For many women who desperately want a baby, trying to get pregnant is the most frustrating part of getting there. Something you'd think would be super easy can actually take a lot longer than you expect. With the length of time it takes to get pregnant being affected by several factors, there are things you need to know about the average length of time it takes women to get pregnant and when you should stop just trying and see a fertility specialist.

The Average Time It Takes to Get Pregnant

Several studies have shown 25 percent of couples who are trying to get pregnant conceive during the first month of trying. Eighty percent of all couples trying to conceive are successful within the first year and another 10 percent do it within a year and a half, leaving only 10 percent of couples that don't manage to get pregnant within the first 18 months. It stands to reason therefore you should try for at least a year to 18 months before you seek the advice of a doctor. However if you are the type who tends to worry, an earlier visit to the doctor can put your mind at rest and your doctor can also suggest some strategies to improve your chances. Other factors like age (younger women tend to conceive faster than women over 35), if you smoke, if you've ever had an STI (sexually transmitted infection) or have done recreational drugs can also affect your ability to conceive quickly. Women who fall into one of these categories may find themselves having to try several months longer than women who don't.

Things You Can Do to Improve Your Chances

Although getting pregnant quickly can seem like the luck of the draw, there are things you can do to improve your chances and speed up the time it takes to get pregnant. Things like your general health, your nutrition and even your mental health can affect your ability to get pregnant and all of them can cause you to have to try longer. Your Health: If you know you're planning on trying to get pregnant, one of the things you should do beforehand is get yourself into tip-top shape. If you need to, lose a few pounds, sleep more and even take prenatal vitamins. All of these health issues can have a marked impact on your ability to get pregnant quickly. Nutrition: Most of us could easily eat healthier but, when you're trying to get pregnant, eating lots of high-fat junk food will severely impact your ability to conceive. Cut out the snacks and the high-fat food and go for fish, salads, lots of fruit and vegetables and nuts, and drink lots of water. Mental Health: Surprisingly to some, getting stressed about how long it's taking you to conceive can stop you from getting pregnant. Mental stress does all kinds of negative things to your body and panicking about not conceiving as quickly as you would like is only going to make things worse. Relax, don't worry about it. There's no real time you must get pregnant by. It will happen when it happens but you being calmer about it will likely make it happen sooner. Ovulation Cycle: Finally, the time of the month you have sex can also affect your ability to get pregnant, so your ovulation should be monitored closely so you can time having sex during periods that are likely to be more effective.

When Should You See a Fertility Specialist?

If you've been trying to have a baby for at least a year with no success, now may be the time to make an appointment with a fertility specialist. If nothing else, you can have some fertility tests done to make sure there are no infertility problems. When to see a fertility specialist can also depend on your age. Some doctors recommend you see a fertility specialist if you're over 40 years of age and have only been trying for a couple of months, as you may have more problems than younger women being able to conceive. Entirely up to you though but, if it puts your mind at rest, why not. The main thing to remember is there's no "right time frame" to get pregnant for everyone. Some people get pregnant immediately when they start trying, some people take months. Just remember, enjoy the trying part of it while you can because, once you do have that much longed for baby, it might be another 18 years before you can freely enjoy it again.

Source:

How Long To Get Pregnant

Trying to Get Pregnant

Basics of Getting Pregnant