How Long Does It Take to Get Pregnant

All couples eager to start a family get impatient in their wait for pregnancy and ask their doctors 'how long does it take to get pregnant'. Doctors usually do not have any accurate period to give as an answer to this question. Instead, they ask them to relax and enjoy the ride, for it will happen when the time's right. So don't be overly disappointed if you do not become pregnant in the first month itself, for pregnancy does not happen according to desire, but it happens when various biological and environmental factors are perfectly aligned, like an eclipse. Sound complicated no? Don't worry, this article will surely answer your queries on pregnancy.

Statistics on Average Time Required to Get Pregnant

Getting pregnant usually takes several months. The following charts will give some statistics of how long it takes for women to conceive.

Percentage of Women Getting Pregnant	Months Taken to Become Pregnant
50	4
75	8
90	12

The following chart will give some statistics of how long it takes for carrying after the discontinuation of birth control pills.

Percentage of Women Becoming Pregnant	Months Taken for Pregnancy
25	1
60	6
75	9
80	12
90	18

If a couple has been trying to conceive for over a year without success, there may be some problem. One can go to a gynecologist or an infertility specialist for a complete examination. Usually fertility charting and ovulation detection can help in such cases. If a woman is over 35 and has been trying to conceive for over 6 cycles of ovulation, at the right timings as well, then she needs to talk to a medical practitioner for various alternatives.

Factors Affecting the Time Required for Pregnancy

The answer to the above question gets real tricky, as the time required for conception is not the same as the time required for getting pregnant. It actually takes just a fraction of a second for one sperm to find one egg and attach to it. But this conception is not what most couples are interested in knowing about. When they ask, "how long will it take to result into pregnancy", they mean the time between when they decide on having a baby, till the time they read the report confirming the pregnancy. The following is a list of various factors that affect the time required:

• The mother's age plays a big role in the conception of a baby. It is a know fact that the higher a woman's age, the lower her fertility. The most efficient childbearing age is between 25 and 35, when it is easiest for her to become pregnant. The ages before and 25 and after 35 may have to wait longer to be pregnant.
• Sperm count has to be normal. Anything below 20 million sperm cells per milliliter of semen is considered low and this complicates the process of getting pregnant.
• The woman's ovulation cycle must be regular. This can be understood from the menstrual cycle, for if she ovulates regularly, her menstruation will also be regular. In fact, it is her ovulation cycle which decides the best time for her to carry.
• The timing of sex greatly matters if you are really trying for a pregnancy. Research shows that those who make love 2 to 3 times a week or more, especially the 4 - 5 fertile days of ovulation have good chances of hitting the jackpot.
• Other things like the basal body temperature of the woman, her diet and exercise routine and her lifestyle habits also affect the chances of carrying quickly.

Keep in mind that pregnancy will not happen overnight, as it needs the lining up of several factors all together. Don't get impatient, have fun while you're waiting (wink, wink; nudge, nudge). If you're still wondering about 'how long does it take to get pregnant', stop worrying. Relax your mind and ignore all the questions, for you stand a better chance of conception if you are happy and stress-free.