How to get pregnant fast

In this article
Trick #1: See your practitioner and consider genetic testing
Trick #2: Figure out when you ovulate
Trick #3: Get busy at the right time
Trick #4: Set the stage for super sperm
How long to try before seeking help
Last updated: September 2014
Maybe you're just really eager to get pregnant, or maybe you want your baby's birth to happen at a specific time. Here are four tricks to make it more likely that you'll conceive soon after you start trying.

(You'll dramatically reduce the risk of certain birth defects if you begin taking folic acid at least one month before you start trying to conceive. Find out what else you can do ahead of time to give your baby a healthy start.)

Trick #1: See your practitioner and consider genetic testing

You're more likely to have a successful pregnancy if your body is up for the task. To find out whether you're in baby-making shape – and to learn what changes may help – schedule a preconception checkup with a doctor or midwife. You may not be able to get an appointment right away or resolve any health issues immediately, but taking these steps as soon as possible will help you conceive faster in the long run.

Depending on your ethnic background and family history, our practitioner may encourage you to consider genetic screening to see if you or your partner are carriers for serious inherited illnesses such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and others. This may be the single most important thing you can do to help ensure a healthy baby, and all it requires is a saliva or blood sample from each of you. It's even covered by most health insurance policies.

Trick #2: Figure out when you ovulate

The biggest secret to getting pregnant faster is knowing when you ovulate (release an egg from your ovary). Think of the egg as a bull's-eye and the sperm as arrows. One of the arrows has to hit the bull's-eye in order for you to get pregnant.

Since you ovulate once each menstrual cycle, there are only a few days out of each cycle when sex can actually lead to pregnancy. Knowing when you ovulate means that you and your partner can identify the bull's-eye and then aim for it, instead of just shooting a bunch of arrows and hoping the target happens to be there.

You can figure out when you ovulate using a few different methods. Our article about predicting ovulation walks you through them.

If you notice that you have irregular periods over the course of several months, pinpointing ovulation could be difficult. Ask your doctor for advice.

Trick #3: Get busy at the right time

Once you know when your egg will be released from your ovary, you can plan to have sex during your most fertile days: from three days before ovulation through the day of ovulation. (Starting a little sooner can't hurt; some women have gotten pregnant from sex that happened six days before they ovulated.)

You have a range of days for baby-making sex because sperm can survive for three to six days in your body. (Your egg survives for only about a day.) That means if you have sex on Monday, sperm can survive in your fallopian tubes, waiting for an egg to float by, until around Thursday – or maybe even as late as Sunday.

If you're not sure when your fertile period will be, here's an easy rule of thumb: Hit the sheets every other day. Having sex this often means you'll have healthy sperm waiting in your fallopian tubes every day, ready to spring into action whenever your egg gets released.

(If you want to have sex more often than every other day, that's fine. It won't help you conceive faster, but it won't hurt, either.)

Another tip: If you and your partner are waiting to have sex until your most fertile time, make sure you haven't gone through too long of a dry spell beforehand. Your partner should ejaculate at least once in the days before your most fertile period. If he doesn't, there could be a buildup of dead sperm in his semen when it's go time, and dead sperm can't get you pregnant.

Trick #4: Set the stage for super sperm

Sperm have their best shot at fertilizing an egg when they're healthy, strong, and plentiful. Several things can help your partner get his sperm supply in fighting shape:

Cut back on alcohol (studies show that drinking daily can reduce testosterone levels and sperm counts and raise the number of abnormal sperm)
Nix tobacco and recreational drugs (these can cause poor sperm function)
Eat enough of certain key nutrients – like zinc, folic acid, calcium, and vitamins C and D – that help create plentiful, strong, wiggly sperm
Avoid hot tubs, saunas, and hot baths, since heat kills sperm (testicles function best at 94 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit, a couple of degrees cooler than normal body temperature)
The sooner your partner can make these changes, the better: Sperm take a while to develop, so the improvements he makes today will yield better sperm specimens about three months from now.

How long to try before seeking help

If you're going to get pregnant naturally, it's very likely to happen within the first three months. About 6 out of 10 couples have conceived by then.

After that, how long you should keep trying before you seek help from a fertility specialist depends in large part on your age. Fertility declines as you get older, so if you're over 40, get help from an expert right away. If you're 35 to 40, talk to a specialist after you've tried for six months with no luck. And if you're under 35, it's probably fine to keep trying for a year before seeking assistance.

