How to get pregnant

For the best chance of getting pregnant, you need to get your fertile eggs and your partner's sperm together as often as possible. 

On this page

How does pregnancy start?

Best time to have sex to get pregnant

When does ovulation happen? 

Are there any signs that I might be ovulating?

Best position to have sex in to get pregnant

Make healthy lifestyle choices

Vitamin D deficiency

Don't stop taking medication without talking to your doctor

Fertility and mental health illness

Know when to look for help with fertility 

 

How does pregnancy start?

It helps to know how your menstrual cycle works. Your cycle starts on the first day of your period and lasts until the day before your next period.

This is what happens during the cycle and the start of a pregnancy.

1. Eggs mature in your ovaries once a month.
2. The lining of your womb starts to get thicker to prepare for fertilised eggs.
3. Once the egg is mature, it is released from 1 of the ovaries. This is called ovulation.
4. During ovulation your cervical mucus (this is the substance in your cervix, between the vagina and the uterus) becomes thinner and clearer, to help any sperm swim to the egg.
5. If you have sex, millions of sperm will swim up the cervix into the uterus and the fallopian tubes to meet a mature egg.
6. If sperm is there when you ovulate, or during the next 24 hours, the egg may be fertilised (only 1 sperm has to join with the egg for this to happen).
7. If the egg is fertilised, it starts to move towards the womb and divide into more cells.  
8. Once the fertilised egg reaches the womb, it has to attach to the lining of the womb. This is called implantation and is the start of pregnancy.
9. If the egg has not been fertilised, it is re-absorbed by the body, the hormone levels drop, and the womb lining is shed – the start of your next period.

There are some things you can do before pregnancy that will help the future health of your pregnancy and child. Use  our tool to find out if you are ready to conceive.

Best time to have sex to get pregnant

To boost your chances of conceiving, aim to have sex every 2 to 3 days throughout your cycle. That way, there will be more chance of sperm waiting when the egg is released.  

If you use lubricant during sex make sure it is sperm-friendly.

If you know when you ovulate each month, you can give yourself the best chance of getting pregnant by having sex in the days leading up to, and during, ovulation.  

Find out more about the  best time of the month to have sex if you’re trying to conceive.

When does ovulation happen?

Ovulation usually happens about 10 to 16 days before the start of your next period, so it helps to know your cycle length before you start trying to get pregnant.  

As a first step, mark the dates in your diary that you bleed during a period. You can then count how many days there are from the first day of your period to your next period, to work out the length of your cycle.  

This will mean you can work out when ovulation is likely to happen. You can also use our  ovulation calculator  to help you.

If you’ve stopped taking hormone contraceptives like the Pill, your periods may be a bit irregular for the first few months while your body adjusts to the change in hormone levels.    

See our advice on  stopping contraception.

Are there any signs that I might be ovulating?

These signs can also help you know when you ovulate:

Cervical mucus changes

Your cervix (the neck of your womb) produces mucus throughout your menstrual cycle. It starts off sticky white and becomes thinner and clearer as you get nearer to ovulating.

Just before and during ovulation, you produce more mucus and it becomes much thinner, slippery and stretchy. It looks a bit like raw egg white.  

This thinner mucus is designed to help the sperm swim through it.

The last day you notice the wetter mucus is sometimes known as ‘peak day’. For most women and birthing people, this occurs very close to the time of ovulation.

Temperature

You can also find out about your menstrual cycle by keeping a note of your temperature each morning when you wake up. Your temperature rises by about 0.2 degrees Celsius when ovulation has taken place.  

As this change in temperature only shows you when you have ovulated, and doesn’t tell you when your fertile time starts, this is not as useful as other methods, but can help you to track your cycle over time.

Ovulation predictor kits (OPK)

You can buy ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) from chemists. There is no firm evidence that predicting ovulation with an OPK makes it easier to get pregnant and they don’t test for ovulation itself.    

Instead, they work by checking a hormone in your urine (wee) that increases when ovulation is about to take place.  

The simplest kit is one that tests your urine for luteinising hormone (LH). This increases 24 to 36 hours before ovulation and  can help to pinpoint the best 2 days for conception.

However, you can be fertile for a day or so before and after this time.

It is best to get familiar with your usual menstrual cycle to help figure out when you should start testing.  

If you have an irregular cycle, an OPK can still help predict ovulation, but you should expect to use more of the test strips.  

Best position to have sex in to get pregnant

The position that you have sex in does not make a difference to conception so long as the sperm goes into the vagina.  

Once this happens, the sperm can swim up through the cervix and into the womb and fallopian tubes to meet an egg if one is there.  

Many people also say that if you raise your legs upwards after sex it helps the sperm get to the womb. This is not backed up by science.  

The route from the vagina to the womb is not a straight line, so you do not need to worry about all the sperm coming back out when you stand up.  

