Conception depends on so many different factors: lifestyle, the food you eat, your age, your stress level. It can take up to a year (or sometimes even longer) for a healthy couple to conceive.
On average, it takes between four and ten months – but that doesn’t mean it always happens when you want it to. And if you’ve been on oral contraception, it can take several weeks or even months before your cycle becomes regular again.
It’s common to feel frustrated, depressed, worried or disappointed when it doesn’t happen right away. Try to remember that lots of other people go through the same things you’re experiencing, and for most of them, it does happen.
Here are some tips on keeping your cool while trying:
• Talk things out: It’s very important thing to keep talking openly and honestly with your partner. Share your feelings and listen to your partner’s point of view, without feeling threatened. If this is difficult, consider talking to a couples’ therapist.
• Take a break: If you’re getting worn out from the emotional rollercoaster of wondering and worrying if you’ve gotten pregnant each month, consider taking a break. Spend time working on your relationship. Go away for a long weekend and just relax; remember why you wanted to start a family in the first place.
• Make healthy changes together: Eating well, quitting smoking, eliminating alcohol and exercising are all easier and more fun when you do them together. They can also strengthen your bond and your desire to become pregnant.
• Just enjoy sex: Forget obsessing over ovulation and the optimal timing of sex for a while and just be impulsive. Have fun!
• Consider alternative therapies: Check out massage, acupuncture, homeopathy or even hypnosis for relaxation. There are a whole host of options to try that can naturally enhance your health and wellbeing.
• Slow things down: If you’ve recently experienced a miscarriage or lost a child, it’s a good idea to wait a little while before trying to get pregnant again. Instinctually, you may want to get things back to the way they were, but emotionally, you probably need time to work through your grief. Although you are physically able to conceive just a few weeks after miscarrying, some medical professionals recommend that you wait at least a month or two before trying again.