It could take up to 6 months to a year to conceive even for couples under 35 with no ‘fertility issues’.
Have intercourse at least 2-3 times a week when not on your period. If you have regular cycles days 10 – 18 are the most fertile time and you can have sex every other night. If you are regular, you can also use an ovulation predictor test and have sex for the three days starting with a positive test. If you have irregular cycles using the ovulation predictor kit is not a good idea, it is better to find out why you are irregular and fix any treatable cause. We recommend the OvuQuick brand (search online for ‘OvuQuick kit’ and be aware that it comes in 6-day and 9-day kit sizes) but most drugstore-brand tests are OK. Test between 10 am and noon as the hormone that the kit detects may peak at 3 or 4 am so when you first get up it may be too early in the day to test.
Don’t douche after intercourse. Nearly all lubricants like KY jelly are harmful to sperm but are not a major factor for most couples, but if you usually use lubricant switch to pre-seed. We am not affiliated with the makers of OvuQuick or pre-seed.
If you have regular periods, you can try for up to a year if you are under 35, six months if 35 or over, before seeing a Fertility specialist (Reproductive Endocrinologist). If you are irregular, or if you are 40 or over, see a Reproductive Endocrinologist soon.
