It can be frustrating when trying to conceive. You try month after month only to find --again-- that you're still not pregnant. Most people that do not conceive right away do not have fertility problems needing more invasive methods. Before you spend thousands on infertility tests and treatments, you can try many natural techniques to greatly improve your chances of becoming pregnant.



First, you'll want to be sure to adopt as healthy a lifestyle as possible. Healthy eating habits can greatly improve fertility. Eat a well-balanced diet including plenty of whole grains and three to five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Many trying to conceive are found to be deficient in vitamins and minerals, the most likely deficiencies being vitamin B-12, iron, zinc, and folic acid. You may even want to take a multi-vitamin to improve overall nutrition.

Along with proper diet, you should engage in a regular exercise program to improve your circulation and the body's natural regulation of your menstrual cycle. If you are already exercising, evaluate your program to be certain you're not overdoing it, as over exercising will have the opposite of the intended affect by interfering with your cycle as well.

You should try to maintain or achieve a healthy weight for easier conception. Being overweight can cause a woman's body to overproduce estrogen and can reduce the healthy sperm count in males while affecting their testosterone levels. Being underweight can also disrupt your normal cycle and reduce fertility in women.

Make sure you're not only physically fit but mentally healthy as well. Depression and stress can affect fertility rates by affecting ovulation and reducing sperm count making it harder to become pregnant. Sperm count can also be affected by a man's clothing. Men should avoid tighter clothing and stick to loose fighting undergarments and pants for optimal sperm count and to keep the testes cool.

Stay away from cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine as all can reduce your chances of becoming pregnant. Alcohol can also cause numerous medical problems in the fetus if drinking when unaware that you are pregnant. Smoking increases infertility rates and leads to egg loss in females and can cause earlier menopause. Caffeine has been found to disrupt pregnancy by making it harder for a fertilized egg to implant in the uterus.

Did you know there are certain positions that make it easier for you to conceive?

The best conception position is missionary with the best results obtained by placing the female's hips on a pillow for elevation. Sex side by side or from rear entry are also other positions that may be effective. It is the most difficult to get pregnant if having intercourse while standing up or with the female on top, so avoid these positions if you're trying to conceive. Also, the more you have sex, the lower the sperm count will be, so have sex less often and save intercourse for the time of your cycle that is most likely to result in conception.

To greatly enhance your chances of pregnancy, you'll want to track your cycle to find out when you are ovulating. This usually happens around mid cycle. You can tell by regularly checking your temperature, which tends to be around a half a degree lower when ovulating. The cervix will also become thinner and move higher. If you have trouble detecting exactly when you are ovulating, you can purchase relatively inexpensive kits over the counter kits that will detect this for you.