What are your chances of getting pregnant during ovulation

Get the real numbers on how likely you are to get pregnant at each month, at every age, and how to increase those odds.

When you’re trying to conceive, it can feel like everyone around you is getting pregnant without even trying. It can be heart-rending, but it’s important to know that most couples don’t get pregnant in one shot.

How long does it take to get pregnant? According to Yolanda Kirkham, an OB-GYN at Women’s College Hospital and St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, your chances of conceiving each cycle you try are 25 to 30 percent if you’re under 35, eight to 15 percent if you’re 35 to 39, five percent if you’re 40 to 42 and one to two percent at age 43. Age affects not only fertility rates but also miscarriage rates, which go up from around 10 percent in your 20s to 15 percent after age 35 and up to 50 percent by age 45.

It’s worth tracking your ovulation to improve your odds: According to a 2003 study published in the journal Human Reproduction, when 346 women ages 20 to 44 timed their intercourse to help them conceive, they had a 38 percent chance of conceiving in one cycle, a 68 percent chance within three cycles, an 81 percent chance within six cycles and a 92 percent chance of getting pregnant within 12 cycles.

In general, Kirkham says 85 percent of women will get pregnant within one year of trying. But if you have been trying for a year without conceiving and are under 35, she suggests that you seek a fertility consultation. If you’re 35 or older, you should seek help after just six months of trying because egg quality declines and medical conditions become more prevalent as we age, so the likelihood that you may need some fertility help is higher.

Still, this doesn’t mean you need to look at other fertility options at this point, says Kirkham. “It’s just to see if your intercourse timing is correct and if there are other factors that need to be looked at,” she says. Those factors could include your hormones and the quality of your partner’s sperm.

How do you know if your timing is right? You can find out when you ovulate by counting 14 days back from when you get your period or looking for other signs of ovulation, such as an egg-white-like mucus. Kirkham recommends having intercourse every other day in the time leading up to ovulation. Since sperm can survive for about three days, this will help ensure that there is sperm at the ready when your egg is released.

While it’s helpful to know these stats so that you’ll recognize when it’s time to seek help, Kirkham says it’s important to not get too hung up on the numbers. “We aren’t robots,” she says.

Every woman or couple has their own individual risk factors that can affect their probability of conceiving, and a healthcare provider can help sort out what those might be and what can be done about them. Even if you are among the 12 to 16 percent of Canadians who don’t get pregnant within the first year, meeting with a doctor to test for specific problems and explore other fertility options can increase your chances of having a baby.

Read more:
Can you boost your fertility?
Trying to conceive: Myths vs. facts

It is possible to get pregnant on every day of a woman’s cycle.

Myth. Women’s menstrual cycles have a fertile window of about 6 days, ending in the day of ovulation. However, the fertile window may occur on different days within the cycle.

A woman is likely to get pregnant on the days right after her period.

Myth. In most menstrual cycles, there are some days between the end of the period and the beginning of the fertile window; however, in some unusual cycles, the fertile window starts before her period ends. This is more common in women who are nearing menopause.

A woman is likely to get pregnant on the days right before her period.

Myth. In most menstrual cycles, there are at least 10 days after ovulation and before the next period. Intercourse during these days will not result in pregnancy. However, in some unusual cycles, ovulation and the fertile window may be delayed, so you cannot rely on counting days to know for sure when ovulation happens.

A woman is likely to get pregnant around the middle of her cycle.

Myth and fact. For many women, ovulation happens around the middle of the cycle. However, in women with regular cycles, ovulation may occur as early as day 9 or as late as day 21. With an irregular cycle, ovulation may occur even earlier than day 9 or much later than day 21.

A woman is less likely to get pregnant on days when vaginal secretions are present.

Myth. In the days prior to ovulation, the cervix (the opening of the uterus) increases production of vaginal secretions. Days without noticeable secretions are less likely to be fertile, but may still have some possibility of pregnancy.

It is impossible for women to identify the fertile window of the menstrual cycle.

Myth. By learning natural family planning, a woman can learn to identify the fertile window of her menstrual cycle.

If a woman were to have sex without birth control several times and not get pregnant, it means that she will not get pregnant from future sex without birth control.

Myth. Many women become pregnant from having sex just one time without birth control. At least 85% of women, who continue to have sex without birth control, even just once in a while, will be pregnant within one year.

A woman will only get pregnant if she has sex without birth control on the day she ovulates (releases an egg).

Myth. Sperm can live in the woman’s body for several days after sex so simply avoiding the day you ovulate will not keep you from getting pregnant. To identify the days that you are less likely to get pregnant, it is important to learn about your menstrual cycle.

If a woman has never been pregnant, it means that she is less likely to get pregnant.

Myth. Your chance of getting pregnant is the same whether or not you have ever been pregnant.

If a woman’s partner has not gotten another woman pregnant in the past, it means that he cannot get her pregnant.

Myth. There are many reasons why your partner did not get another woman pregnant in the past. Your partner may still get you pregnant if you have sex with him without birth control.

If a woman was told by her doctor that she cannot get pregnant, she does not need to worry about pregnancy in the future.

Myth. Many women have misunderstood what health care providers have told them. Most of the time, these women find they can get pregnant just like any other woman. If you really want to know if you can get pregnant, ask for a second opinion. If you do not want to get pregnant now, be sure to let him/her know so you can start some type of birth control right away.

If a woman has irregular periods, she will not get pregnant.

Myth. Irregular periods make it hard to predict when a woman may ovulate (produce an egg) but most women with irregular periods still ovulate some of the time. This means they can still get pregnant from sex without birth control.

If a woman’s partner withdraws before ejaculation, she will not get pregnant.

Myth. Withdrawal is not a dependable method and many couples using it still get pregnant. There can be sperm in a man’s fluid before he ejaculates. If you want to learn a more reliable method, check out our Family Planning and Birth Control Section.

Pregnancy just happens, there is nothing a woman can do to prevent it.

Myth. While no woman has total control over whether or not she gets pregnant, there are very good methods of birth control to help prevent an unplanned pregnancy. Click here to find a method that best fits your needs.

Thinking about getting pregnant? Learn more about the healthy habits you can start before you get pregnant to increase your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby by visiting Power Your Life Power Your Health.