How long does it take to get pregnant?
There are lots of questions we ask ourselves when we start trying to conceive. But, without a doubt, there is one question that is asked more than any other and which we continue to ask ourselves when the months start to go by and we still haven’t been able to conceive: How long does it take to get pregnant?
What’s true is that we tend to assume that once we make the decision to become parents that we’ll conceive quickly and easily. However, the sad reality is that humans aren’t good at reproducing.
In addition to poor chances of conceiving, other factors such as the age of the female at the time she decides to start trying to conceive, illnesses or conditions that prevent or make natural conception more difficult, an undesirable body mass index and unhealthy lifestyle habits may turn the road to motherhood into an obstacle course.
As we’ve said before, humans are very inefficient when it comes to reproducing. This is mainly because women are fertile for only a few days during their menstrual cycles, which in turn greatly reduces the likelihood of conception. If we add in the age at which couples start trying to conceive, the chances of getting pregnant are even lower. For each year that we delay motherhood, the odds of achieving a pregnancy go down by 5%, especially after the age of 35.
What’s the likelihood of conceiving each time we try?
For every one hundred couples trying to conceive, only 20% will be successful during each menstrual cycle or month. This means that the remaining 80% will not get pregnant.
If we look at the data for women over the age of 40 who are trying to conceive, the likelihood of conception each month is 5%. In other words, only five in every one hundred women over the age of 40 will successfully fall pregnant. We must also take into account the possibility that the pregnancy will naturally stop progressing (called spontaneous miscarriage), which affects 10-15% of pregnant women.
What are the cumulative pregnancy rates?
According to the published data, only 20% of women will get pregnant the first month they try, 57% after three months of trying, 72% after six months and 85% will successfully conceive before the year is up. Of the couples who haven’t gotten pregnant within the first year of trying, only half of them will be successful during their second year. After the second year of trying, the odds of conceiving drop significantly to less than 3% per month.
What do we need to do in order to get pregnant?
As we always say at URE Centro Gutenberg, persistence is your best friend when it comes to fertility. The ideal situation is to have regular sexual intercourse at least two or three times a week, especially on the days leading up to ovulation. This way you can be sure that there will be sperm in the fallopian tubes waiting for an egg to be released.
To calculate when ovulation will take place, this will occur on cycle day 14 in females whose cycles come regularly every 28 days, give or take. This calculation is more difficult for females whose cycles are irregular, but there are different ways to estimate when ovulation will happen, we explain these different methods here.
We would like to reiterate the fact that the best time to try to conceive are the days leading up to ovulation when there is more cervical mucous and it is clear and slippery in appearance, as this type of mucous facilitates the processes of sperm capacitation and entry into the uterus.
At what point should we decide to consult with a fertility specialist?
If after one year of regular intercourse -two or three times a week without the use of any contraception method-, you have not gotten pregnant, we recommend that you consult with a specialist. If you’re trying to get pregnant and you’re 35 or older, we recommend seeing a specialist if conception hasn’t occurred within 6 to 8 months. Additionally, before trying to get pregnant it’s advisable to be checked by a gynaecologist to confirm that your gynaecological health is in check.
Other interesting facts
According to recent data published by the Spanish Fertility Society, infertility affects approximately one in every six couples in Spain and it’s estimated that it could affect one in every four couples in the future.
Age is the determining factor when it comes to conceiving. The most fertile age group is 20 to 30 years old, and then women become less fertile as they near the age of 35. After the age of 35 fertility declines drastically.
For all these reasons, at URE Centro Gutenberg we insist that motherhood shouldn’t be delayed to the extent possible. Or, if this isn’t possible, an alternative is to preserve your fertility through egg freezing. This type of treatment is also performed at assisted reproduction clinics.
Do you have any other questions? Would you like to ask us something or make an appointment with us? Don’t forget that your first appointment is free. Request your appointment here!
