One of the most common questions I get asked is how to get pregnant and how to get pregnant fast. The obvious answer, have sex or have more sex, is not the answer people are looking for. Also, quite frankly, sex will not work for everyone. Same-sex couples, single men or women, couples with infertility, The LBGTQ community cannot conceive by having sex or having more sex. That said, for heterosexual couples the answer to how to get pregnant may be as simple as having sex, having more sex, or having sex at the right time. This post focuses on when there is a sperm and egg source readily available and they can engage in good old-fashioned sex.

Steps to get pregnant

• First thing first: Get ready for pregnancy. Before trying to get pregnant it’s important to make sure that you are in good health. All medical problems need to be under control. Meet with a doctor to review your medical histories, medications, prenatal testing options, diet etc. before trying to conceive. I also recommend starting a prenatal vitamin before trying to get pregnant. I know you already know this but it is important to quit any bad habits like alcohol, drugs, vape, marijuana etc. when you start trying to get pregnant.
• Second thing second: Determine if there are going to be any obstacles to trying to get pregnant. In order to have the best chance of getting pregnant the old-fashioned way a woman needs to have regular cycles with ovulation and open fallopian tubes. The man needs to have normal ejaculatory function, normal sperm numbers and normal sperm function. Red flags such as a history of irregular cycles, STDs, cancer treatment, previous surgeries, endometriosis, current testosterone use or a history of testosterone use, difficulty conceiving in the past, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, endocrine disorder, etc. can all indicate the chance of conceiving the old-fashioned way may be decreased. If you or your partner have any of these red flags I recommend seeing a doctor.  A doctor can start the appropriate workup and determine if fertility help is needed. If you or your partner has had a vasectomy or tubal ligation (i.e. tubes tied) then you do have infertility. In that case you should seek infertility testing and infertility treatment right away.
• Third thing third: Sex!!! I know a lot of you will try to put this first but it should be third. Sex is obviously an important part of trying to get pregnant. The sexual position is not that important as long as ejaculation happens inside the vagina. However timing makes all the difference. This doesn’t mean longer the better (which is good, because to me that just sounds painful). What is important is to have intercourse during the right time in the menstrual cycle. Studies have shown that the best time in the menstrual cycle to have sex. In order to get pregnant fast have sex on the day of ovulation and/or the two days before ovulation. Sex every other day around the day of ovulation is adequate. If you have extra free time, sex every day around the time of ovulation may slightly improve your chances.
• Fourth thing fourth: Hopefully not many of you will need to reach this step. This is the step where things are not working as fast as we would like. Now it’s time to see a fertility specialist. It is always appropriate to see if fertility specialist if you have questions regarding your fertility. That said if you are under 35 and have been trying to get pregnant for more than a year without success or if you are between 35 and 39 and have been trying to conceive for more than six months without success it is time to see a fertility specialist. If you are 40 or over I recommend that you see a fertility specialist right away. Remember seeing a fertility specialist doesn’t necessarily mean that you will start infertility treatment. You will start with fertility testing. Sometimes through fertility testing the issue causing the infertility can be identified and easily corrected.