New parents always have questions about how to take care of their children. When to have a baby is the most common one. However, the problems start much before the child even arrives in the scene. From the moment two people decide to be parents, their life turns upside down. The most common question of all- when to have a baby? Most of their time becomes dedicated to the thought of their future children and all the things they will have to do once the children arrive. The first question that a couple wanting to have kids needs to ask is this: how long does it take to conceive a baby? Having an answer to this question can solve a lot of their problems and also give them a timeline to work with.

Well, it is hard to be certain about the answer to this question as one can’t possibly be sure about how long it really takes, however, there is always a rough estimate to work with in cases like this. So let’s find out how long does it take to conceive a baby, and how we can speed things along a little bit. Answering the question- how long does ovulation last will also be of help.

How long does it take to conceive a baby?

Most couples tend to get pregnant within the first 3 months, or first 3 cycles. However, depending on the individual anatomical and physical characteristics of the two people involved, it can take any amount of time. For perfect and successful pregnancy, there are a few ideal criteria that need to be followed. The individual habits of the couple also have an influence on how long does it take to conceive a baby. Harmful habits like smoking and drinking can affect the fertility of their individual parts and hence lead to a longer wait for pregnancy.

According to statistics, it is seen that around 30% of couples get pregnant within the very first month or cycle, while around 59% have to wait for around 3 months or cycle. The number keeps increasing as the number of months increases, starting from 80% at 6 cycles or months, 85% at 12 cycles or months, 91% at 36 cycles or 3 years, and 95% at 48 cycles or a staggering 4 years. Though it is common, as is seen in the statistics, for the majority of couples to conceive after 4 years of trying, it is advisable to visit the doctor or a fertility specialist after a year of trying. In fact, the faster you go to the specialist, the better your chances of having a baby.

Most couples do not require any help with conceiving and can conceive naturally without a problem, but around 10% of couples do face problems with getting pregnant, out of which some test positive for infertility. However, infertility does not mean that all hopes are lost. For women under the age of 35, infertility can mean a period of one year without success, while for a woman over the age of 35, it is generally a period of 6 months with no results. When a couple is diagnosed with infertility, medical help can be meted out to them which can increase their chances of getting pregnant substantially. Otherwise, there are of course other options, like opting for adoption, surrogacy or sperm donation.

Effect of age on pregnancy

How long does it take to conceive a baby depends a lot on the woman’s age. The older the woman gets the harder her chances of getting pregnant naturally. The primary reason for this is that as you grow older, the number of eggs that are capable of producing a child decreases, which means that fewer number of eggs come in contact with the male sperm, thus causing increased infertility.

For a woman under the age of 30, the chances of getting pregnant naturally after a year of trying are pretty high, but as she crosses the 30 mark, the chances start dropping. As a woman crosses 35, the chances of her becoming pregnant naturally, without outside help become very less, and once she crosses 45, her chances of getting pregnant without help become next to 0. However, the same cannot be said of men. A man is capable of producing a healthy child till the age of 50, after which time his sperm count starts to decrease, hence chances of infertility increase.

How to conceive a baby faster

Now after everything that we have learned so far, we have to know whether it is possible to get pregnant faster and understood to a certain extend how long it takes to conceive a baby. Luckily for aspiring parents, it is possible to get pregnant faster. One has to keep certain things in mind and follow a regimen to successfully achieve faster pregnancy.

Firstly, women have to closely monitor their ovulation period. Women can get pregnant only when they ovulate, that is, when one or both of their ovaries release eggs, so pinpointing the ovulation period is crucial to faster pregnancy. You can use the calendar to count the number of days according to your menstrual cycle. Generally starting from the 14th day of the cycle, you ovulate for the next 4-5 days. You can also monitor your cervical mucus and your body temperature for the same.

Secondly, after you figure out your ovulation cycle, you need to time your sex in correspondence with the cycle. This increases the chances of conceiving tenfold, thus promising faster pregnancy. To time it perfectly with your ovulation cycle, start trying from 2-3 days before the start of your ovulation, and then continue through the entire period.

Lastly, you have to prepare your body for the upcoming pregnancy. You have to give up bad habits like smoking and drinking and keep regular preconception appointments with the doctor. You should also reduce caffeine intake to a minimum and try to maintain a healthy and balanced diet with lots of nutrients and vitamins. Also, make a note of your weight and check how overweight or underweight you are, as your weight plays a vital role in pregnancy. Hope you now know how long it takes to conceive a baby?