Of course, if you have reason to suspect a fertility problem in yourself or your partner, go ahead and make an appointment – there's no reason to wait.

Other links for you:

Trying to conceive? Five changes to make to your diet now
Reasons to start taking a prenatal vitamin
Fun and done! Parents relate the moment they con

7 Relationship Mistakes Even the Smartest Couples Make

KEEP YOUR RELATIONSHIP ON THE RIGHT TRACK BY AVOIDING THESE COMMON PITFALLS. WE COVER EVERYTHING FROM GRAPPLING WITH DEBT TO GETTING STUCK IN A SEX RUT!

Mistake #1: Not Dealing With Debt

Newsflash: Money is the #1 thing couples fight about. Fess up about your personal debt -- because for better or worse -- and then set up a financial game plan with our budgeter.

Mistake #2: Alienating Your Friends

Friends are key for a successful marriage, so tag along on those girls' nights out. Just because you're not guy-hunting doesn't mean you can't be a supportive wingwoman.

Mistake #3: Not Having Enough Sex

Over 60 percent of newlyweds we surveyed were already in a sex rut! Yeah, you're busy, but that's not a good enough excuse not to get busy. Initiate sex, even if you don't feel like it or have to schedule it. If you get in the habit of having it, you'll start wanting it (and liking it) more.

Mistake #4: Letting Yourself Go

So you put on the "newlywed nine." Big whoop...you've already found your mate, right? Wrong! Make a plan to get fit together or at least respect each other's goals.

Mistake #5: Outlawing the In-Laws

Fifty percent of couples we surveyed have a problematic relationship with their in-laws (ya think?). Manage expectations, like saying you'll call on Sundays so his mom doesn't guilt-trip you for ignoring her weekday messages. Even if your spouse is bitching about his family, resist the urge to chime in. It'll bite you in the butt later.

Mistake #6: Crazy Fighting

Getting hitched isn't a free pass to hit below the belt (sorry!). When you're getting really heated, walk away to cool down for a few minutes.

Mistake #7: Becoming Baby-Obsessed

It's easy to fixate on that next big step, but chill out -- the average couple has a kid within three years of marriage. So really, why rush? Savor the moments (and vacations you can take!) now...when you won't have to be waking up for a brutal 4 a.m. feeding.

Having more sex can be beneficial to your happiness and health- find out why.

Foods and Beverages to Avoid During Pregnancy

When you’re pregnant, you want to do everything that’s in the best interest for your baby. That includes eliminating the following items from your plate.


With and Without Diabetes
It's important whether you have diabetes or not to avoid certain foods while pregnant to help benefit you and your baby. It’s important to eat properly and avoid foods that could be damaging to the development of your child.



Mercury
The most common thing we hear to avoid during pregnancy is seafood high in mercury. Too much mercury could harm your baby’s developing nervous system. Foods to avoid include: swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tile fish. Other fish that would be lower in mercury include; shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, Pollock and catfish. The recommendation for serving size of these fish is 12oz per week. If choosing albacore tuna (bigger fish=more mercury) limit your intake to 6oz per week

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Raw Fish, Shellfish, and Undercooked Meats
Avoid raw fish or shellfish altogether. Make sure all fish is cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. If you’re not sure of the temperature, invest in a meat thermometer. Avoid all raw or undercooked meats or poultry. It's recommended to avoid hot dogs and lunch meat. However, if you do eat hot dogs be sure to cook them until steaming. Cook eggs completely until firm,  and avoid pates and meat spreads unless canned

Unpasteurized Cheese

Avoid all unpasteurized cheese products such as brie, feta, and blue cheese unless they are clearly labeled as pasteurized. This also includes any unpasteurized juice, cider, or milk.

Caffeine

Pregnancy can leave you feeling extra tired and fatigued. Unfortunately caffeine can cross the placenta, so it’s best to avoid or limit the amount of caffeine you drink. For pregnant women, caffeine should be limited to less than 200mg per day. One cup of coffee contains about 95mg of caffeine, while one cup of tea contains about 47mg

Alcohol

Alcohol can be damaging to your baby’s tiny developing organs including the brain, and can lead to a whole host of disorders called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so in this case eliminate all alcohol use while pregnant.

