heavy drinking, smoking, or drug use
- chemotherapy or radiation to treat cancer
- problems with the glands that produce the hormones needed to make sperm
- more rarely, genetic disorders such as Klinefelter syndrome
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How Common Is Infertility
According to RESOLVE, 1 out of every 8 couples, or 12 percent of women, have trouble getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.
When should you see a doctor about infertility?
- if youre 35 or younger and youve been trying to get pregnant for a year
- if youre over age 35 and youve been trying for more than 6 months
If you know you have a health condition that affects your fertility, see your doctor sooner.
My Home Pregnancy Test Was Negative To Begin With But Now Seems To Be Positive What Should I Do
Home pregnancy tests must be read within the time frame specified in the individual instructions on each pack. These times vary a little but any result which appears after 10 minutes cannot be relied upon to be an accurate result. It is not unheard of for people to do a test which is negative, leave it on the bathroom window sill until sometime later, and then when they look at it again a new line has appeared in the test window. This is invariably an evaporation line and not a positive result.
To get an accurate result, it is essential you follow the instructions on the Home Pregnancy Test pack. You should preferably test with the first urine of the day and in urine which has been in your bladder for at least four hours. Finally, you should always read the test result within the time frame clearly stated on the test packâs instructions.
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My Home Pregnancy Test Is Positive But My Doctors Test Is Negative Why Is This
If the test is done in the surgery using a reagent stick, just like the home pregnancy test you have already done, there is the possibility that the test the doctor is using is not as sensitive as your home pregnancy test.
Sometimes ovulation occurs later in the menstrual cycle than day 14. This might especially be the case if you normally have cycles which are longer than 28 days. If you ovulate later in the cycle, the egg may not have implanted for as long as necessary to produce the hCG hormone which is what a pregnancy test detects.
Sometimes it can take longer than the average 6 to 7 days for the egg to travel along the Fallopian tube and implant. Where this happens, the egg may not have implanted for as long as necessary to produce the hCG hormone which is what a home pregnancy test detects.
The test may be from a faulty batch.
Is It True That I Ovulate On Alternate Sides Each Month
We naturally assume that we will ovulate from alternative ovaries each month This is not true and varies. Some will ovulate from the same side each month with an occasional ovulation from the other side, while others will ovulate randomly from side to side.
Both ovaries compete each month to produce an egg and usually, the one that is âpulling ahead in the raceâ continues while the other one gives up . It depends on which ovary contains the egg that is at the right stage of development at the point in time at the time of ovulation and is nothing to do with a set pattern.
The side we ovulate from does not strictly matter as an egg from one ovary can travel down the Fallopian tube on the other side.
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Know When To Seek Help
Both the woman and the man should consider having an infertility evaluation if the woman is 35 or older and has not become pregnant after six months of having sex regularly without using birth control, Pavone said.
Pavone also recommended that a woman who is under 35 and her partner should consult a fertility specialist if she hasn’t become pregnant after one year of having unprotected intercourse on a regular basis.
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How many rounds of letrozole did it take for you to get pregnant?
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Get A General Health Check
Planning a pregnancy is a good chance for both parents to get a full health check. If your doctor plans to prescribe you new medications or antibiotics, remind them that you are planning a pregnancy.
If there is a family history of medical conditions on either side, such as cystic fibrosis or diabetes, let your doctor know. You may need genetic counselling with a trained specialist or referral for diabetic specialist preparation to pregnancy.
Some sexually transmitted infections can be passed on to your baby during pregnancy, so make sure you have both been treated for any infections before planning to conceive.
If the mother has a medical condition such as diabetes or epilepsy, or is being treated for depression or other mental illness, medications for these will need to be checked before conceiving to make sure they will not affect the baby.
