If you've got a bad case of baby fever, chances are you'll try just about anything that could help you fast-track conception. But before you start chanting baby-making mantras or standing on your head, there are plenty of practical, science-backed steps you and your partner can take to improve your chances of getting pregnant faster — and many of them are surprisingly simple.
Just remember, no single strategy can guarantee success. Still, these tips can go a long way toward setting the stage for conception.
Say bye-bye to birth control sooner rather than later.
If you use the pill, patch, or shot — or another form of hormonal contraceptives — stopping sooner can help your menstrual cycle return to its natural rhythm faster.
Hormonal contraceptives usually contain a combo of estrogen and progesterone, which prevent pregnancy by suppressing ovulation or implantation. It can take a few months after going off birth control for your hormones to get up to speed again and for your period to come regularly.
Talk to your practitioner about the best time to get off your birth control. Generally, three months is the preferred time for women using the pill or patch, but it can take up to nine months (or longer) for your fertility to return if you use the Depo-Provera injection.
Check in for a checkup.
It’s a good idea to book a preconception checkup with your doctor or midwife to get some help with your make-a-baby to-do list, like ditching meds that aren’t baby-friendly and making sure your body (and your partner’s) is in its best baby-making shape.
A head-to-toe exam can screen for chronic conditions that might interfere with conception, such as thyroid disorders or ovarian cysts, and identify any potential fertility issues early. Once you get the all-clear, you can focus on trying to conceive with confidence.
Work out wisely.
Not only does exercise help shed excess weight, it also lowers blood pressure, reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and increases blood flow to reproductive organs — all necessary for conception.
But don't overdo it. Research shows that super-vigorous workouts can derail your pregnancy plans, especially if your weight is already where it should be. Why the discrepancy? Fast-paced aerobics like running or cycling can mess with your menstrual cycles — and even temporarily stop ovulation.
To find a balance between working out too hard and not hard enough, talk to your doctor. In the meantime, you can always try low-impact exercise like walking.
“After a year of trying on our own and at a fertility clinic, I still wasn’t pregnant,” says What to Expect Community member hessicaungar, who weighed about 100 pounds at the time. She says it could be a coincidence, but she’s convinced cutting back on exercise is why she was finally able to conceive. “The month I stopped running/overexercising, I got pregnant,” she says.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Being underweight or overweight can affect your fertility as well as your pregnancy, making now a great time to focus on reaching and maintaining your healthiest weight. Ask your healthcare practitioner for healthy weight guidelines for you as you try to conceive.
Take a prenatal vitamin.
A prenatal vitamin is good insurance for you and your future baby. Studies show prenatal vitamins can lower your risk of giving birth prematurely and help with your baby's development.
But that’s not all a prenatal can do. Research has found that women who take prenatal multivitamins also tend to get pregnant faster, so popping a prenatal once a day is always a smart move when you’re TTC (or a mama-to-be).
“I started taking prenatals before trying to conceive — about 2 months before,” says What to Expect Community member babeontheway2024. “I also started paying attention to my diet ... I really started eating more fertility-friendly foods.”
Choose healthy best fats — and help your partner do the same.
What you eat matters if you want to get pregnant faster. After all, healthy foods not only fuel fertility but also build a healthier baby. But did you know that when it comes to getting pregnant faster, reaching for the right stuff may also help your partner too?
Healthy fats like omega-3s can boost sperm count and motility. In contrast, saturated fats (the kind found in chips and fast foods) can sabotage sperm size and shape, making them less hardy. So dig into some salmon, sardines, leafy greens, and walnuts to keep those swimmers in tip-top shape.
Add other sperm-boosting foods to the menu.
Other foods that may help support healthy sperm include:
- Oysters. We’re not sure if oysters are an aphrodisiac, but we do know that their zinc content pumps up the production of sperm and testosterone. If your partner’s not a fan, he can get his share of zinc from lean beef, poultry, dairy, nuts, or eggs, though oysters have the highest concentration of this nutrient.
