Getting PregnantUnderstanding Conception and Fertility
The Getting Pregnant Roadmap
Most healthy couples under age 35 will conceive within one year of regular, unprotected intercourse. While the wait can feel long and filled with questions, your body is capable of incredible things, and we are here to help you understand each step. If you are just starting, you can learn the best timing for how to conceive by tracking your natural cycles. For those looking for immediate answers, we provide a clear guide to help you determine “am I pregnant?” through early signs and testing. If things are taking longer than expected, our resources on fertility and infertility offer steady, clinical next steps without the jargon. You can also find simple ways of supporting conception through daily habits and nutrition. If your journey requires medical assistance, we break down the complexities of IVF and ART so you can move forward with a clear plan.
The process of pregnancy
How to Get Pregnant - Best Tips to Help You Conceive
Spot early signs and know what's next
Illnesses with Pregnancy-Like Symptoms
How to Know if You are Pregnant
Pregnancy symptoms differ from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy; however, one of the most significant signs of pregnancy is a missed period. The surest way to know you’re pregnant is to take a pregnancy test.
What are the Most Common Early Signs of Pregnancy?
- Missed period. If you’re in your childbearing years and a week or more has passed without the start of an expected menstrual cycle, you might be pregnant. However, this symptom can be misleading if you have an irregular menstrual cycle.
- Tender, swollen breasts. Early in pregnancy hormonal changes might make your breasts sensitive and sore. The discomfort will likely decrease after a few weeks as your body adjusts to hormonal changes.
- Nausea with or without vomiting. Morning sickness, which can strike at any time of the day or night, often begins one month after you become pregnant. However, some women feel nausea earlier and some never experience it. While the cause of nausea during pregnancy isn’t clear, pregnancy hormones likely play a role.
- Increased urination. You might find yourself urinating more often than usual. The amount of blood in your body increases during pregnancy, causing your kidneys to process extra fluid that ends up in your bladder.
- Fatigue. Fatigue also ranks high among early symptoms of pregnancy. During early pregnancy, levels of the hormone progesterone soar — which might make you feel sleepy.
When Do Pregnancy Symptoms Start?
You may experience pregnancy symptoms within a week of conception. Some women report that they did not experience any symptoms for a few weeks. Click here if you need a free test or ultrasound.
Other pregnancy signs and symptoms during the first trimester may include:
- Mood Swings. Expecting mothers frequently experience mood swings. This is primarily caused by the hormonal changes that affect the neurotransmitters of the brain. Some may experience elevated highs and lows, and others alternate between states of happiness and depression or anxiety. Mood swings are normal; but, if you’re struggling with depression or extended periods of sadness, please contact your healthcare provider. Some women prefer to go directly to a counselor or mental health professional.
- Backaches. Lower backaches are common. It can occur with the onset of pregnancy, but it’s usually experienced later as the pregnancy progresses, around pregnancy week 27 to week 34.
- Headaches. Experts believe the sudden rise of hormones and/or blood flow in your body leads can cause headaches. There is an approximate 50% increase in the volume of blood flowing during your pregnancy.
- Food cravings or food aversions. The food expecting women crave or seek to avoid varies and is quite sporadic. It is alright to allow yourself the freedom to pursue those cravings and avoid the things you don’t want as long as you are getting the nutrition you need for a healthy pregnancy. These cravings or aversions can occur early in pregnancy or anytime throughout your pregnancy.
- Darkening of the Areolas. It’s normal if the areolas, area around your nipples will darken.
- Bloating. Hormonal changes during early pregnancy can cause you to feel bloated, similar to how you might feel at the start of a menstrual period.
- Light spotting. Sometimes a small amount of light spotting is one of the first signs of pregnancy. Known as implantation bleeding, it happens when the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus — about 10 to 14 days after conception. Implantation bleeding occurs around the time of a menstrual period. However, not all women have it.
What Else Could It Be?
A missed or delayed period, the most commonly reported first sign of pregnancy, could be caused by:
- Pending menstruation
- Excessive weight gain or loss
- Fatigue or exhaustion
- New workout regimen
- Hormonal imbalance
- Tension or stress
- Change in birth control usage
- Various illnesses
- Breastfeeding
Nausea or morning sickness, the second most frequently cited symptom of pregnancy, might be explained by:
- Food poisoning
- Tension or stress
- Anxiety
- Change in hormonal birth control
- Other stomach ailments
Tender or changing breasts, the third most noted pregnancy symptom, might be triggered by:
- Hormonal imbalance
- Change in hormonal birth control
- Impending menstruation
Fatigue or tiredness can be brought on by:
- Tension or stress
- Exhaustion from working too hard
- Depression or other mental health struggles
- Common cold or flu
- New workout regimen
- Allergies or other ailments
- Lack of sleep
- Improper nutrition
- Pending menstruation
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to speak to someone about your pregnancy symptoms or the possibility of being pregnant, click the chat button below or call us toll free at 1-800-672-2296.
- If you need a free pregnancy test or ultrasound you can use your zip code to find a free pregnancy testing center.
- Questions about paternity? Call for free paternity info at 1-800-798-0580.
Want to Know More?
What is Implantation Bleeding?
Pregnancy Tests - Urine and Blood
Chances of Getting Pregnant From Precum
Can You Get Pregnant on Your Period?
Understand your fertility & boosting options
How to Track Ovulation With Irregular Periods
Developing a Fertility Life Plan
Fertility and Infertility FAQs
Ovulation Symptoms - Am I Ovulating?
Ovulation Tests Show When Conception is Possible
Can You Get Pregnant After Ovulation?
