How to... get Pregnant?

How to get pregnant
Wondering how to get pregnant? Understand when you're most fertile, how often to have sex — and when to seek help.
By Mayo Clinic staff

Some couples seem to get pregnant simply by talking about it. For others, it takes plenty of patience and a bit of luck. If you're wondering how to get pregnant, start the old-fashioned way. Here's what you need to know — and when to seek help.
Baby-making basics

Conception is based on an intricate series of events.

Every month, hormones from your pituitary gland stimulate your ovaries to release an egg, or ovulate. This often happens around day 14 of the menstrual cycle, although the exact timing may vary among women or even from month to month.

Once the egg is released, it travels to the fallopian tube. If you want to conceive, now's the time. The egg has about 24 hours to unite with a sperm. Since sperm cells can survive in your reproductive tract for two to three days, it's best to have regular sex during the days leading up to ovulation.

If the egg is fertilized, it'll travel to the uterus two to four days later. There it'll attach to the uterine lining. You're pregnant! Your periods will stop as your body begins to support the embryo.

If the egg isn't fertilized, it'll break down and you'll have your next period as usual.


I know, right? Who figured getting pregnant was such a science? But this isn't all of it. To view the FULL article from its source, click here.