Having had various issues getting pregnant myself and needing IVF for genetic reasons (read my story here), I have had a lot of experience and time spent on fertility forums. I’ve picked up lots of tips on conceiving (known as TTC for short, Trying to Conceive) – some may have more use than others, but when you’ve been trying for a while or you’re just plain impatient, you’re willing to try anything. I’ve looked into the old wives’ tales of getting pregnant to see if there’s any truth in them for you too. If you’ve been trying for a baby longer than a year with no luck, it’s definitely worth a trip to the GP to rule out any issues. In the meantime, here are my top tips for increasing your chances of getting pregnant.
1. Regular, unprotected sex
Did I say I wasn’t going to mention the obvious? I lied. Once your period is finished, start having sex every other day. Apparently, the missionary position is best so finish up this way.
Vikki, Family Travel with Ellie
“Apparently trying to conceive in the missionary position is best as it helps the swimmers travel through the cervix.”
Make sure he ejaculates right inside you and doesn’t pull out straight away. Afterward, stay lying down and if possible, put a cushion under your bottom to tilt your pelvis backward. Turn around and put your legs up against the wall. Relax and do some deep breathing. Ideally, you’ll have had an orgasm too, although it’s not essential. The orgasmic contractions of the uterus and vagina help pull the sperm up the cervix and in the right direction, it also increases blood flow to the uterus and Fallopian tubes. After 5-10 minutes you can get up. You will get some watery semen dripping out but that’s normal and the sperm part of the ejaculate will have gone where it’s supposed to. Contrary to what some people believe you can get pregnant when having sex standing up, on top, however which way you do it and if they pull out straight away. This way just gives you the optimal chance, particularly if the sperm count is slightly on the low side.
Have you heard of a moon cup? They’re made as a natural alternative to pads for menstruation, but inserting one after intercourse (before you stand up) can ‘hold’ the sperm next to the cervix and encourage the swimmers up to the right place. I imagine this would help if your man’s sperm count is on the lower side. You need to get one from a company that conforms to industry standards and is the right size for you. I recommend the UK company Mooncup or take a look here if you’re in the US for options.
2. Wrap up warm
In Chinese medicine, it is believed if you keep your feet warm when trying to conceive (perhaps during the middle of the month) helps. What made sense to me is the practice of keeping your womb warm by keeping a hot water bottle on your tummy in the days following ovulation. Since it’s pretty hard to know the exact time of ovulation and possible implantation, it’s nigh on impossible to keep a hot water bottle permanently strapped to you, so just generally keeping warm may be better. Eat warm food, and wrap up warm! Great during the winter.
3. Use a fertility lubricant
If you’ve been trying for a few months with no luck, it might be worth trying a lubricant that has proven results. Normal lubricants can block the sperm by creating a barrier. So many people have used Pre-Seed, a lubricant that mimics the pH of fertile cervical mucous and contains an antioxidant that supports the sperm. There’s also Conceive plus, which is also pH balanced and contains magnesium and calcium to support the sperm. Both lubricants are certified safe for couples trying to conceive, and I have read about so many success stories of couples using them.
4. Relax
Easier said than done, but just have sex for fun, try new things, have some romance together, get drunk! Forget about it for a month and you might be surprised with 2 little lines. So many people advocate taking a break or forgetting about it for a bit. Try a romantic break away together and see what happens. Here’s some advice from parents who’ve been there.
“Just deciding we wanted to put on hold our trying and wait a year or so seemed to work as we were already unknowingly pregnant!”
“We got married 😂 We’d been trying for about 18 months then got married and fell the next month. To put that into usable advice, stop worrying about it and relax, take away all the stress, and just enjoy the process. If after a year there is no success then start looking into why.”
“With both of ours, we tried for quite a few months and nothing was happening. We decided to take a break to stop the pressure and to focus on other things and both times we fell the first time after the break!”
Claire, Bumps Babies Tots and Teens
“Know your body and Track your cycle, moods, etc. Once you’re in tune with your body you will notice signs of ovulation (cramping, mood), etc. Use an online calculator to determine your ovulation days. But like I said if you get to know your own body you’re onto a winner. Go with the flow. Don’t stress about it, and certainly don’t make it a chore. I swore by taking care of myself mentally and physically. Take prenatal vitamins, folic acid, and omega 3. 👌 I’ve got 5 boys.”
“Getting a dog helped. Not that he was involved you understand, but after over a year of trying and nothing we decided we would skip forward in our long-term plan and re-home a dog. I know it sounds stupid but I think the pressure and the worry was lifted a bit once I decided that actually we didn’t *need* to have a baby to have something wake us up and poo everywhere.”
