What Are The Odds Of Getting Pregnant?

There are several factors that affect a woman’s odds of getting pregnant, the time frame within with conception is tried, the age and health of a woman and the kind of birth control that a woman was using prior to deciding to get pregnant. These are the chief factors that affect the odds of getting pregnant:

Time of month: Ovulation of course is the best time of the month for conception, which considerably ups the odds of getting pregnant.

Ovulation usually occurs mid cycle or about 13 to 16 days before a woman has her period.

A sperm can survive for several days so that even if intercourse has had a couple of days before ovulation, the odds of getting pregnant are still high.

Ovulation is characterized by a slightly elevated temperature and a clear vaginal discharge that looks somewhat like egg whites.

A couple who has intercourse at the right time of month, can have an up to 25% chance of getting pregnant each month, and so it is likely that most healthy couples will conceive within about 4 months of trying to get pregnant.

If a pregnancy does not result after 6 months of trying, there may be reasons to see an infertility specialist. The odds of getting pregnant for a woman who is not trying to get pregnant and who is sexually active, is also fairly high and she has a 11% chance of conceiving every month.

Age of the woman: The best child bearing years for a woman are in her 20s when her odds of getting pregnant are highest. After the age of 30 the odds of getting pregnant considerably reduce. Risk of complications and miscarriages also begin to rise after the age of 30 for a woman.

Positions and other considerations: Though some women may assume positions with legs in the air etc so that the sperm ‘reaches’, in fact the sperm reaches the cervix within moments and there may be no reason to do so.

There is also a view that a couple should abstain from sex for days before ovulation so that the sperm count has a chance to build up. This is however unnecessary and the odds for getting pregnant are as good even with a regular two to three times a week schedule.

Lifestyle, occupations, and diet also affect the odds of getting pregnant. Obesity affects chances of getting pregnant as do certain hazardous occupations.