Wondering How to Get Pregnant? Try These 5 Sex Tips

Wondering how to get pregnant? The answer seems simple. But it’s actually not always as easy as just having sex. There are all kinds of factors that play a role in a couple’s ability to get pregnant — ranging from their individual health to the time of month when they decide to try for a baby. But when it comes to conceiving a baby naturally, without the help of a lab or a surrogate, sex is the first step.So, are there certain positions that make conception more likely? Is there a specific time when you should get down to it?

Here are some tips to help you maximize your sex life for babymaking.

1. Time the sex right

Timing really is everything when you’re trying to conceive. The “fertility window” is the best time to get pregnant. For most people, it lasts from five days before ovulation to the day you ovulate. You’re most fertile on the two days before you ovulate and on the day of ovulation.

Read: The Female Reproductive Cycle >>

Calculating when you're going to ovulate can be tricky because it depends on how long your menstrual cycle is and whether your cycle is the same every month. A good rule of thumb is to figure out the date of your next expected period, then subtract 14 days. Or, try using a free online fertility calculator.

Ideally, you’d have sex right at the moment you ovulate, but it’s not easy for most women and people assigned female at birth to tell when this happens — especially if there periods are irregular. However, there are certain symptoms of ovulation you can look for:

1. Pain or cramps in your lower abdomen, thought to be the result of the maturation or release of an egg from an ovary
2. A slightly higher basal body temperature (take this when you wake up, before you get out of bed)
3. A softer, wider and slightly higher cervix
4. Thin, clear, slippery discharge

Read: Vaginal Discharge Provides Clues to Your Health and Fertility >>

2. Have sex regularly

While keeping ovulation in mind is important, you don’t want to limit sex just to your fertility window. It can help to try to have sex once a day in the days leading up to ovulation, but you should ideally be having sex every few days throughout the month as well. Frequency makes you more likely to hit the fertility jackpot. Basically, have sex as often as you’d like, and pay a bit more attention to the days when you're most likely to be fertile.

3. Use gravity in your favor for conceiving

As far as how you should have sex, people have gotten pregnant from all kinds of positions. And there’s no scientific evidence that says one position is more likely than another to get you pregnant. But here are some steps you can take that may be able to help improve your chances by making sure a couple of conditions are met.

First, missionary position and penetration from behind (aka doggy style) both allow the penis to deposit sperm at the opening of the cervix, which means your partner’s sperm has to travel less distance to impregnate you.

Second, it seems like common sense that you would want to make it as easy as possible for the sperm to reach your egg. That means they shouldn’t be fighting against gravity. Avoid positions like the woman on top or those that involve standing up.

Folk wisdom says to stay flat for 30 minutes so none of the ejaculate leaks out. And some women swear by putting a pillow beneath their lower back so their pelvis is slightly tilted up. But the research shows that these methods do not actually improve your chances of getting pregnant.

4. Don’t throw out the lube

Studies in a lab show that water-based lube can reduce sperm movement. But when it came to studies of real people trying to have a baby, lube didn’t seem to have any effect on fertility. But it’s important to use the right kind of lube. Do your research and make sure the lube you use is sperm-friendly/fertility-friendly.

And, if using lube makes sex more comfortable and that makes you want to have sex more often, it could increase your chances of getting pregnant that way.

5. Don't worry about having an orgasm (but try anyway!)

Having an orgasm is only critical for the person with the penis when you’re trying to conceive. But the contractions you have during an orgasm can help to move sperm where they need to go.

Don’t feel pressured to have an orgasm, but it’s great if you can get there for the sheer pleasure of it. And having fun and feeling good will only serve to make you more relaxed — and that will make the sex better and conception easier.