Real Parents Share Their Best Tips for Conceiving Faster

Have you ever wondered what helps you get pregnant ? It may be a lonely thought, but it’s more common than you think. You’d never know it from the laughing baby in your arms, but many parents have struggled to conceive at one point. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that around 15% of couples of reproductive age worldwide face infertility. Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of regular unprotected sex. 

Infertility has many causes including hormonal and genetic disorders, ovarian failure, blocked fallopian tubes, etc. Lifestyle factors can also affect your ability to conceive.

Whether they undergo fertility treatments or conceive on their own, many parents eventually have the baby of their dreams — and learn plenty of fertility tips along the way. Here, real parents share their hard-won knowledge to help speed up your pregnancy journey.

Know your ovulation symptoms

Carrie E. Carroll, 36, an art director in Arlington, Virginia, had a smart strategy for getting pregnant: At 32, she stopped using birth control and focused on eating healthy, limiting her caffeine intake, practicing yoga and running, and tracking her ovulation. But after several months of trying to conceive, there were no results.

She then asked her friends, “What can help me get pregnant?” That’s when a friend with four children encouraged her to listen more carefully to her body. She followed her friend’s advice, and a few weeks later, she felt a small “pop” in her abdomen. It may have been ovulation pains, the sensation of an egg being released during ovulation. Carrie and her husband had sex that day, and five weeks later, she found out she was pregnant with twins.

Ovulation and the days leading up to it are the most fertile times of your menstrual cycle, which is why it’s so important to recognize the signs of ovulation. This is when a mature egg is released from the ovaries, ready to be fertilized, and travels through the fallopian tubes. Some people, like Carrie, experience ovulation pain, but it’s also common to feel no pain at all. But there are other ways to determine your fertile window, like tracking your menstrual cycle and checking your cervical mucus. You can also use an online ovulation calculator.

Because sperm can survive in a woman’s reproductive tract for up to five days after intercourse, having sex five days before and on the day of ovulation increases your chances of conception. Even better, have sex every other day (or every day) for a few days before and after your fertile window to avoid missing ovulation.

Besides tuning into your body, there are plenty of other ways to determine when you’re ovulating. While there are many sophisticated (and expensive) ovulation tracking devices on the market today, a basic over-the-counter ovulation predictor kit is a very accurate way to predict when you’re ovulating. You should also keep an eye out for ovulation symptoms, like changes in your cervical mucus and a rise in your basal body temperature.

Eat a balanced, nutritious diet

If you’re having trouble conceiving, it can be especially perplexing if this is your second time around. Mandy Wellbaum, a 26-year-old blogger and editor in Troy, Ohio, struggled with secondary infertility two years after giving birth to her son. She started tracking her basal body temperature and cervical mucus to try to have sex on her most fertile days, but months went by without conceiving.

That’s when she decided to get serious about dieting. Five months after adopting healthier eating habits, Mandy had lost 20 pounds. A few weeks later, she was pregnant with her second child.

As Mandy has experienced first-hand, diet can have a big impact on fertility: for example, research has shown that a healthy diet before pregnancy can lead to improved fertility in both men and women, pointing out the importance of eating whole grains, vegetables, fruit and fish.

Conversely, red meat, saturated fat, soy, alcohol and caffeine have been linked to decreased fertility. Properly planning your fertility diet and maintaining a healthy weight will not only increase your chances of conception but will also help ensure a healthy pregnancy.

Get into the habit of regular exercise

Eating healthy and exercising regularly is a smart move for anyone, but especially for those trying to conceive. This strategy helped Christy Grimst, 34, of Washington, DC, get pregnant after she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in her late 20s. PCOS causes an imbalance of reproductive hormones, leading to irregular menstrual periods and ovarian cysts, which can often make it difficult to conceive, as in Christy’s case.

After trying Clomid (clomiphene) and metformin to induce ovulation without success, Christy was preparing for her first round of in vitro fertilization (IVF) when she moved to Turkey for her husband’s job. Without a car, she walked everywhere, losing 15 pounds in two months and feeling stronger. A month later, she was pregnant.

Of course, a regular exercise routine is recommended for anyone trying to achieve optimal health, not just those trying to conceive or have PCOS, but studies have repeatedly shown that a moderate exercise routine is associated with regular ovulation and fertility. Exercise can help reduce stress, balance hormones, increase blood flow to your reproductive organs, and maintain a healthy weight, all of which are important for those trying to conceive.

Find your ideal weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for healthy fertility. Melissa Fetterson, 34, a freelance journalist from Rochester, New York, lost weight after adopting a restrictive diet. A nutritionist warned her that being underweight could affect her fertility, so she shifted her focus to nourishing her body to maintain a healthy weight. Three months after making this change, Melissa became pregnant.

 Research shows that when couples are trying to conceive, the Body Mass Index (BMI) of both partners can affect how long it takes to conceive. For example, being obese increases the risk of infertility three times more than non-obese people. Being underweight can affect fertility in both ovarian and testicular individuals. 

To increase your chances of conceiving, talk to your doctor about the ideal weight for both you and your partner.

Try these pregnancy positions after sex

For those who’ve been told their chances of getting pregnant are slim, even unorthodox advice may seem worth a try. Daniella Spector, a 47-year-old dentist from Great Neck, New York, was told at age 12 that she would never be able to have biological children because of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). But she started trying to conceive at age 24 and didn’t give up until she was finally successful at age 29.

Her advice: Keep your pelvis still and elevated for 30 minutes after sex. Doctors told her that this might increase the chances that her husband’s sperm would find her egg. It worked, because she fell ill with her first child, a daughter, soon after.

There is currently no scientific evidence that immobilizing or elevating your pelvis after intercourse actually promotes conception. However, anecdotally, many people swear that this technique works for them. You should give it a try. However, the limited research available shows that maintaining the same position or elevating your legs after intercourse doesn’t make a big difference in conception rates.

At the very least, choose sexual positions that you enjoy that are fun, relaxing, and stress-reducing — all of which are important when trying to conceive. After all, if you don’t feel comfortable and good during and after sex, you might not feel like getting busy during your fertile time.