If you’re searching for how to get pregnant fast or the best way to get pregnant, you’ve come to the right place. Although the average conception time is six to twelve months, that can feel like a lifetime when you’re trying to conceive. Don’t despair - there are things you can do to boost your chances of getting pregnant. Because when you’re ovulating and TTC, you know you need to make the most of being fertile (with TTC meaning trying to conceive and fertile meaning you are able to conceive).
In this article, we’ll go over science-backed tips to boost fertility and give you tips to get pregnant. These simple lifestyle and health changes have all proven benefits, so follow along for helpful steps that can increase your chances of getting pregnant and help you conceive faster.
Get a Preconception Checkup and Start Prenatal Vitamins
Even before you get pregnant, you can set yourself up for success by laying the foundations for a healthy pregnancy. It’s a good idea to get a full physical checkup and discuss any medications or supplements you are taking and what they mean for pregnancy. You can discuss any concerns you have and any lifestyle changes you might want to make before falling pregnant. This includes shoring up your diet so that you are getting the right nutrients and vitamins for a healthy pregnancy.
When you’re pregnant you’ll need more of certain vitamins and minerals to support fetal development. These include:
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Iodine - brain and nervous system development
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Choline - brain development and overall health
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DHA - development of brain, eyes, nervous system
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Iron - supports fetal development and prevents anemia
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Vitamin D - bone, tooth, heart, and nervous system development
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Folic Acid - nervous system development
Not only will you need more of these essential elements when you’re pregnant, but it’s a good idea to start supplementing before you even get pregnant. Dietary supplements can help fill the gaps in your diet and support a healthy pregnancy, as well as fetal development when the time is right.
Prenatal supplements provide essential vitamins for both mother and baby. Not only do they support fetal development, but promote well-being and reduce the risk of pregnancy complications. It’s difficult to get enough of these nutrients through diet alone, which is why it’s important to take a prenatal vitamin. Mira’s own Prenatal Multi-Vitamin is packed with all the essential ingredients that help promote reproductive wellness at every stage of the fertility journey.
Track Ovulation to Get Pregnant Faster
Tracking your cycle (and ovulation) means knowing when you’re most fertile and when you are most likely to get pregnant. Your “fertile window” is the period of time when it is possible to get pregnant, encompassing the days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation. Ovulation typically occurs midway through your cycle, but the reality is that every woman and every cycle is unique.
Within the three to five days leading up to ovulation, estradiol (E2) levels begin to rise, triggering the production of luteinizing hormone (LH). Ovulation happens approximately 24-36 hours after this LH surge and you have the best chances of getting pregnant during this time. Your fertile window lasts six days and is a combination of both how long sperm cells can survive inside a woman and how long her egg survives after ovulation. The days immediately following your LH surge are when you are at peak fertility.
Tracking ovulation is one of the best tips to get pregnant since it can help you time intercourse for when you are most fertile. Traditional methods include paying attention to the physical symptoms of ovulation like changes in your basal body temperature (BBT) and cervical mucus. BBT rises after ovulation and you can track it with a special thermometer to see when ovulation has occurred while your cervical mucus changes and you may notice ovulation discharge similar to the consistency of egg whites around ovulation.
The most obvious and reliable symptom of ovulation is to measure your hormones directly. Many women turn to ovulation predictor kits to measure LH and track their LH surge. OPKs are designed with the typical cycle in mind and don’t work as well for irregular cycles or hormonal conditions like PCOS, since they rely on threshold levels to indicate whether you have ovulated or not. Similar to OPKs, Mira’s fertility tracker measures your hormone levels (LH, FSH, estradiol metabolite E3G, and progesterone metabolite PdG) over time but you receive actual hormone concentration levels and personalized cycle insights on par with what you would get at a doctor’s office (without having to go to the doctor!).
Stop Hormonal Birth Control Early
When you’re trying to boost fertility, it’s crucial to stop using hormonal birth control. Hormonal contraceptives can delay how quickly you get pregnant. You can technically conceive right after quitting hormonal birth control, but ovulation may take time to return. These time frames for ovulation and conception are common:
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Birth Control Type |
Average return to ovulation |
Note |
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Combination pill |
2-4 weeks |
Most women ovulate within a month |
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Progestin-only pill |
3-6 weeks |
Slightly longer for cycles to regulate |
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Hormonal IUD |
1-3 months |
Ovulation can resume quickly, but cycles may take time |
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Copper IUD |
Immediate |
Non-hormonal - no ovulation delay |
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Depo-Provera injection |
3-12 months |
Longest delay in ovulation return |
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Birth control implant |
1-6 months |
Varies by person |
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Vaginal ring/patch |
1-2 months |
Similar to combination pill |
If you have questions about quitting your birth control, make sure to speak to your doctor or pharmacist. You can get specific medical details about when you’re most likely to ovulate again.
