Average time it takes to conceive

Falling pregnant is a bit like playing the Lottery: you have to get lucky! You can’t get pregnant on demand immediately when you start trying for a baby.

How long does it take?
If you're having regular intercourse at the "right" moments (if you have regular menstrual cycles, you should aim to make love between the fourth and fifteenth day after the end of your period), then you can expect to wait an average 8 months before falling pregnant.

During your cycle, if you make love without contraception at exactly the right moment, you have between a 1 in 4 and a 1 in 6 chance of falling pregnant, so a 15-20% success rate. So persevere - and make love regularly!

However...
If you know of reasons that could cause you to experience problems (if, for example, one of you has had a sexually transmitted illness in the past or if someone in your family has had fertility problems), then you should see a doctor just in case, rather than face a fruitless wait.

Similarly, if you're over 38, see your doctor if you're trying to conceive.

Article Plan Infertility problems: causes and solutions ▼

Average time it takes to conceive    Average waiting time

Irregular periods and trying to conceive    Ovulation problems and difficulty conceiving

Gynaecological infection and trying for a baby    Gynaecological infections and trying to conceive

Ovary problems and trying to conceive    Hormonal imbalance and ovarian cysts

Uterine problems, endometriosis and fertility    Uterine cysts and endometriosis

Male infertility    Men and fertility problems

Fertility questions to human reproduction specialist Joelle Belaisch Allart    Advice from a reproduction and infertility specialist

Fertility: practical information and websites    Practical websites regarding conception, fertility and infertility