Find out more about  sex positions for pregnancy.

Make healthy lifestyle choices

Even before pregnancy starts, your health sets the foundation for the lifelong health of your baby. And, once you  stop contraception  and start trying for a baby, you won't know you're pregnant for the first few weeks.  

So, making healthy lifestyle changes sooner rather than later will give you peace of mind when you get a positive pregnancy test.

This will help you to:

• protect your baby’s development and future health
• improve your  fertility 
• reduce your risk of  complications in pregnancy.

Things to do and things to avoid

Lifestyle changes and taking supplements will all improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby.

• Start  taking folic acid now  because it needs time to build up in your body.
• Have a  healthy balanced diet.
• Cut down on your  caffeine intake.
• Try to get closer to a  healthy weight  if you are overweight.
• Make sure you are Is) if there’s a chance you may have one.
• It’s best to stop drinking alcohol.
• Stop smoking.
• Do not take illegal (recreational) drugs.

Vitamin D deficiency

You may be at risk of not having enough vitamin D (known as vitamin D deficiency) if:

• you have Black or Brown skin (for example, if you're of African, African Caribbean or south Asian origin)
• you cover your skin when outside or spend a lot of time inside
• your diet is low in vitamin D-rich foods such as eggs, meat, vitamin D-fortified margarine or breakfast cereal.
• your BMI is above 30.

A 10 microgram (or 400 IU) vitamin D supplement a day will be enough for most people to get enough vitamin D.  

But speak to your GP if you think you are at risk of having a vitamin D deficiency or have any other concerns.

Do not take more than 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) of vitamin D a day as it could be harmful. You cannot overdose on vitamin D by being in the sun but remember to cover up or protect your skin to reduce the risk of skin damage and skin cancer.

Vitamin D deficiency and miscarriage

New research has found Vitamin D deficiency is linked to with increased risk of  miscarriage.

There is not enough research yet to show that taking vitamin D before getting pregnant will help prevent miscarriage but it may help. That is why we recommend that you start taking a 10 microgram (or 400 IU) vitamin D supplement once a day while you are trying to get pregnant.

If you have had 2 or more miscarriages before we recommend that you are tested for a vitamin D deficiency. Speak to your GP or specialist. Find out more about  getting referred to a doctor who specialises in miscarriage.  

Don't stop taking medication without talking to your doctor

If you take  medication  for a physical or mental health condition, talk to your doctor or specialist about it before you start trying for a baby.  

Don't stop taking it without chatting to them, as your symptoms could come back or get worse. Your doctor will talk to you about the safest treatment for pregnancy.  

Fertility and contraception when you have a mental illness

You have the right to choose when to try for a baby and how many children you would like to have. However, it’s also important that you have the information you need to help you make these decisions. 

Many women with mental illness have healthy pregnancies but it’s important to keep using contraception and taking your usual mental health medication until you have spoken to your doctor. Stopping treatment for your mental illness without support can make your symptoms come back or get worse.

Some medicines for treating psychosis can affect ovulation, making it harder to get pregnant. This is because they increase the level of a hormone called prolactin. If you’re having regular periods though, you’re likely to be ovulating. (Keep in mind though that even if you are not having regular periods you can still get pregnant.)

If you’re taking antipsychotic medication, it’s a good idea to tell your doctor that you’re trying to get pregnant. 

Talk to your doctor again if you haven’t got pregnant after 6 months of trying, especially if your periods aren’t regular. They may arrange a blood test to measure the level of prolactin in your blood. If the level is too high, ask your doctor about switching to another antipsychotic medicine that doesn’t cause this problem. Other things can also affect ovulation, such as stress or being overweight.

Pre-conception counselling and mental health

Pre-conception counselling gives you the chance to ask questions about how your mental illness may affect a future pregnancy and your chances of getting pregnant. It is usually a single appointment with the perinatal mental health team. This team specialises in supporting women with a history of mental illness before, during and after pregnancy.

You can ask your GP or psychiatrist to refer you for pre-conception counselling.

During the pre-conception appointment, the perinatal mental health team will talk to you about:

• any worries you may have 
• how pregnancy and childbirth may affect your mental illness
• how your mental illness may affect you and your baby
• your physical health
• how your symptoms will be monitored while you are pregnant
• what to do if you feel your mental health is getting worse
• the care available in your area during and after pregnancy.

They will help you understand your options and make informed choices about your planned pregnancy.

Read more about planning a pregnancy with mental illness here.

Know when to look for help with fertility

If you have not become pregnant within a year of regular unprotected sex (sex every 2 to 3 days), see your GP.

If you have a condition that might affect your fertility, like  endometriosis or  polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or if you are  aged 36 or over, talk to your GP sooner. Find out more about  fertility and causes of infertility.

Find out  how long it takes to get pregnant.