Takeaway

Although this list may seem like a substantial amount of foods and beverages to limit, remember it is only for a short time. The health of your baby is worth the sacrifice.

When It Comes to Household Chores, Think Newton’s Law

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Want to have more and better sex? No seriously, this isn’t a cheap ploy to get your attention, do you? Well, apparently there’s a trick to getting both, and it’s as simple as splitting up household chores. According to a recent study that culled data culled from a 2006 marriage and relationship survey, couples who share housework evenly not only had 7.74 times more instances of sex per month, they also enjoyed the sex they had more. Because it’s like the old saying goes, scrubbing toilets is sexy.

Okay, maybe that’s not why, but numbers and nerd data aside, there really does seem to be a connection between housework strategy and relationship health. Anecdotally speaking, most of the happiest couples I know are pretty egalitarian when it comes to maintaining the household. And that doesn’t mean divvying up the housework based on “guy” chores vs. “girl” chores. It’s the 21st century; get with the gender-neutral program already. What it simply means is that happiness comes from doing what your parents should have taught you to do when you were two years old: share.

It’s time to accept the fact that the Flintstones philosophy of marriage and relationship has (thankfully) gone the way of the buggy whip, and that teamwork is the key to keeping things healthy. A good way to think of it is that chores should be divvyed up based on a sort of household Newton’s Law: for every chore there is an equal and opposite chore. One partner cooks, the other does the dishes. One partner does laundry, the other mows the lawn. One partner cleans the bathroom, the other…you get the idea.

What it all really comes down to is respecting each other’s time. Regardless of whether only one of you works, or both of you work, chores suck, and heaping them all on one person, or thinking about them as one person’s “job,” is nothing but a recipe for unhappiness. Even if your division of labor takes into account the fact that one person is at an office all day and the other isn’t, keep in mind that it’s still a division; that a day at the office maybe accounts for a few chores, not all of them.

Not to keep harping on it, but again, it’s all about teamwork, about sharing. It’s like coach used to say, there’s no “I” in team (ok, yes, there’s a “me,” but that’s probably why he was a football coach). It’s about creating habits so that your default setting is to take care of each other rather than expect to be taken care of, even when you don’t feel like doing it. And knowing that it’s your job to do the dishes at the end of the night, regardless of how you feel, or regardless of what you think you “deserve” based on how your day went, is a good way to keep resentment from sprouting up in the relationship. And then there’s all that sex.

7 Trips You Must Take Together Before Having a Baby

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By: Julie Pennell  
Sure, there will be plenty of family vacations even after children come into the picture, but not every bucket-list travel adventure is kid-friendly. That’s why we enlisted the help of newlyweds Gerard and Kieu Bao, who run the travel blog GQ Trippin to find out their vacation recommendations. “The topic of places we should visit before we have a baby has become a frequent dinner table conversion for us,” they said. Below find out the places this adventurous couple has been and where they want to go soon—before they add a new explorer to their family. “Here’s hoping it can help other undecided couples,” they added.

CAMPING
Sure, nothing screams “family vacation” more than a camping trip. Pitching tents, toasting marshmallows, telling ghost stories… they’re all kid-friendly. But there’s a major difference between family camping and couples camping, and you’ve got to experience the latter at least once together. Plus, you can be a lot more daring in the location you choose when kids aren’t involved.

Try: “Tanzania: If you’re overlanding East Africa, make sure you get the opportunity to camp out in the open in the Serengeti,” Gerard and Kieu said. “Where else can you get hyenas laughing and scratching your tents late at night?!”

TROPICAL
When you think of tropical vacations, a sense of relaxation comes over you, right? Maybe it’s the sound of the calming waves, the beach-side massages, or the delicious fruity cocktail in hand… whatever the reason, these tranquil trips are fun, sexy, and should definitely be experienced without screaming kids in the background.

Try: “Whitehaven Beach: In the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, go cruise Whitsunday Islands and enjoy a BBQ lunch overlooking the world-famous, pristine clear tropical waters of Whitehaven Beach,” the couple recommends.

EUROPEAN
This kind of trip is expensive and far, so taking it before the kiddos enter the picture is best. Of course, when they’re older, it’ll be a fun trip to take them on and show them all the places you visited before they were born.

