If you buy something through a link on this page, we may earn a small commission. How this works. A healthy, year-old woman has only a 20 percent chance of getting pregnant each month. Your high school health teacher probably made it sound like you can get pregnant any time you have sex. Each month, there are a series of hormonal changes in your body that cause an immature egg in the ovary to grow and mature.

Back to Your pregnancy and baby guide. Getting pregnant conception happens when a man's sperm fertilises a woman's egg. For some women this happens quickly, but for others it can take longer. Out of every couples trying for a baby, 80 to 90 will get pregnant within 1 year. The rest will take longer, or may need help to conceive. To understand conception and pregnancy, it helps to know about the male and female sexual organs, and to understand how a woman's monthly menstrual cycle and periods work. The menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of a woman's period day 1.

To optimize women's fertility, taking better care of their bodies is a good first step. But what else can women do to improve their odds of having a baby? The most important advice for a woman who wants to get pregnant is to get to know her body, specifically her menstrual cycle, said Dr. Mary Ellen Pavone, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist and medical director of the in-vitro fertilization program at Northwestern Medicine's Fertility and Reproductive Medicine department in Chicago.

What you need to know when you're trying to conceive to prepare for the healthiest pregnancy possible. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. Getting Pregnant Topics Ovulation.