How long does it take to get pregnant?

Short answer: with regular unprotected sex about 84 percent of couples get pregnant within a year. Of those who have not after a year, about half still do in the second year. So taking a few months is very normal. It says nothing about whether it will work.

Still, every period that does come feels like a small disappointment. Below you read what is normal, what you can do yourself, and when it is time to ask for help.

What the numbers say

The UK guideline from NICE and the NHS are based on couples who have sex about every two to three days, without contraception:

• About 84 in 100 women get pregnant within a year.
• Of the couples who do not that year, about half get pregnant in the second year.

So the chance per cycle is far from one hundred percent, even when everything works well. An egg lives only about a day after ovulation, and not every cycle with well timed sex leads to a pregnancy. A few months of "nothing" is not a sign that something is wrong.

Age plays the biggest role

Women's fertility declines gradually, and from about 35 it goes faster. The number and quality of eggs go down, and the chance of miscarriage goes up. That does not mean it will not happen after 35: many women get pregnant then without help. It does mean you ask for help sooner if it does not work. The man's age plays a part too, although that effect is smaller.

Your fertile days

You can get pregnant on about six days per cycle: the five days before ovulation and the day of ovulation itself. Sperm survive a few days, the egg about one day. So sex in the days before ovulation gives the best chance.

You can calculate your fertile days, but you do not have to. The NHS advises simply having sex every two to three days throughout the cycle. Then you are always covered, and it takes the planning and pressure out. Still want to know when you ovulate? Read calculating ovulation and how to use an ovulation test.

What you can do yourself

Start folic acid in time

The advice in the Netherlands is to take 0.4 milligrams of folic acid a day from at least four weeks before you get pregnant until ten weeks into your pregnancy. It lowers the chance of spina bifida in your baby. So start as soon as you decide you want to get pregnant. Advice in other countries is similar; check your local guidance.

Stop smoking and drinking

Smoking lowers the fertility of women and men. Alcohol can harm your baby, even very early in pregnancy, when you do not know yet that you are pregnant. The advice is not to drink alcohol when you are trying. That also goes for your partner: sperm take about three months to mature.

Mind your weight

Being clearly underweight or overweight can disrupt ovulation. A healthy weight improves your chances, and small steps already count.

Medicines and health

Do you take medicines or have a chronic condition, such as diabetes, epilepsy or a thyroid condition? Tell your doctor or specialist that you want to get pregnant, ideally before you start. Some medicines need adjusting.

After the pill you can start straight away

There is no need to wait after stopping the pill. Fertility usually returns quickly, although your cycle can vary in the first months. Read stopping the pill.

When to see a doctor

• You have been trying for a year without success.
• You are 35 or older and have been trying for six months. That is also the advice of ACOG, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
• Straight away if your cycle is very irregular or your period stays away, if you have endometriosis, PCOS or a previous belly operation, or if your partner has known fertility problems.

The doctor looks at both of you. In about a third of couples the cause lies with the man, in a third with the woman, and in the rest with both or there is no clear cause.

Tracking without making it a project

Tracking your period and perhaps your ovulation signs helps you learn your own cycle, and it helps your doctor if it takes longer. But it should not become a second job. Keep to the basics: when did your period start, and how long is your cycle.

With PERIOD. baby you follow your fertile days while you are trying, and once you are pregnant the same app carries on with your pregnancy, week by week. When that switch makes sense is in from cycle app to pregnancy app. Your data stays in the EU and is never sold.

Sources: NICE, Fertility problems: assessment and treatment (CG156); NHS, Trying to get pregnant and Infertility; ACOG, Evaluating Infertility; Thuisarts.nl (Dutch College of General Practitioners), I want to get pregnant; Dutch government and RIVM, folic acid advice. This article is general information and not medical advice.

FAQ

How long does it take on average to get pregnant?

About 84 percent of couples are pregnant within a year with regular unprotected sex. Many couples need a few months, and that is normal.

What is the chance of getting pregnant per cycle?

Far from one hundred percent, even when everything works well. That is why doctors look at a period of a year, and for women aged 35 or older at six months.

When should I see a doctor if it does not work?

After a year of trying, or after six months if you are 35 or older. Go straight away with a very irregular or absent period, or with known conditions such as endometriosis or PCOS.

When should I start folic acid?

The Dutch advice is 0.4 milligrams a day, from at least four weeks before you get pregnant until ten weeks into your pregnancy.

Trying to get pregnant? Download PERIOD. on the App Store or on Google Play and follow your fertile days, and then your pregnancy, in one app.