5. Maca Root Supplements
The Maca Root is an adaptogenic herb that has been shown in studies to improve fertility in both men and women. It supports hormonal balance, the thyroid, and normal sexual function. It is also said to increase mental clarity, energy, and stamina. Both men and women should take it. Laura says:
“When we started trying for our daughter my husband read that a Maca Root supplement increased your fertility levels. We both took it and got pregnant the first month, and went on to have three babies in two years!”
You need to make sure it’s as pure and natural as possible. If you live in Peru, where it grows you could source it naturally, but otherwise, Nutravita is a UK company that sells Maca Root supplements at pure natural grade.
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6. Dark Chocolate
Here’s one you can easily get on board with. Chocolate contains Flavonoids and Arginine which can elevate your mood and promote blood flow to the uterus and ovaries specifically. Just a square or two each per night can have all sorts of benefits, plus chocolate makes you feel good and releases Oxytocin, the love hormone.
7. Evening Primrose Oil
Research has shown that taking a daily supplement of Evening Primrose Oil (sometimes shortened to EPO) can help reduce PMT and inflammation, increase cervical mucous production, and improve uterine health. This is because it is a rich source of the omega-6 essential fatty acids Linoleic Acid (LA), and Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA). LA and GLA are required by the body to make Prostaglandin E (PGE2). Prostaglandin E plays an important part in female fertility by helping to control the regulation of hormones, acting on uterine cells, cervical cells, and corpus luteum regression. Getting enough LA and GLA omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids through EPO supplementation ensures you are promoting healthy Prostaglandin function. There is a slight blood thinning action so care should be taken if you are on blood thinning medication, and Epilepsy sufferers are advised against taking Evening Primrose Oil. Again, if you are going to take it, make sure it is in its purest form.
8. Track your cycle and ovulation
There are several ways to track ovulation. Firstly, take your temperature every day with a digital thermometer to two decimal places and record the results all the way through a couple of cycles. This method has been used for a long time, my Mum remembers using it when she was trying, as it was taking a while. You can get digital thermometer kits on Amazon with charts included very cheaply, or record it on a fertility app like Ovia or Fertility Friend. You should notice an increase in temperature by a couple of points before ovulation, and then it will stay up afterward, then decrease before your period starts. Start having sex every other day at least as the temperature increases and for a week afterward. If you get pregnant, the temperature will stay up. Ovulation prediction test strips can help you predict when ovulation will occur too, they work like pregnancy tests, you pee on them and there will always be a faint line but then when you get the hormone surge it becomes darker. Once you’ve gone through one cycle you know what to look out for. Sophie says:
“I started tracking my ovulation cycle and it gave me a greater idea of when the best chance to conceive was. I was also really laid back because I know that stressing can make it all worse and it worked for us!”
The other way to track your cycle is by looking at your cervical mucous. It sounds gross but it’s important stuff! You really get to know your body when you’re TTC. Your cervical mucous changes throughout your cycle, from thick and creamy to watery and then to egg-white stretchy mucous, which is when it’s most fertile. It then goes back to thick. To check yours, insert two fingers gently into the vagina, then withdraw and pull your fingers apart. If you don’t get much out and it’s white and thick, then it’s not fertile. As you get closer to ovulation, the mucous becomes more watery and stretchy until it becomes like egg white and you can stretch your fingers apart and a string of mucous will remain attached. After ovulation, the mucous goes back to being thick and white. I used this method alone with Daniel, had unprotected intercourse once during the month, and got pregnant.
If you know your body and your cycle, you can have sex exactly at the right time, which may be different from when you thought it was. Emma describes her experience:
“Every time I’ve got pregnant it’s been from conceiving really early in my cycle, way before all the books and apps would say I was fertile. So don’t save it all up for all the middle of the month!”
“I used an ovulation testing kit and fell pregnant the first month I used one, both times. Having sex lots didn’t work for us, we needed a targeted strike!”
“I bought a book called ‘The Inpatient Woman’s Guide to Getting Pregnant’. It suggested taking 1000mg of fish oil tablets and using a clear blue fertility monitor. After two years of trying and being told we needed IVF, the first month we used the monitor we conceived. We then miscarried! But the next month we used the monitor again and fell pregnant. We now have our little girl. I tell everyone about these monitors. They are not the same as the usual ovulation tests.”
