14 ways to increase your chances of getting pregnant

It might seem obvious, but it's the best way!

According to the NHS, it's advised that you have sex every two to three days. You might prefer to track when you're ovulating (more on that below) but, otherwise, having sex every few days throughout the month is ideal.

Despite rumours you may have heard, there isn't a sex position that's better or worse than others. Same for sticking your legs in the air after sex - that's unconfirmed too. The best thing is just to have sex regularly, in any position.

If you're having sex every few days, you might be worried about it becoming boring - so here's how to stop sex being a chore when you're trying to conceive.

While it's recommended to have sex throughout the month, you can help increase your chances by working out when you're ovulating, which is when you're at your most fertile.

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You can use our ovulation calculator to work this out – and it'll narrow down three consecutive days when you're likely to be at your most fertile.

You should then have sex on, and in the days leading up to, your ovulation date.

However, it's also worth noting that sperm can survive inside your body for up to seven days, so if you have sex in the week before you ovulate, the sperm may still be alive when your egg is released.

If you don't remember (or you haven't written down) the dates of your periods in order to work out your ovulation date, there are fertility apps which can make cycle tracking easier.

Getting into the habit of inputting your periods can be easier using an app, and many use artificial intelligence to get smart about predicting your fertility too.

Take a look at the best fertility apps here.

If your cycle isn't regular enough to work out your ovulation date using a calendar, there are other ways to work out when you're ovulating. For example, you can chart your basal body temperature (or resting temperature) in order to do this.

Your body temperature rises slightly just after ovulation (by around half a degree), as a result of the increase in progesterone levels.

Charting your temperature daily for a few months will give you a better idea of when you may ovulate each month – and it's best to do this in the morning just after you wake up.

You can also buy fertility kits, including strips and urine tests, which can monitor hormonal changes in order to work out when you may be ovulating. They usually work by detecting the hormones that surge just before you ovulate.

Ovulation kits can be useful, especially if your cycle isn't very regular – but remember that they're not always 100% accurate.

Find out about the different types of ovulation kits here.

Using an ovulation test kit can help you pinpoint your most fertile days. These digital test strips by Clearblue are over 99% accurate at detecting the ovulation hormone surge – see more details here at Amazon.

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The NHS says it's important to eat a healthy diet if you're trying to get pregnant – and this will help your baby to develop healthily.

Research has found that eating a healthy diet can improve fertility. In particular, the Mediterranean diet, including fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, fish and olive oil, and less red meat, has been thought to be linked to better chances of becoming pregnant.

The NHS also advises that you take folic acid every day when you're trying to get pregnant.

It's recommended that you take a 400 microgram supplement of folic acid every day before you get pregnant - and then every day afterwards until you are 12 weeks pregnant.

Folic acid won't help you get pregnant, but if you do conceive, it can reduce the risk of your baby having a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida.

You may need to take a higher dose of folic acid due to a medical condition, medicine or family history – so talk to your GP if you think you should take a higher dose.

Find out more about why you need folic acid before and during pregnancy here.

You can buy folic acid cheaply over the counter – see more details here at Boots.

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The NHS advises that you try to maintain a healthy weight when you're trying to get pregnant.

Being overweight (which the NHS classes as having a BMI over 25) or obese (a BMI over 30) means you might have problems getting pregnant – and it can also increase the risk of problems during pregnancy.

Being underweight (with a BMI below 18.5) can also make it more difficult to conceive, especially if it means you're not having regular periods.

If you're struggling to maintain a healthy weight, your GP will be able to offer plenty of tips and advice.

Most of us know that you shouldn't smoke when you're pregnant, but it's also advised that you quit smoking when you're trying to get pregnant too.

It's thought that smoking may reduce fertility in women, and there may also be a link between smoking and poorer quality of sperm in men, according to the NHS – so it's advisable for you and your partner to both quit.

The same goes for alcohol. While we know you shouldn't drink during pregnancy, it's also advised that you stop or cut down on drinking alcohol when you're trying to get pregnant, too.

If you are going to drink when you're trying to get pregnant, the NHS advises that you drink no more than one to two units of alcohol once or twice a week.

Drinking during pregnancy can cause harm to your baby, so the safest approach is to quit drinking while you're planning to become pregnant in order to keep the risks to your baby to a minimum.

It's also thought that either partner drinking heavily can make it more difficult to conceive, according to the NHS – so it's worth cutting out alcohol to up your chances.

It's thought that fertility for both men and women can be impacted by recreational drugs, according to the NHS.

Like with smoking and alcohol, it's advised to stop taking any drugs when you're trying to get pregnant, and especially during your pregnancy.

All the healthier lifestyle changes that you're advised to make are applicable to your partner too. It can help for them to cut down or stop their alcohol intake, to quit smoking, eat healthily and maintain a healthy weight.

Plus, it might sound like a myth, but it's also advised that men stop their testicles from becoming too warm so as not to impact sperm production or quality.

Even things like not wearing tight fitting underwear are advised by the NHS, as some studies have suggested that this could reduce sperm quality by raising the temperature in their testicles.

Other things like avoiding too hot baths are advised.

Find out more about what men can do to increase their fertility here.

There are some prescribed and over-the-counter medicines which may interfere with your fertility – and not all medicines are safe to take when you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

If you take prescribed medicine and you're trying to get pregnant, talk to your doctor, but don't stop taking your medicine without speaking to them first.

If you're struggling to get pregnant, have certain health conditions or are over the age of 35, it's recommended that you see your GP so they can advise you on next steps that may increase your chances of pregnancy.

The NHS says to see a GP if:

- you have been trying to get pregnant for over one year

- you have a long-term condition like diabetes

- there's a risk of passing on a condition such as sickle cell disease to your baby

- you regularly take medicines and want to get pregnant (this is because some medicines can affect a pregnancy)

- you are aged 36 and over and want to get pregnant

Remember that you're not alone in struggling to get pregnant. You can read more about fertility problems and the next steps here.