Not pregnant yet?
Don't give up! Most couples, if they have regular intercourse at the right time, will conceive within a year. Several studies have been done to try to understand the amount of time that it takes for a woman to conceive. There are many factors involved, but experts agree that age is the most important one. One study published in 2003 by the British Medical Journal concluded that women between the ages of 35 and 39 have a chance of conceiving half that of women between the ages of 19 and 26. The study also mentions that the natural cumulative conception rate in the 35-39 age group is around 60% at one year and 85% at two years.
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​Another study, done with 2,962 couples and published in 2017, concluded that after trying for 6 cycles, 59% of the women between the ages of 21 and 30 got pregnant, and 75% got pregnant after 12 cycles. For the age group 31 to 39, on average, 54% got pregnant after 6 cycles, and 72% got pregnant after 12 cycles. For the age group 40 to 45, on average, 27% got pregnant after 6 cycles and 55% after 12 cycles (see table).
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The bottom line here is that age, while being an important factor, it's only one factor. A healthy lifestyle is perhaps just as important as age. Eating the right foods, exercising, taking supplements, and managing stress can definitely help the pregnancy journey. Acupuncture has been proven time after time to lower stress and increase blood flow; two key factors that if not at optimum levels will affect conception in a negative way.
Are your eggs (or sperm) getting enough nutrients?
One of the biggest problem for not being able to conceive is low egg and/or sperm quality. While it is true that age plays a big part in the quality of gametes, it is also proven that a healthy lifestyle can improve the qualities of these reproductive cells. Avoiding foods that create inflammation such gluten, dairy products and red meat is a good start. Adding vegetables and fruit to your daily diet can increase levels of vitamins and minerals that are crucial for neutralizing free radicals and creating healthy cells. Most free radicals are created as a bi-product of being alive, but also many are created by being exposed to cigarette smoking, air pollutants, alcohol, x-rays and industrial chemicals. By avoiding these products all of the cells, including sex cells will be healthier. making it easier to get pregnant.
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There are certain vitamins and co-enzymes, vitamin D and CoQ10 for example, that have been researched extensively and show great promise in improving egg and sperm quality. Taking these supplements on a daily basis can improve the chances to conceive.
Exercising on a daily basis is also part of the healthy lifestyle that can increase the chances of conceiving. Consuming healthy foods and supplements is great, but to help those nutrients get to the smallest part of the reproductive system, such as the follicles where eggs grow, it is crucial to exercise. By increasing the heart rate the blood moves faster and with more power helping all these nutrients reach the tiniest capillaries of the body.