There are a lot of women who are fans of the Clearblue Fertility monitor, which is a little more expensive than the ovulation sticks but many swear by it and have had success as above, as it monitors more than just the LH surge and can also test for pregnancy. It’s proven to be as accurate as ultrasound testing for ovulation. You can get the fish oil tablets in health food shops, chemists, or online via this link.
9. Acupuncture
Lots of women swear by Acupuncture as an aid to conceiving. I think it helps by promoting relaxation and well-being, but it’s been practiced for so many years and is recommended by lots of fertility clinics to women undergoing IVF.
10. Cough Mixture
Certain cough mixtures contain Guaifenesin, which thins the mucous in the chest, but it doesn’t stop there and also thins the cervical mucous. Some women swear by it around ovulation, so that the sperm can easily get past the cervical mucous. During pregnancy, it’s not advised for the same reason, if it loosens the cervical mucous it could cause problems, so should be used only around ovulation. Check the label on your cough mixture, or get one from a chemist.
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11. See an Osteopath or Chiropractor
Alignment, especially pelvic alignment is important during TTC and pregnancy. It may be worth seeing an Osteopath or Chiropractor for an assessment. They can literally click things into place for you and it may make a difference. Pippa has a funny story about this:
“This is obviously not one I really suggest, but it worked for me! So we’d been trying to have a baby (our first) and I fell down the stairs, one day whilst rushing to work. It was bad enough that I needed to go to the hospital and needed an x-ray to rule out a broken butt! Okay, it was a suspected broken tailbone, but you know what I mean! Anyway, I did a pg test there as they asked if I could be pg, and it was negative but the nurse said I had to check again as the jolt down the stairs could have helped move things into place ROFL. Sure enough, a week later I was officially PG.”
12. Reflexology
Similar to Acupuncture in the way that it is a relaxation aid, gives you time out to relax and talk through your issues, Reflexology can also help pinpoint where you are in your cycle, and highlight any problem areas.
13. Keep the sperm healthy
Sperm need to be at a lower temperature than body temperature, which is why the testes are on the outside (poor design), so make sure underwear and trousers aren’t too tight, and avoid saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs on fertile days. A good multivitamin is a good idea, one with zinc, calcium, and magnesium is best. There is also evidence that men should take a Folic Acid supplement whilst TTC to prevent abnormalities. Some things you may not even think about, Emma suggests:
“Don’t let your bloke use a laptop on his lap as it warms his spuds too much and the sperm have to be a certain lower temperature to be in prime fertility mode!”
Sex first thing in the morning is supposed to be when the sperm count is at its highest, so get your morning glory on! Beth agrees, she was told by an adamant friend that it’s when sperm is at their peak. It’s all about the quality of the sperm too, and regular ejaculation keeps the sperm healthy, so don’t abstain – good news for the guys.
General health tips for men: lose weight if you’re overweight, as being overweight can affect your hormone balance just like it does for women. Avoid too much soy in your diet, as too much decreases sperm count.
14. Check your Thyroid
Do you suffer from Hypo or Hyperthyroidism? If you do get your levels checked before you start trying for a baby to make sure they are stable. Jenni suffers but thought she was OK:
“If you are having trouble conceiving, have your thyroid levels checked out. I’ve had trouble with my thyroid since I was a teenager, but had been stable for several years. But it turned out that since the last check I’d had, over a year earlier, the levels had changed dramatically and chances of conceiving naturally were about 1%. Once my medication was adjusted, we conceived very quickly.”
If you’ve never been checked and have been trying for a while it might be worth asking your GP to do a blood test.
15. The Keto Diet/ Losing weight
If you are overweight just losing weight by eating healthy and exercising more will help increase your fertility, but the Keto diet (you can find more information on the Keto diet here and here) is particularly good if you suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome).
Christy, Welsh Mum
“As someone who suffers from PCOS, nothing worked for 9 years, including medical intervention. I went on the keto diet to lose weight (low carb) and got pregnant. It was only later I read that keto has a great track record for women who are struggling to conceive with some fertility issues. I 100% believe I wouldn’t have my son today without it.”
It’s a good idea to make any lifestyle changes together as a couple, that way you’ll feel proactive and unified together. As mentioned above with the men, being overweight in men and women affects the hormone balance, as does being underweight.
Leslie, Messy Blog UK
“All three of my babies followed significant weight loss I lost 3 stone before conceiving my first, gained some back, lost 2st before getting pregnant with my second after trying for a year, kept most of that off, and lost another half a stone, and bam, pregnant again!”
Tricia, “Weird one…. going vegan. I went vegan in August. Fell pregnant in November. We’d been trying for 2.5 years!!!! Never for a moment did I think that would be a side effect.”