Try: “Prague: Good food, cheap beer and a dark past, what more could you ask for?” Gerard and Kieu said. “Visit early winter just in time for the Christmas Markets and when it’s not as cold yet.”

EXOTIC
Once baby comes, amusement parks and Legoland are going to be the hot ticket adventures. But right now, you still have the opportunity to go somewhere bold, unique, and far, far away from home.

Try: “Jordan: Okay, so it’s not the first place that comes to mind when most think of ‘exotic,’ but it does for us,” they said. “We have not been here, but the lost city of Petra has long been on our list as a place to visit for a while, and especially now, or rather soon, before we start a family.”

ROMANTIC
There’s no better way to celebrate and strengthen your relationship before baby than by traveling to a beautiful place, walking hand-in-hand, and enjoying delicious meals together. Now, that’s amore!

Try: “Cinque Terre: Nestled along the coast of the Italian Riviera, Cinque Terre is made for lovers and a moonlight dinner in near the waterfronts of Vernazza town is a must to cap off all romantic getaways,” Gerard and Kieu told us.

ROAD TRIP
While there will probably be plenty of trips with a car seat in the back to come, every couple should experience a trek across the open road just the two of them. Play road games, put on a special playlist, and prepare to get extremely close (both physically and figuratively.)

Try: “New Zealand: Renting a car to drive in New Zealand was by far our best investment there!” the couple said. “Boasting some of the most picturesque and varied landscapes on Earth, New Zealand is not just ideal, it’s the ultimate road trip destination.”

ADVENTUROUS
You’ll want to tell your kids about the amazing adventures you had as a couple before they came along, so it’s important to create those wild memories now. How cool will they think you are when they flip through your scrapbook and see all the awesome things you did?

Try: “Uganda: Gorilla trekking in Africa has got to be one of the most adventurous things we’ve done,” Gerard and Kieu said. “To see gorillas in the wild was so worth the half day hike deep into the jungles of Uganda.”

What other types of trips are on your bucket-list before baby? Tell us in a comment below!

Fight to Understand, Don’t Fight to Win

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By: Scott Christian
I hate losing. It doesn’t matter at what; bowling, video games, sports, a race to the top of the subway steps. Last year I got so pissed when the Dodgers lost to the Cardinals in the playoffs that I had to walk half the width of Manhattan to cool off. Needless to say I’m competitive. Which is great for some things in life, like work, or softball leagues, or impromptu dance-offs (because life isn’t worth living if it’s not like an ‘80s movie), but for relationships, it’s terrible.

Surely you’ve been down this road at least once before: a small disagreement turns into a bigger fight, which then snowballs into a knockdown, drag out grudge match. By the end of it you’re just a pair of Mike Tysons looking for the nearest ear to bite off. It’s the sort of emotional brawl that the movie Before Midnight brilliantly recreates, which, for anyone who’s ever been in a serious relationship, surely must inspire a bit of PTSD. But here’s the thing about those sorts of high-octane battles: they should, and can (to an extent), be avoided.

I once wrote an article about a guy named Nate Bagley, who traveled the country interviewing happy couples for a project called Loveumentary. One common factor that he found among them was that they didn’t fight to win. Rather, they fought to understand what it was that was making their partner so upset. Which is a difficult thing to do when you are convinced that you are the one who is right. But the truth in almost any fight is there are two sides to the issue. Or if not two sides, then perhaps what you’re fighting about isn’t really the issue at all. Either way, what you are seeing when you fight to win is, more often than not, only the side that most benefits you.

Which is why being a competitive person makes things so hard. In our culture, we’re taught early to fight for what we believe in. But what happens when “what we believe in” is really just selfish desire? Or even if it isn’t, and what we want is subjectively good, what happens when it comes at the cost of the person we supposedly care most about? In that case, “winning” the argument isn’t really winning at all.

In the end, a successful relationship is about, and this is almost painful for me to write, giving. Not materially, but existentially. It’s about loving that other person enough to empathize with them, even when you don’t agree with them. So an argument, then, shouldn’t be an argument at all, but a series of questions designed to understand your partner’s point of view—why it is that they got to the point of being pissed at you in the first place. And from there, more often than not, it’s about simply swallowing your pride, and realizing that, if you really are in it for the long haul, then being understanding is almost always better than being right.