Build a Fertility-Friendly Diet and Supplement Routine
Obtaining the necessary nutrients is crucial for conceiving naturally and quickly. One way to do that is to build a fertility-friendly diet to help you maintain a normal BMI. You don’t have to follow a strict diet, but adopting a healthy eating pattern, similar to the Mediterranean diet, can have a significant impact on your overall health and fertility. This means eating plant-based meals rich in healthy proteins, vegetables, beans, and legumes, consuming ample amounts of healthy fats, and limiting red meat and refined sugar.
Eat more of these fertility foods:
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full-fat dairy
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salmon
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berries
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lentils
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healthy fats (nuts, avocados)
Eat less:
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trans fats
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sugar
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refined carbohydrates
Specific nutrients are also known to have a positive impact on an individual’s ability to conceive and their overall fertility. Researchers at Harvard have published a study linking folic acid, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids to improved fertility. Nutrients like CoQ10, zinc, vitamin D, and iron help support egg quality and implantation, while B6, inositol, DHA are crucial for hormone production and other reproductive processes.
When you can’t get all the vitamins and minerals you need from your diet, you can boost your chances of getting pregnant with nutritional supplementation. Fertility tea is just one option that provides you with a mix of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to support your overall health and give your reproductive health a boost. Not only can it lower your caffeine intake, but having a cup of tea can be a relaxing ritual that you can use to increase your water intake and replace other drinks. Mira’s own Fertility Tea is full of fertility friendly ingredients to help you get the nutrients you need and get pregnant fast.
Make Smart Lifestyle Shifts: Caffeine, Alcohol, Smoking
Getting as healthy as possible is one of the best ways to get pregnant. It’s also one of the top tips for getting pregnant 30-35, so it’s no surprise that general health and pregnancy correlate.
Modern lifestyles facilitate many bad habits, but they can interfere with your fertility and make it harder to get pregnant.
A recent study suggested that there may be no safe limit for caffeine during pregnancy, but the current recommendation is to consume no more than 200mg per day, or two cups of moderate-strength coffee. We know that no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy, but it is safest if you stop drinking while TTC. Even small amounts of alcohol can negatively impact a developing fetus and if you’re still drinking while trying to conceive, you risk exposing your baby to alcohol before you even know you’re pregnant. More than that, even one drink can lower your fertility and heavy drinking is known to contribute to period problems, which is why tips to get pregnant often include cutting out alcohol.
We know that smoking is bad for our health, but it can be bad for your chances of getting pregnant, too. Smoking while pregnant is linked to a host of negative outcomes, including birth defects and premature birth, but research also links smoking to difficulties getting pregnant for both men and women. Smoking or using drugs while you’re trying to get pregnant is obviously bad for your health, but it can even cause issues with egg quality and is a known estrogen disruptor, making it even harder for you to get pregnant.
Surprisingly, oral health can also be a factor in your chances of getting pregnant. Research suggests that the oral bacteria involved in periodontitis (gum disease) can get into the bloodstream, targeting the fetus, leading to outcomes like low birth weight or premature labor. To improve your chances of getting pregnant, make smart lifestyle shifts, especially with habits like drinking, smoking, or caffeine.
Exercise
Moderate exercise is an important part of improving health and fertility. Anything from walking briskly to aerobic routines is beneficial. When you exercise regularly, you may boost fertility.
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Working out can reduce stress and anxiety, and these issues can disrupt ovulation.
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Being overweight can cause irregular cycles, and exercise can help you lose excess weight.
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Studies show that exercise can help women with PCOS improve fertility.
A lack of physical activity is a known contributing factor to insulin resistance, a common issue for those with PCOS but it can affect others too. Insulin resistance is known to disrupt ovulation and negatively impact fertility, not to mention its impact on your overall hormonal balance. One way you can manage insulin resistance, metabolism, and hormone balance is with nutrient supplementation therapy, like supplements. Mira’s PCOS supplements work to support ovarian health, promote hormonal balance, and assist metabolic function so you can give yourself the best chance of getting pregnant.
