How long does it take to get pregnant?

Several factors have an impact on fertility including age, weight, having irregular periods, and using tobacco, drugs or alcohol.

Do you know there are things you can do to improve your chances of getting pregnant – and things to avoid? Dr. Jacqueline Cornell, OB-GYN with Akron Children’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine, answers common fertility-related questions.

Before a couple starts actively trying to conceive, what things should they start to do to improve their odds?

Some suggestions include:

• Start a prenatal vitamin with 400 mcg, or micrograms, of folic acid.
• Optimize your weight, as obesity or being underweight can affect fertility.
• If you are on prescription medications or supplements, discuss with a physician that you are trying to conceive to be sure they are safe in pregnancy.
• Try to narrow down your ovulation and fertility window. With regular monthly periods, ovulation usually occurs sometime between days 12 to 16 of menstrual cycle. Day 1 would be the first day of your period.
• Have unprotected intercourse daily or every other day through the fertility window, and especially on the day of ovulation. Using at-home luteinizing hormone (LH) ovulation predictor kits can be helpful. They are a urine test to take first thing in the morning through the ovulation window and if the test result is positive, ovulation has occurred.

What should couples stop doing?

Eliminate alcohol, tobacco products and THC use for both parties.

What health factors affect fertility?

Quite a few factors can decrease fertility. They include:

• Age (35+)
• Being obese or underweight
• Having irregular periods
• Having endometriosis or thyroid disorder
• Using tobacco, drugs or alcohol
• Having a history of pelvic infection or pelvic surgery

For healthy couples not using birth control, what are their chances of conceiving in the first few months?

They should have about a 30% chance per menstrual cycle.

Male factors can contribute to 35% to 50% of infertility causes. Since the 1970s, there has been a 50% to 60% decrease in sperm count as well as a drop in sperm quality.

Does lying down after sex, certain sexual positions or having sex at specific times of day increase the odds of pregnancy?

There is no data to support a certain position or time of day.

How many days after sex can a woman become pregnant?

Sperm can survive for up to five days in the fallopian tubes after intercourse. A pregnancy test will usually turn positive two weeks after ovulation if fertilization occurs.

If a couple struggles to conceive, how long should they wait until they seek medical help?

See a doctor after 6 months if the woman is 35 or older. Otherwise, try for a year before seeing a medical provider.

If it’s time to see a doctor, is the woman’s OB-GYN the best first step? Should the man get tested, too?

Every OB-GYN is different. Some will do infertility workup and treatment for the female and order a semen analysis for the male as well. Some providers will offer to send couples straight to an infertility doctor for testing and treatment.

Male factors can contribute to 35% to 50% of infertility causes.

Is it true that there’s been a rise in men’s infertility issues – lower quantity and quality of sperm? If so, is there anything guys can do to give their sperm a boost?

Yes. Since the 1970s, there has been a 50% to 60% decrease in sperm count as well as a drop in sperm quality.

Stopping tobacco, drug and alcohol use can be helpful. Obesity also reduces semen quality. Tight clothing, sitting for long periods in hot tubs and saunas, testosterone supplementation, a sedentary lifestyle and a poor diet can also contribute to male infertility.

If a couple gets pregnant quickly the first time, will that likely happen with additional pregnancies as well?

Not necessarily. Prior fertility does not guarantee future fertility.

What else is important for couples to know?

There is about a 15% chance of miscarriage in early pregnancy.