How to Use Ovulation Kits & Fertility Monitors
Cervical Mucus and Early Pregnancy
Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) and Fertility
Ovulation: Frequently Asked Questions
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection: ICSI
Infertility and Chiropractic Care
Male Fertility Testing After Vasectomy
Boost Your Fertility with Supplements
Infertility & Nutrition - The Bumpy Truth
What You Need to Know About Infertility
Gamete intrafallopian transfer - GIFT
Pre-Pregnancy Detox for Couples
Preconception Health for Women
What You Need to Know About Surrogate Pregnancy
Understand Your Fertility Tests
How to Get & Keep a Healthy Sperm Count
How Do FSH Levels Affect Fertility?
Healthy habits to encourage getting pregnant
How Air Pollution Impacts Pregnancy
Preconception Wellness - Prepare for the Unexpected
Conception Health and Nutrition Support
Medical procedures for pregnancy
Intrauterine Insemination: IUI
Assisted Reproductive Technology
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis: PGD
IVF Embryo Development Over 5 Days VIDEO
For some, getting pregnant happens quickly. For others, it takes time, planning, or medical support. However your experience unfolds, learning how to get pregnant or achieve conception can help you feel more informed and confident as you begin this journey.
In this comprehensive Getting Pregnant guide, you will learn about:
- How pregnancy occurs
- Ovulation and fertility timing
- Early pregnancy symptoms
- Pregnancy testing
- Fertility challenges and treatment options
How Pregnancy Occurs
Pregnancy begins when sperm fertilizes an egg during ovulation.¹
Ovulation typically occurs around the midpoint of a menstrual cycle. However, cycle length varies from person to person and can change from month to month. Hormones, stress, health conditions, and lifestyle factors can all influence timing.
If you would like a deeper explanation of how conception happens in the body, you can explore our overview for How to Conceive or dive right into the article How Pregnancy Occurs. For more trusted information on predicting the timing of conception, you can read the Calculating Conception article. Understanding the basics can help you recognize your own patterns and increase the likelihood of conception.
Ovulation and Your Fertility Window
Many people wonder exactly when in their cycle they can get pregnant. The answer centers on something called the Fertility Window, the time in each cycle when conception is actually possible.
Sperm can survive inside the reproductive tract for up to five days.² Because of this, the days leading up to and including ovulation are part of the fertility window. The egg itself is only viable for around 12 to 24 hours after release. This means timing is meaningful, but pinpointing Signs of Ovulation precisely can take practice.
Tracking ovulation may involve:
- Monitoring cervical mucus
- Using ovulation predictor kits
- Tracking cycle patterns
To understand more, you can also explore how Ovulation Tests work.
Am I Pregnant? Early Signs and Symptoms
Wondering if you might be pregnant can bring lots of questions. That is why we created the important overview “Am I Pregnant?” for you to explore. Early Signs of Pregnancy can vary widely from person to person.
Common early signs include:
- Missed period
- Breast tenderness
- Fatigue
- Nausea
Some women also experience light spotting around the time of implantation, also known as Implantation Bleeding. Learn more about the associated physical and hormonal changes in our detailed Pregnancy Symptoms topic guide.
While symptoms may provide clues, they cannot confirm pregnancy on their own. A pregnancy test is needed for confirmation.
Pregnancy Testing
A positive result is a meaningful moment. The next step is to schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider to confirm the pregnancy and begin thinking about prenatal care.
Home Pregnancy Tests detect a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin.³ The hCG levels begin to rise shortly after implantation.
Taking a Pregnancy Test too early may produce a false negative result because hCG levels may not yet be high enough to be detected. So if your test is negative but your period does not arrive, it is worth testing again in a few days.
However, after a positive pregnancy test result, the next step is to schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider to confirm the pregnancy and begin prenatal care.
Fertility and Infertility
Most couples conceive within one year of regular, unprotected intercourse.⁴ However, fertility timelines vary widely, and needing additional time or medical guidance is common.
A medical evaluation may be recommended if pregnancy has not occurred after:
- 12 months for individuals under age 35
- 6 months for individuals age 35 or older
To learn more about fertility challenges and available evaluations, visit our page for Fertility and Infertility information.
Fertility challenges can involve many different factors in either or both partners, and understanding what is involved in Male Fertility Testing and Female Infertility is the first step toward knowing what can be addressed.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
When natural conception proves difficult, reproductive medicine offers additional treatment options that may help support pregnancy.
These may include:
- Ovulation induction
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
- In vitro fertilization (IVF)
If you would like to understand how these treatments work, you can explore IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology. You can also learn about one of the final stages of IVF in Embryo Transfer.
Advances in reproductive medicine have helped many families successfully grow their families.
Supporting Your Body Before Pregnancy
Preparing your body before pregnancy can support fertility and healthy early development. Preconception Health for Women focuses on strengthening overall wellness before conception occurs.
The Supporting Conception overview explains how lifestyle, nutrition, and health factors influence fertility and ultimately conception.
Steps that may support preconception health include:
- Taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid⁵
- Managing chronic health conditions
- Maintaining a balanced diet for Preconception Nutrition
- Reducing alcohol and tobacco use
Once Pregnancy is Confirmed
Congratulations! If you were trying to conceive and your pregnancy test is positive, your journey enters a new stage focused on prenatal care and healthy development.
Early prenatal care helps monitor both maternal health and the baby’s growth throughout pregnancy. You can learn what to expect from early prenatal visits by visiting Prenatal Care.
Continue your journey with our Pregnancy Roadmap, designed to support you through what comes next.
