OK so you're trying for a baby but no matter what you do you just can't seem to get pregnant naturally. That can put a strain on your relationship with your partner which in itself will not help you to conceive so it is normal that you should think of investigating why that should be.

Before we go into the details did you know that statistically if you are under 35 then you only have a 17% chance of having a baby if you have intercourse at the right time in your cycle. At the end of a year 80% of couples under 35 do end up conceiving and of the remainder 10% will manage to conceive within 2 years. The remaining 10% will not be able to conceive without some assistance.

As you get older the chance of you being able to get pregnant naturally will decline. Those women under 40 will have an 8% chance of conception, if you're over 40 and under 45 then that percentage drops to 3.5% and for over 45's the chance is just 0.5%.

You can therefore see that age can be major barrier in your quest to get pregnant naturally.

We can split the common reasons for not being able to conceive into the 3 categories below:

Female issues: e.g.

1. sporadic ovulation frequency or no ovulations

2. tubal obstruction

3. fibroid, polyps or adhesions on the Uterus

Male issues: e.g.

1. low sperm count

2. unusually shaped sperms

3. inability for sperms to move spontaneously and actively

The third category is essentially an unknown category as in some cases it is possible for both parties not to suffer from any of the issues above yet they still find it impossible to conceive.

The good news is that despite the statistics above and even the issues highlighted it is still possible to have children so today is not the day to stop trying for a baby. We can therefore look at a few tips that will help you to conceive and have a baby.

One of the things that you should consider is what foods you are eating when you are trying to get pregnant naturally.

For example caffeine can cause your chances of conceiving being cut in half which when you consider the numbers already mentioned can be quite a large amount. A simple tip is therefore to stop drinking coffee, black tea and carbonated drinks that contain caffeine whilst you are trying to conceive.

Other food sources to keep an eye on are eggs, meats and dairy products. The simple tip here is to go organic so that you know that none of the foods have had any contact with any chemicals which may affect your chances of having a baby.

Another great tip is to give up alcohol whilst you are trying to get pregnant. You will know what happens when you have too much alcohol so naturally the same thing affects sperm which results in the sperm not being as viable as what would otherwise be the case. In women alcohol can imbalance the hormones on your body which doesn't help when you need your body to be functioning at its maximum to have the conditions right for conception.

These are just some simple tips that can help you to get pregnant naturally.

Once you have made the decision to try for a baby, chances are you don't want it to take forever and would like to know how to get pregnant fast. Fortunately, there are a number of simple steps you can take which will maximize your chances and get you on the right track not only to conceive quickly, but healthily too.

Body Weight

Being outside the normal healthy weight range for your height (whether underweight or overweight) can have an adverse effect on ovulation, with both groups displaying disruption. Steps should therefore be taken to get within the healthy weight range. If you are overweight, even slightly reducing body fat can help and if underweight, just a little gain can trigger ovulation.

Alcohol and Drugs

If both parties regularly drink, fertility can decline by around 50%. Alcohol is know to have an adverse effect on an early pregnancy so it makes complete sense to avoid it throughout pregnancy. It goes without saying that illegal drugs should be avoided. With regard to over the counter and prescription drugs, always mention to the pharmacist that you are trying to conceive and check that the drugs are safe. Less considered is the potential effect of caffeine. It is known that caffeine (as found in coffee, tea, chocolate and some fizzy drinks) can reduce the chances of conception so keep consumption to a minimum.

Smoking

For couples wanting to know how to get pregnant fast, smoking is best avoided. Men who smoke have a sperm count which is 17% less than their non-smoking counterparts. In women, fertility is reduced by around 30%. Therefore, if becoming pregnant is your priority, it is sensible to avoid smoking altogether.

Taking Exercise

Regular exercise is the key to good overall health and an active couple are much more likely to achieve conception. However, it should be noted that overexercising in women can adversely affect fertility as it can cause ovulation to stop.

Diet

Eating a well-balanced diet containing all essential nutrients, including trace elements, is important for both parties. Taking a good multivitamin supplement recommended for pregnant women can prove beneficial. Try to avoid foods with artificial additives, processed meats and always wash fruit and vegetables to clean off pesticides.

Ovulation

Knowing when ovulation is likely to occur will massively help couples wanting to know how to get pregnant fast. The best way to determine this is to use an ovulation predictor as it takes away the guesswork of using the cervical mucous method or taking basal body temperature. Once you know which days of the cycle you are likely to ovulate, ensure that you have intercourse a couple of days before the day, on the day itself, and for a day afterward.

There is no doubt that although these tips will not guarantee a quick conception, they should certainly improve the odds of this happening. Despite researching and putting into practice tips on how to become pregnant quickly, naturally, some couples still do not conceive after several months. Rather than leaving matters completely to chance, it makes sense to implement a tried and tested method which is guaranteed to work.