Fertility basics: The chances are 25% each month

With every menstrual cycle, your chances of becoming pregnant are about 25% if you're having unprotected sex, ovulate regularly, and if your partner has enough sperm. Any problems with your fallopian tubes, your ovulation, or his sperm and your chances of getting pregnant decrease significantly. If you don’t ovulate, or your fallopian tubes are closed or non-functional, or his sperm is not sufficient, your chances could even be zero. 

14 may not be your magic number. You may have heard that ovulation and the best chances for pregnancy occur on day 14, counting from the first day of your period. However, your own menstrual cycle length may vary over the course of your life, so don’t get stuck on the number 14. Plus, your fertile days end on the day of ovulation, and the very best days for having sex are the 4-5 days before and the day of ovulation. You need to find out your "fertile window" which identifies your most fertile days. This fertile window is different for each woman based on her cycle length. And it’s even more variable because that is a range of 4-5 days in each cycle when ovulation is likely to happen. 

What affects your chances of getting pregnant?

Your chances of getting pregnant depend on many factors including your and his age, his sperm count and quality of his sperm, whether your eggs have a good or bad quality, if and when you ovulate and when you have sex in relation to ovulation, whether your fallopian tubes are functioning properly, and many other factors. Our test will evaluate your chances of getting pregnant based on your answers to a few questions. 

How long does it take to get pregnant?

Approximately 50% of couples will conceive during the first 5-6 months, and 85% in their first year. About 15% take longer than one year to get pregnant, and about 50% will get pregnant in the second year. The probability of getting pregnant decreases with age.

Here are your odds of conceiving:

• 1 in 5 each month
• 1 in 10 each month if you are over 35
• 1 in 2 after 4-5 months
• 4 in 5 after one year
• 1 in 5-10 in the second year
• 1 in 2.5 if you make love once a day during the fertile time
• 1 in 3 if you make love every other day during the fertile time
• 1 in 10 if you make love only once, 4-5 days before ovulation
• 1 in 30 if you make love only once a month
• 1 in 7 if you make love 5 times a month
• 1 in 3-4 if you make love 10 times a month
• Zero if you only make love after ovulation

Why is getting pregnant so complicated?

Getting pregnant requires many systems to be working well and in sync, including your hormones, ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, and his sperm. The actual chances of getting pregnant depend on many variables including a woman's age (the older she is, the lower the chances), when and whether she ovulates (no ovulation, equals zero chances of getting pregnant), if and when the couple have sex, and sperm level and quality.