30 fertility guides
Trying to conceive
Ovulation, timing, fertility testing and what actually helps when trying to conceive — every claim sourced to NHS, ACOG, RCOG or NICE.
FertilityAlcohol, Caffeine and Smoking When Trying to ConceiveSmoking: odds ratio 1.60 for infertility (ASRM). Alcohol: fecundability 0.87. Caffeine: NICE finds…FertilityBasal Body Temperature Charting: What It Confirms and What It Cannot PredictACOG says BBT charting confirms ovulation but cannot predict it; NICE advises against using it at…FertilityCarrier Screening and Conceiving with a Known Genetic ConditionIf both parents carry a recessive gene there is a 25% chance per pregnancy (ACOG). Screening…FertilityCoping With the Emotional Weight of Trying to Conceive47% of UK fertility patients report depression often or always and 4 in 10 report suicidal…FertilityEgg Freezing and Fertility Preservation: What the Data ShowsUK egg freezing cycles rose 170% to 6,932 in 2023. Average age at freezing is 35, at thawing 40.…FertilityFertility After an Ectopic Pregnancy: What the Data Shows65% of women are healthily pregnant within 18 months of an ectopic pregnancy, rising to about 85%…FertilityFertility Apps and Wearables: Do They Actually Help?Calendar-based apps scored 0 of 30 in published testing. Oura reports 1.26 days mean error, but its…FertilityFertility Tests: What Your Doctor Will Actually OrderThe short defined list NICE NG257 recommends, from day-21 progesterone to HSG, plus the nine tests…FertilityFolic Acid and Prenatal Vitamins Before Conception400 micrograms daily from 3 months before; 5mg if you are higher risk. Cochrane found a risk ratio…FertilityHow Long Should It Take to Get Pregnant?Over 80% of couples conceive within a year and over 90% within two (NICE NG257). The per-cycle odds…FertilityMale Fertility: What Actually Improves Sperm QualityMale factors affect around 30% of couples. What NICE NG257 and a 90-study Cochrane review actually…FertilityIrregular Periods and Trying to ConceivePeriods are irregular if the gap is under 21 or over 35 days (NHS). PCOS affects 8-13% of women.…FertilityIUI Explained: How Intrauterine Insemination Actually WorksHFEA puts IUI success at roughly a third of IVF for about a quarter of the cost. NICE NG257…FertilityOvulation Predictor Kits: How They Work and Where They FailCochrane: with urine ovulation tests the live birth chance goes from 16% to 16-28%. How LH kits…FertilityPreconception Health: What Actually Makes a DifferenceFolic acid cuts neural tube defect risk sharply (risk ratio 0.31, Cochrane). The short list of…FertilityRecurrent Miscarriage: What Testing Can and Cannot Tell YouRecurrent miscarriage affects about 1% of couples. Which tests are offered, why half find no cause,…FertilitySecondary Infertility: Trying for a Second BabyAfter 3 years of trying, the chance of conceiving naturally next year is 1 in 4 or less (NHS). Why…FertilityMale Fertility: What a Semen Analysis Actually MeansWHO 2021 reference values in full: 16m/mL concentration, 42% total motility, 30% progressive, 4%…FertilitySex, Timing and the Fertility Myths That Refuse to DieThe fertile window is the 6 days ending on ovulation (ASRM). Why position, lying down and lubricant…FertilityThyroid Problems and Fertility: What the Evidence ShowsASRM sets the TSH cutoff at 4.12 mIU/L and advises against levothyroxine for subclinical…FertilityTrying to Conceive After Coming Off Contraception83.1% conceive within 12 months of stopping contraception (22 studies, 14,884 women). Delays by…FertilityTrying to Conceive After a MiscarriageMiscarriage affects 8-24% of recognised pregnancies; 6 in 10 women with three unexplained losses go…FertilityTrying to Conceive at 35: What the Numbers Actually SayAround 82% of women aged 35-39 conceive within a year, 90% within two. The real cumulative rates…FertilityTrying to Conceive at 40: The Real Odds and the Real TimelineAbout a 1 in 10 chance per cycle at 40 (ACOG); a 10% IVF birth rate per embryo transferred at 40-42…FertilityTrying to Conceive with Endometriosis: What the Guidelines Actually RecommendEndometriosis is found in 25-40% of infertile women vs 0.5-5% of fertile women. NICE NG73 on which…FertilityTrying to Conceive with PCOS: What Works, According to the EvidenceLetrozole beats clomiphene for live births in PCOS (OR 1.72, Cochrane high-certainty) and is…FertilityUnderstanding Cervical Mucus: What It Tells You and What It Does NotACOG: cervical mucus turns thin, slippery and stretchy before ovulation. How to read the pattern,…FertilityWeight and Fertility: What the Evidence Actually ShowsTwo trials found pre-treatment weight loss did not improve live births (27% vs 35%; 12.2% vs…FertilityWhat IVF Actually Involves, Start to FinishA cycle takes 3 to 6 weeks. HFEA birth rate per embryo transferred: 35% under 35, down to 5% at…FertilityWhen to See a Doctor About Fertility12 months of trying, 6 months over 35, and no wait at all from 36 or with a known cause. The…