How Long Does It Take to Become Pregnant?

In a perfect world, becoming pregnant would be as easy as having unprotected sex and a few weeks later, you find out you’ve conceived. In reality, getting pregnant is a trickier process and there are a variety of things that can interfere with ovulation and conception – such as illness, your age, how often you ovulate, your husband’s sperm motility, and stress.

Not all couples will conceive on their first try, or even during the first month of trying. It can take years for you to get pregnant.

How Long Does it Take to Get Pregnant?

For a majority of couples who are trying to get pregnant, they will conceive within one year of actively trying. According to current statistics, here is how long it takes most women who are trying to conceive:

• 20 percent of couples will get pregnant within one month of having unprotected sex.

• 70 percent of women will conceive within six months of trying to pregnant.

• 85 percent will successfully get pregnant one year (12 months) after they start trying to conceive.

• 90 percent of all couples will get pregnant within 18 months (1 year, 6 months)

• 95 percent of women will conceive within two years of starting to try.

These statistics are just averages.

How fast it takes you to get pregnant depends on various factors, including how fertile you are. Women who ovulate every single month have a greater chance of getting pregnant within a few months, compared to women who do not ovulate as often.

Two years of actively trying to conceive naturally (without fertility drugs, IVF, or other means) has a 95 percent conception rate. So be patient. Getting pregnant takes time!

Getting Pregnant – Factors that Can Affect Your Success Rate 

As mentioned above, how frequently you ovulate can play a major role in how fast you get pregnant. Women who are younger (under 35) and ovulate every single month have a higher chance of getting pregnant.

It may take longer for you to get pregnant in the following situations:

• You have a history of reproductive health problems, like pelvic inflammatory disease, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), uterine fibroids, and blocked fallopian tubes.

• Being over 35 can make it harder to conceive. As you age, you have fewer eggs, you don’t ovulate as regularly, and your eggs are not as viable or healthy.

• You have an older partner. Men also have decreased fertility as they age. Their sperm isn’t as healthy. Sperm can be slower swimmers, or have genetic problems that make it difficult for them to permeate an egg.

• You are not average weight. Women who are overweight and underweight may have a harder time getting pregnant.

• Not regular sex. If you aren’t having sex on a regular basis, it will take longer for you to get conceive.

If you’ve been trying for a baby for over 6 months, and you haven’t been successful, you may want to talk to your healthcare provider

Tips on Getting Pregnant

To improve your chances of getting pregnant, you definitely need to have regular sex. Having unprotected sex every two days is the best way to get pregnant. Daily sex can reduce the quality of your partner’s sperm.

It’s also a good idea to pinpoint your ovulation during that month, and have sex around that time.

Learn more: Tips to Get Pregnant Faster.

About DP Nguyen

DP Nguyen is founder and editor of Hip Chick's Guide to PMS, Pregnancy and Babies. She’s an expert pregnancy and women’s health blogger, and she’s available for blog consultation, ghost writing, and general writing services. She is NOT a medical doctor and does NOT offer medical advice. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, DP spends her free time writing children’s novels and loving on her dog, Gracie Lu. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.