- Fruits and veggies. Produce is rich in the vitamins that can help protect sperm from cellular damage. He can get folate from leafy greens — men who don’t get enough of this B vitamin tend to have sperm with abnormal chromosomes. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, and berries provide vitamin C, which can boost sperm quality. Carrots, red peppers, and apricots have lots of vitamin A, which keeps sperm from getting sluggish. Sweet potatoes are rich in all three — folate, A, and C!
- Pomegranate juice may up sperm count and quality, per some animal studies. While it remains to be seen if it has the same effects on humans, you can always try swapping out the usual morning glass of OJ.
Boost your dairy and iron intake.
Along with eating right and taking prenatal vitamins, try to fit in one serving of full-fat dairy a day as part of your plan to get more calcium. Research shows that one serving of whole milk or cheese can lower your chances of ovulatory infertility (the inability to produce healthy eggs).
Also aim for two servings a day of iron-rich foods like leafy greens, beans, and lean meats. Iron deficiency can lead to irregular cycles, which may make conception more difficult.
Cut down your caffeine intake … and cut out other vices.
There’s a whole host of studies showing that too much caffeine and alcohol can derail your campaign to conceive. So if you really want to get pregnant soon, limit your caffeine intake to about 200 milligrams per day — which is the equivalent of about two cups of coffee. If you’re undergoing fertility treatments, your doc may lower that limit even more.
But cut out alcohol altogether — it can do a number on both female and male fertility. And though it probably goes without saying, nix nicotine now if you haven’t already. It can cause major cell damage to your eggs and increase the chances of miscarriage once you do get pregnant.
Try not to worry too much.
Studies show that extreme stress can lower your chances of getting pregnant by causing hormone levels to go haywire and decreasing cervical mucus. We’re talking about high anxiety here — not run-of-the-mill frustrations like a broken printer or tantrum-ing toddler.
But even if you’re not at freak-out levels, it can’t hurt to keep your nerves in check by avoiding work overloads, hitting a yoga or Pilates class, listening to music, or venting to your partner or a sympathetic pal. Another plus to finding time for R&R now: Once you do make and deliver a baby, “me” time will be a whole lot harder to nab.
“Have fun! Don’t over think it!” says What to Expect Community member lastbabe2022. “I feel like when you are too stressed about it, it doesn’t happen as quickly.”
What to Expect Community member ksheahan1986 stopped over-stressing about getting pregnant and conceived two months later. “Every single person that told me they got pregnant when they stopped trying was 100% correct. Stress is very detrimental,” she believes.
Stock up on sleep.
If you’re trying to get pregnant faster, make sure you're logging a solid seven to eight hours of Zzzs each night. An irregular sleep schedule may lead to irregular periods, some research has found, which can make ovulation harder to predict and throw off your plans.
Another upside to hitting the hay more consistently: You'll also combat stress and get a more accurate basal body temperature reading, a stat that can help you determine when you're ovulating (see below).
When asked what steps women are taking to prepare for pregnancy, What to Expect Community member mamatwomo answered, “What’s on my list is getting good sleep! Get good nights’ rest and reduce stress.”
Track your ovulation.
Keeping track of when you ovulate can help you get a handle on what your body’s up to and give you a heads-up re: the best times to have sex.
You can be alert for signs of ovulation — like changes in cervical mucus, breast tenderness, and other changes — and you can take your basal body temperature (BBT), which rises slightly when you’re ovulating. You’re most fertile right before your temp rises, though, so you’ll want to chart for a few months to estimate the best baby-making days.
“More, more, and more sex, plus ovulation tests, helped me conceive within two months of trying,” says What to Expect Community member Mahitz.
“I used a tracking app with ovulation strips to confirm ovulation. I’ve been pregnant two times and both times we had sex around five days before ovulation and maybe once one to two days before ovulation,” says What to Expect Community mom NicoleAB20.
The What to Expect app can help you track ovulation signs and pinpoint your most fertile days. The app can also connect you with other women who are trying to conceive.
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