The most important things you can do while trying to get pregnant are start taking folic acid, have sex every two to three days throughout your cycle, and clean up the habits that quietly work against fertility. Most couples with no underlying issues conceive within a year, but the specific choices you and your partner make during that time can meaningfully shift the odds.
Start Folic Acid Before You Conceive
The CDC recommends 400 micrograms of folic acid every day for anyone who could become pregnant. This B vitamin helps prevent neural tube defects, which are serious birth defects of the brain and spine that develop in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, often before you even know you’re pregnant. That’s why starting before conception matters more than starting after a positive test. Most prenatal vitamins contain the right amount, or you can take a standalone folic acid supplement.
Understand Your Fertile Window
Each menstrual cycle has about six days when sex can lead to pregnancy: the five days before ovulation and the day of ovulation itself. The chance of conception is lowest on the first of those six days and highest in the two to three days right before the egg is released. For women with a regular 28-day cycle, this fertile window typically falls between days 8 and 15.
The tricky part is that ovulation doesn’t arrive on a fixed schedule. A prospective study published in the BMJ found that only 54% of women were in their fertile window on days 12 and 13, the most common peak. Some women were already fertile by day 4, and others didn’t reach it until much later. Ovulation predictor kits and tracking basal body temperature can help you narrow the timing, but the simplest approach is having sex two to three times a week throughout your cycle. That way you’re likely to hit the window without needing to pinpoint it exactly.
Adjust Your Diet for Fertility
No single food will make you pregnant, but your overall eating pattern does influence ovulation. The Mediterranean diet has the strongest evidence behind it: plenty of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, fish, and olive oil, with red meat and sweets only occasionally. Research from the Nurses’ Health Study found that women who ate mostly low-glycemic foods like oatmeal, brown rice, lentils, and beans had a lower risk of ovulation problems. Replacing refined carbs with naturally occurring fats, like swapping chips for a handful of nuts, also appeared to improve ovulatory function.
The takeaway is straightforward: build meals around whole foods, choose complex carbohydrates over processed ones, and include healthy fats. You don’t need a rigid plan, just a consistent shift toward less processed eating.
Exercise in Moderation
Moderate physical activity actually helps fertility. About two hours of moderate exercise per week increased the odds of pregnancy by 15% in one review. But intensity matters. Women who did two or more hours per week of vigorous exercise were 16% less likely to conceive than sedentary women, and those who hit five or more hours of vigorous activity saw a 32% drop in their chances.
The problem seems to be energy balance. When vigorous exercise five days a week was paired with even a moderate calorie deficit, 85% of women in one study experienced disruptions to their menstrual cycle that could prevent conception. If you’re a healthy weight and already a runner, cyclist, or CrossFit enthusiast, consider dialing back intensity while you’re trying to conceive. Walking, swimming, yoga, and moderate-effort cycling are all good choices. One notable exception: for women with PCOS who are overweight, vigorous exercise three times a week for 30 minutes actually improves reproductive outcomes and is encouraged.
Cut Back on Alcohol
Alcohol has a clear, dose-dependent effect on female fertility. In a study tracking couples planning their first pregnancy, women who drank one to five alcoholic beverages per week were about 39% less likely to conceive per cycle compared to women who didn’t drink at all. At six to ten drinks per week, the reduction was 45%. At more than ten drinks weekly, conception odds dropped by roughly 66%. Higher alcohol intake during pregnancy is also linked to miscarriage, preterm delivery, and stillbirth.
Interestingly, the same study found no significant dose-response effect for men’s drinking after adjusting for other factors. That said, alcohol isn’t doing anyone’s health any favors, and both partners benefit from cutting back. If you’re actively trying, reducing or eliminating alcohol gives you measurably better odds each cycle.
What Your Partner Can Do
Sperm health is half the equation, and it responds to lifestyle changes more than most couples realize. A diet heavy in processed foods, red meat, refined sugar, and saturated fat is consistently linked to lower sperm count and poorer motility. Men who eat what researchers call a “prudent” diet, rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes, chicken, and fish, have higher counts of healthy, motile sperm.
Heat is the other major factor. Sperm production requires temperatures slightly below core body temperature, which is why the testicles sit outside the body. Prolonged sitting, laptop use on the lap, hot tubs, and saunas all raise scrotal temperature enough to impair sperm quality. The damage isn’t permanent, since sperm regenerate over about 10 to 12 weeks, but it’s worth minimizing heat exposure during the months you’re actively trying. Your partner should also aim for a healthy weight, as excess body fat around the groin raises testicular temperature and triggers oxidative stress that disrupts sperm production.
Review Your Medications
Some common medications can interfere with ovulation or implantation. Prescription-strength anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may disrupt ovulation and affect the egg’s ability to travel through the fallopian tube, though over-the-counter versions like ibuprofen haven’t been shown to have the same effect. Certain antipsychotic medications can raise prolactin levels, a hormone that blocks ovulation when elevated. Spironolactone, often prescribed for acne or hormonal symptoms, can disrupt the menstrual cycle and cause temporary infertility. SSRIs, on the other hand, don’t appear to significantly affect female fertility based on current evidence.
If you take any prescription medication, bring it up with your provider before you start trying. Don’t stop anything on your own, but do have the conversation so alternatives can be considered if needed.
Get Preconception Screening
A preconception visit is worth scheduling before you start trying, or early in the process. Your provider can check that your vaccinations are current (rubella and varicella are especially important, since those vaccines can’t be given during pregnancy), screen for conditions like thyroid disorders or diabetes that affect fertility and pregnancy, and review your family history. Carrier screening for genetic conditions like cystic fibrosis involves a simple blood or saliva test for both you and your partner. Both parents must carry the gene for a child to be affected, so knowing your status beforehand helps you make informed decisions.
How Long to Try Before Seeking Help
The timeline depends on age. If you’re under 35 with regular cycles and no known fertility issues, the standard recommendation is to try for a full year before seeking evaluation. If you’re 35 or older, that window shortens to six months. Women over 40 should consider evaluation sooner rather than later, since egg quality and quantity decline more steeply with each passing year. These aren’t rigid deadlines, but they’re useful benchmarks for knowing when it’s time to get more information rather than continuing to wait.