Trying to conceive can feel exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Understanding how lifestyle, timing, nutrition, and overall health influence fertility can help you take informed steps toward conception.
There are trying to conceive tips that may help give you the best chance of conceiving. If you’re wondering how to get pregnant fast, keep in mind that the timeline varies from person to person.
How to get pregnant fast: 7 easy TTC tips
Some people conceive quickly, while others may try for years with little success. While there’s no guaranteed formula, our 7 trying to conceive tips—or TTC tips for short—can guide you on your journey.
1. Trying to conceive: Stop hormonal birth control
Contraception aims to prevent pregnancy. Some forms, for example using condoms, a diaphragm, a copper coil, or natural family planning don’t affect fertility levels. But if you’re using a hormonal contraceptive like the pill, it can take a few months for your natural menstrual cycle to get back to normal after stopping.
2. Trying to conceive: Track your menstrual cycle
It can be helpful getting to know the patterns of your menstrual cycle. You’re most fertile within a day or so either side of ovulating. This could happen, for example, on day 14 of an average 28-day cycle. So having an idea of when you are likely to ovulate could help improve your chances of conceiving more quickly.
3. Trying to conceive: Get to a healthy weight
Your weight can affect your ability to conceive. So aim for a healthy weight suitable for pregnancy, neither underweight nor overweight. Women with too little body fat may have trouble maintaining a pregnancy or may stop menstruating altogether. Women with excess body fat often have difficulty conceiving for other reasons, many of which affect ovulation.
Calculate your Body-Mass-Index (BMI), and if necessary, make changes to your diet and levels of activity so that your body is in the best condition for conception. Infertility is least common in women with BMI’s of 20-24.
Men, too, should know that having a high BMI can affect the quality and quantity of their sperm.
4. Trying to conceive: Keep fit for pregnancy
Being active can boost fertility, as well as get your body into good shape for pregnancy and labor. If you already exercise regularly, keep it up! If not, get fit for pregnancy by alternating among moderate activities such as swimming, power walking, dancing, Pilates or yoga. TTC Tip: consistency matters more than intensity.
5. Trying to conceive: Eat a balanced TTC diet
Did you know that what you eat can have an impact on your chances of getting pregnant? In fact, a nutritious TTC diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and legumes, high in fiber and packed with micronutrients and antioxidants is likely to boost both female and male fertility.
6. Trying to conceive: Refrain from drugs
Nicotine and other drugs should be avoided when trying to conceive because they can reduce fertility, disrupt hormonal balance, and increase the risk of complications for both parent and baby.
So if you or your partner are taking them, you should stop now—or, in the case of prescribed medications, speak to your HCP.
7. Trying to conceive: Avoid alcohol and limit caffeine
If you and your partner are trying to conceive, it’s best to avoid alcohol altogether. Alcohol consumption has been linked to reduced fertility in both women and men, as well as increased risks during pregnancy.
If you consume caffeine, aim to limit intake to no more than 200 mg per day—about 2 cups of coffee, or 4 cups of tea. Higher caffeine intake has been associated with reduced fertility.
Learn more about boosting fertility naturally through lifestyle changes.