It’s often the hardest thing to do, but even small changes can help. Try listening to motivational podcasts specific to weight loss which can help you along.
16. Cut/ Reduce Caffeine intake
There isn’t 100% clear evidence on caffeine and fertility, but it is generally agreed it is safe to consume 200 to 300 mg of caffeine daily while trying to conceive, which equates to up to two 8-ounce cups of coffee with milk.
Laura, Edinburgh with Kids
“Caffeine massively reduces your fertility. I went to see a dietitian before officially trying and just got to the point I felt I was healthy. Caffeine consumption was the first thing we addressed.”
Don’t forget caffeine is in tea and a lot of fizzy drinks and also chocolate, so check your food and drink labels. It goes without saying (hopefully) that energy drinks are a no-no.
17. Quit smoking
If you or your partner smoke, both should quit. Smoking massively affects fertility and the quality of eggs and sperm. You can use patches and E-cigarettes when TTC and pregnancy so it’s always the right time to quit.
18. Reduce or cut Alcohol
Too much alcohol affects you and your partner’s fertility plus it can make you put on weight. Try cutting out the booze for a couple of months and see what happens.
19. Royal Jelly Supplements
I know it’s another supplement, if you take them all you’d be rattling, but there’s evidence in all of them so they all have their uses. Royal Jelly is said to be good for raising the egg and sperm quality, and hormone balance. Royal Jelly is what’s fed to the Queen Bee to develop her ovaries and is not eaten by the other bees. Try Forza Royal Jelly 250mg Supplements or Fit Life Health Royal Jelly 750mg Supplements.
So there you have it, my epic list of ways to help you get pregnant. Have you used any of these methods? What worked for you if you struggled? Let me know in the comments below, I read them all and reply.
12 Comments
Some really great tips on things to try. It’s one of those things where you feel you have no control over when it happens, at least by trying these you know you are doing all you can to help xx #PBE
January 18, 2018 at 4:35 pmSo true! You are doing amazing work! Thanks for sharing your wonderful tips. My husband and I had been trying for 2 years. We both were checked out to make sure there were no major issues with either of us regarding why we hadnt gotten pregnant yet. We read that a lot of people have success on the 2nd round of Clomid! I am now 11 weeks pregnant and would definitely recommend Clomid for anyone who hasnt gotten pregnant after at least a year of trying and is unsure why. I am not sure if I just wasnt ovulating or what, but Clomid worked for me!! Dont be scared to ask your doctor about it! My insurance didn’t cover Clomid. But I got it (thanks google) . My friend gave me the code ‘Get4preg’ ❤️ and she said ‘just Google it’. Goof luck to all!
April 19, 2021 at 6:43 pmBelieve it or not, I have PCOS and thought I was quite infertile. 2 of my children were clomid babies. Everyone tells you to “relax” and it will happen, but it is the hardest thing to do when all you want is a baby.
#pbe
January 21, 2018 at 9:47 pmYep, pretty impossible!
January 21, 2018 at 9:56 pmAre there any negative side effects to the lubricants? I’m very interested in pre-seed but am nervous. Thanks!
February 17, 2018 at 5:13 pmNone that I’ve found – it’s specially designed for couples trying for a baby and has been used for several years with no reported issues
February 19, 2018 at 10:27 amGreat list of things to try. We’d been trying for a while but stopped when my fiancé was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. We’re hoping to get back to trying but now that’s on my brain my periods have again become irregular. I’m losing weight now too though so fingers crossed. I’ve been apprehensive to try supplements but I’ll definitely consider them.
February 26, 2018 at 8:28 amAmazing, What a blog! It’s really good.
May 31, 2018 at 6:32 amI trust on Acupuncture, this is really helping people to increase their chances. The world needs to know about these techniques. It will definitely bring smiles to many million couples out there. Thank you so much for sharing this informative article. I am so glad that I have come across this blog!
August 17, 2018 at 12:48 pmCough mixture to improve your chances of getting pregnant? What a cheerful solution. Thanks a ton for these tips dear!
February 25, 2020 at 2:59 pmThanks for your tip about how fertility in both sexes can be improved by maca root because it supports hormonal balance. My wife and I have been trying to get pregnant for a while without any success and it has been really hard on her. It could be really useful for us to talk to a professional OBGYN to help us get pregnant.
March 18, 2020 at 11:57 pmKeto diet refers to low carbohydrate and high-fat eating patterns which has various ways to approach it giving birth to the keto cycle diet concept.
January 11, 2022 at 12:25 pmhttps://nutrabursts.com/keto-cycle-diet/