How much time takes to get pregnant

For the purposes of this article, we use this term to refer to sexual intercourse that involves ejaculation into the vagina. Below, we describe the factors that affect how long it takes to get pregnant after sex. We also look at when to take a pregnancy test, early signs of pregnancy, whether anything increases the odds of conceiving, and when emergency contraception is effective. Very little research has investigated whether specific sexual acts influence the chances of pregnancy.

An older study , from , meanwhile, set out to assess the likelihood of conceiving among young couples who had sex without contraceptives throughout the menstrual cycle. The researchers found that the couples had roughly a 1 in 20 chance of conceiving when they did not deliberately time their intercourse for optimal fertility.

While fertility varies widely from person to person, it does decline with age. Fertilization can only occur if a viable egg and sperm meet.

The time it takes depends on whether the person has ovulated yet and how quickly the sperm reach the egg. Sperm can live in the female reproductive tract for about 5 days , so pregnancy after sex may take place up to 1 week before ovulation. An egg lives for 12—24 hours after ovulation. This means that fertilization can occur if intercourse happens anywhere from several days before ovulation to about 1 day after ovulation.

After a sperm fertilizes an egg, the egg begins dividing rapidly. It travels down the fallopian tube and into the uterus, where it must implant in the wall of the uterus.

In natural cycles , those that do not involve reproductive technology, about half of all fertilized eggs do not implant. In these cases, fertilization does not lead to pregnancy. The body begins producing more of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin HCG after a fertilized egg implants in the lining of the uterus.

This typically happens 6—12 days after ovulation. If you had unprotected sex and are wondering if you might be pregnant, taking a pregnancy test is the first step.

Avail NYC offers free pregnancy tests. Read on to learn more about conception and pregnancy. Ovulation is the process of the egg moving from the ovaries into one of the fallopian tubes for fertilization. Knowing when you are ovulating can help determine your chances of getting pregnant. However, the timing of ovulation varies for each woman and can occur as early as eleven days or as late as twenty-one days. The highest likelihood of pregnancy actually occurs when you have intercourse a few days before and on the day of ovulation.

During ovulation, an egg must be fertilized within twelve to twenty-four hours after being released from the ovary in order to lead to conception. When a sperm meets the egg, it will change the surface of the egg so that other sperm cannot enter. The doctor will likely perform a physical examination and order tests that check for fertility issues , such as looking into the quantity and quality of sperm.

Learn more about infertility in males and females here. A couple should talk to their doctor if they have not gotten pregnant after 1 year of trying to conceive. However, anyone who thinks that other factors, such as an underlying condition or age, are affecting fertility should speak with a doctor sooner. Some people may also want to talk to their doctor before they start trying to conceive to see if there are any specific steps they can take to increase their chance of conceiving.

How long it takes to get pregnant is different for every couple. That said, the majority of couples will conceive within 1 year of trying. It is possible but less common to conceive in the first month or within 6 months. A couple looking to conceive should track ovulation and have regular vaginal intercourse in the days leading up to ovulation.

A couple should talk with their doctor if they have difficulty conceiving or if they want to check their fertility levels. In many cases, a doctor can help the couple improve their chances of conception. It is possible to become pregnant after ovulation. Many factors affect how quickly a person will get pregnant. We look at the chances of becoming pregnant within the first year and fertility treatments. Females are most fertile within a day or two of ovulation, which is known as the fertile window.

Being able to calculate when the fertile window will…. A person can get pregnant at any point in their menstrual cycle, but it is much less likely during their period. Most couples about 84 out of every will get pregnant within a year if they have regular sex and don't use contraception.

But women become less fertile as they get older. One study found that among couples having regular unprotected sex:. Some of these factors affect either women or men. The most common cause is ovulation failure which can be caused by lots of different things and sperm disorders.

Read more detailed information about the causes of infertility.