How Long Does it Take to Get Pregnant?

One of the questions that most people ask when they first start trying for a baby is how long does it take to get pregnant? If I believed my biology teacher, it would have happened the very first time that I had unprotected sex. Alas he has a lot to answer for because for me it took quite a lot longer than that.


Even for perfectly healthy couples, unprotected intercourse does not always result in a positive pregnancy test the first month that they try. For the average couple, the statistics seem to indicate that:

50% will get pregnant within 4 months
75% will take up to 8 months
90% will conceive with 1 year

That means the odds are in your favour that you will fall pregnant within twelve months of trying. Of course that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore fertility options before that time. In fact many doctors recommend that the older you are when you are trying to conceive the earlier you should seek to rule out any other possibilities that could be causing your infertility.

Which Factors Influence How Long Should it Take to Get Pregnant?

There are certain factors that can determine whether it will be faster or slower for you to get pregnant. These include:

Age: It’s much easier to get pregnant under the age of 35 than over. It takes the average older mom around double the time to conceive than it does a women in her 20′s.

Medications: Certain medications that you are taking will affect your fertility and chances of getting pregnant. If you are uncertain whether yours might be one of them, discuss your options with your doctor about a safe alternative.

General Health: The healthier and fitter that you are, the easier it is to get pregnant. Many studies have shown that couples with a more active lifestyle increase their chances of conception over couples that don’t. That includes giving up harmful substances such as cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.

Stress: I know it’s annoying when people tell you to ‘just relax’ when you are trying to conceive, but there is some basis of truth to it. By treating your stress in a positive manner such as taking a yoga class or indulging in a warm bubble bath each night, you can boost your odds of getting pregnant.

Enjoy Sex: It’s true that couples that have a healthy and enjoyable sex life usually have an easier time of getting pregnant. Once sex becomes a chore then it can decrease your fertility, so try and spice things up again and enjoy sex.

How Long Will it Take to Get Pregnant After Stopping Birth Control

If you’ve been taking birth control pills or other hormone control methods including Depo Provera then it might take you a little longer to get pregnant than someone who was using barrier methods such as condoms to avoid pregnancy.

The reason for this is that it might take at least three to four months for your body to return to normal and your fertility to be restored. Usually a good indicator that you are back to peak fertility is when your menstrual cycles return to a regular schedule again.

But of course every woman is different and some women are able to get pregnant almost immediately after stopping birth control.

How Long Did it Take You to Get Pregnant?

For me it was a struggle to conceive and for my first child it took 18 months and my second just over 2 years. Of course I had issues with a short luteal phase and unbalanced hormones and both times I needed a little boost to help things along.

For my first pregnancy what worked for me was taking a Chinese herbal medicine that included herbs such as Dong Quai and False Unicorn Root. It tasted disgusting, but I took it everyday and in the second month of taking it found out I was finally pregnant.

My second pregnancy wasn’t quite as easy (and yes I did try the Chinese herbs) and in the end it was the fertility drug Clomid that helped me conceive. I was only my third cycle of Clomid when I found out that it had worked and I was finally pregnant again. Funny thing was, because it had taken so long to get pregnant, I didn’t believe the pregnancy test at first and thought the Clomid had caused a false positive! LOL.