How long does it take to get pregnant?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Longer than expected: at peak fertility the odds run roughly one in four to one in three per cycle, so months of well-timed trying with no result is normal, not malfunction. Age bends the curve: gradual decline from the late twenties, steeper from the mid-thirties - which is why OWH defines infertility as a year of trying, or six months at 35-plus. The levers: sex every day or two across the fertile window, healthy weight both directions, no smoking, folic acid started now. And name the emotional side: months of negative tests are genuinely hard - pacing matters.
What to do
- Time the window. Five days before ovulation plus the day itself, sex daily or every other day.
- Set the calendar expectations. Months are normal; a year is the workup line (six months at 35-plus).
- Fix the modifiables now. Smoking, weight, folic acid.
- Protect the relationship in the wait. Scheduled sex under pressure frays couples - say it out loud. In crisis: 988 in the US, or your local crisis line.
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