It is essential to note that excessive and vigorous workouts can be detrimental. Intense physical activity puts stress and strain on your body, making it more difficult to conceive. The current physical guidelines for exercise say you should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. You can also go for 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise or a combination of both. Something is better than nothing, so find an activity you enjoy, like brisk walking, yoga, or cycling, to keep you moving.
Manage Stress and Protect Your Mental Health
Stress is a part of life, especially when you’re trying to figure out how to get pregnant fast, but too much stress can make it more difficult to get pregnant. When the body is under stress, it releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to deal with the “threat” at hand, but this leads to further hormonal disruption. Stress hormones disrupt the production of other hormones responsible for ovulation. So when we’re stressed and cortisol is running the show, it can delay or stop ovulation entirely, making it that much harder to get pregnant. Simply put, if you’re not ovulating, you’re not able to get pregnant.
There are many practical ways to reduce or manage stress, including regular exercise and counselling. Healthy coping methods include journaling, meditation, and therapy. Some stress reduction techniques, like acupuncture and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have even shown promise for modest fertility improvements and can help with the ups and downs of trying to conceive. The TTC rollercoaster is no joke so it can be helpful to have a solid stress management plan in place as you navigate the inevitable ups and downs of getting pregnant.
When to See a Fertility Specialist
It can be difficult to be patient when you’re trying to get pregnant fast, but most doctors recommend the following timelines before seeking help:
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Under 35 - try for at least 12 cycles before seeing your doctor
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35 and over - try for 6 cycles before seeing your doctor
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Over 40 - see doctor sooner for basic tests and fertility options
Regardless of your age, there’s no harm in letting your doctor know that you plan on trying to conceive. They can make the process easier and even run some basic tests to ensure there are no major problems affecting your chances of getting pregnant. For instance, AMH levels decrease with age alongside egg count, making AMH an important hormone to test and track if you are trying to conceive. Or your partner may undergo sperm testing and the doctor may want to perform an x-ray procedure to examine the health of your reproductive organs known as a hysterosalpingogram (HSG), or an ultrasound.
If you are planning a pregnancy and need a bit of guidance, Mira’s own Hormone Health Coaches can help. Our Hormone Health Clinic for Fertility coaches have field experience in fertility and can offer practical guidance about the process of getting pregnant. Or if you’re looking for a bird’s-eye view of your overall fertility health and ovarian reserve you can try our Panorama Lab Test - a one-time screening that provides individuals with a snapshot of their full reproductive health. With just one finger-prick sample of blood, you’ll get five reports that provide insights into your menstrual cycle, fertility, ovarian reserve, thyroid functioning, and general hormone health. Your results represent one moment in time for your hormones, but for a more dynamic view of your hormone health from cycle to cycle, we recommend testing and tracking your hormones more regularly with the Mira Monitor and Wands.
Final Takeaway: Be Patient — and Proactive
It can be a nerve-wracking time when you’re trying to get pregnant fast naturally, but there are practical things you can do to make the best of your fertility. Follow these science-backed tips, and with a little patience and effort, these changes can help you get pregnant fast and lead to a healthy pregnancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are you most fertile?
You are most fertile on the day leading to ovulation and the day of ovulation. These are known as peak fertility days and are when you are most likely to get pregnant.
When does ovulation occur?
Everyone’s cycle and ovulation patterns are unique. A good guideline is to assume that ovulation occurs midway through your cycle and it’s considered “usual” for ovulation to occur between days 10 to 21. There are many ways to track your ovulation, but the most accurate way to anticipate your fertile window and predict ovulation is by measuring and tracking your fertility hormones directly. This can be done from the comfort of your home with Mira’s at-home hormone monitoring system - a palm-sized hormone lab that can provide you with real-time fertility hormone data. Even if you are not trying to conceive, hormone testing can help you understand other aspects of your reproductive health.
Can you get pregnant right after your period?
Yes, depending on the length of your cycle and when you ovulate. If you ovulate early, and you’ve had unprotected sex near the end of your period, sperm could still be present and able to fertilize the egg.
Can you get pregnant on your period?
Yes! The chances of getting pregnant on your period are extremely low - but they’re not zero. For a full breakdown of how this is possible, see our full article: Is it Possible to Get Pregnant on Your Period?
