Tips for Getting Pregnant: What the NHS Says Actually Helps

You have stopped contraception, you are reading forums at midnight, and every second post contradicts the last. Underneath the noise there is one short, dated page from the NHS that says what is worth doing before and while you try. This guide walks through it in the order you would act on it, with the numbers the page gives.

The quick answer

Step	What the NHS page says	When
Health checks first	MMR vaccine if you have not had it; cervical screening if it is due; an STI test if you think either of you may have one	Before you start trying
Habits	Take vitamin D and folic acid; get support to stop smoking; do not drink alcohol or use illegal drugs; eat a healthy diet; keep to a healthy weight	Before and while trying
Timing	You are more likely to get pregnant around ovulation, usually about 14 days before your next period starts	Each cycle
Frequency	Under 39 and having sex without contraception every 2 to 3 days, it is likely you will get pregnant within a year	Ongoing
See a GP	After a year of trying, or if either of you has a health condition, takes medicine, or has a known fertility issue (the page labels this non-urgent advice)	As it applies

Three checks before you start

The page opens with three things it recommends doing before trying, not after: “have the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine (if you have not already) to protect your baby during pregnancy”, “check if your cervical screening (smear test) is due”, and “get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) if you think you or your partner may have one”. None of them is a tip in the usual sense. They are the things that are easier to sort out now than once you are pregnant, and the first one is there because the vaccine protects the baby during pregnancy.

The habits the page actually lists

The list of “things that can help improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby” is six items long, and it is worth reading it as written, because it is shorter than most advice you will find:

• “taking vitamins and supplements, including vitamin D and folic acid”
• “getting support to help you stop smoking”
• “not drinking alcohol – if you need help, a GP can get you the right support”
• “not using illegal drugs – if you need help, a GP can get you the right support”
• “having a healthy diet to help you stay well in pregnancy”
• “trying to keep to a healthy weight – if your weight is too low or too high it can make it harder to get pregnant, talk to your GP for advice on managing your weight”

Two things stand out. The weight line runs in both directions, too low as well as too high. And the alcohol line is “not drinking”, not “cutting down”. If you take prescribed medicine, the page is blunt: “Do not stop taking any prescribed medicine until you’ve talked to your GP or specialist.”

If swallowing tablets is the obstacle to the first item, the gummy formats in best prenatal gummies for those who can’t take pills are the workaround; check the label for the folic acid content. Smoking gets its own treatment in does smoking affect your chances of getting pregnant.

When in the cycle it matters

“You’re more likely to get pregnant around the time you ovulate (release an egg). This is usually about 14 days before the start of your next period but depends on how long your menstrual cycle is.” That is the whole timing rule on the page. The 14 days count back from the next period, not forward from the last one, so it only lands on day 14 of a 28-day cycle; on a 32-day cycle it is around day 18. That arithmetic is ours, the rule is theirs.

On frequency the page gives one figure: “If you’re aged 39 or under and have sex without contraception every 2 to 3 days, it’s likely you’ll get pregnant within a year.” For artificial insemination it gives another, with the same age condition: “If you’re aged 39 or under and using artificial insemination (where sperm is put directly in the womb), it may take 6 to 12 rounds of treatment to get pregnant.”

The page also says plainly that “the time it takes to get pregnant is different for everyone” and lists what changes it: age, general health, fertility issues, how often you have sex, and whether you are conceiving through sex or insemination.

When to stop reading forums and see a GP

The page’s own list of reasons to speak to a GP before or while trying:

• you or your partner live with a condition, and it names epilepsy, diabetes, sickle cell disease and HIV as examples
• either of you takes prescribed or over-the-counter medicine, or any herbal remedies
• either of you has a fertility issue, such as endometriosis or low sperm count
• you cannot have sex or find it difficult to, for example because of a disability
• you have been trying to get pregnant for 1 year or more
• you need help to stop smoking, drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs

If tests find a fertility issue, the page says you “may be offered medicine, surgery, IVF (in vitro fertilisation) or intrauterine insemination (IUI) depending on the cause”. Age is one of the factors the page lists, and it is the one you cannot change.

Testing

If your period is late, the NHS pregnancy test page says tests “are most reliable from the first day of your missed period”, and if you do not know when your period is due, “do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex”. A positive result “is almost certainly correct”; a negative one “is less reliable”, so if you still think you are pregnant, “wait a few days and try again”. The symptoms that may show up around then are in first month of pregnancy symptoms.

Before you rely on any of this

• This is the NHS page as of its last review, 2 June 2026. Guidance pages get rewritten; the link is there so you can read the current version.
• It is general advice, not yours. Every “speak to a GP” line above is the page’s, and the conditions list is examples, not a complete list.
• Nothing here is a fertility treatment. The page separates what you can do at home from what a GP can refer you for, and so does this guide.

More on this stage of the process is under getting pregnant.

Sources

Every quotation and number is from the NHS pages “Trying to get pregnant” (last reviewed 2 June 2026) and “Doing a pregnancy test”, read on 21 September 2026. The day-of-cycle arithmetic is ours.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it usually take to get pregnant?

The NHS page gives one figure: if you are 39 or under and have sex without contraception every 2 to 3 days, it is likely you will get pregnant within a year. It adds that the time is different for everyone and depends on age, general health, fertility issues and how often you have sex.

When is the best time in my cycle to try?

Around ovulation, which the NHS puts at usually about 14 days before the start of your next period, depending on the length of your cycle. Counting back from the next period, not forward from the last one, is what moves it later in longer cycles.

When should I see a GP about getting pregnant?

The NHS says to speak to a GP if you have been trying for a year or more, or if you or your partner have a health condition, take any medicine or herbal remedies, have a known fertility issue, or find it difficult to have sex. The page files this under non-urgent advice.