The decision to start a family is one of the most important decisions that a couple will ever make. Some couples decide to start a family early in life when they are in their twenties.

Others want to wait until they get established in their careers and purchase a home. These decisions are often made without either party knowing how fertile they are.

Unfortunately, many people don’t find out whether or not they can conceive until they actually try to become pregnant. This can present problems in some cases, especially for older couples. This is why it is a good idea to stop using birth control about 6 months before you are trying to conceive.

There are a lot of factors that can influence a person’s fertility. Health, diet, stress levels, environment can all have an impact. Fertility treatments can be very expensive and don’t always result in pregnancy, which can add to a couple’s frustration. There are a lot of things that you can do to increase your chances of conceiving that don’t involve spending money.

Healthy couples should not become discouraged if they are not able to become pregnant right away. It can take several months or even a year or more for a pregnancy to occur. It is a good idea for a woman to become familiar with her cycle.

Many people don’t realize that there is a relatively small window during each month that a woman is fertile. Any efforts at conception outside of this window will likely not produce the desired results.

Couples who decide that they are ready to become parents should also each visit a physician to make sure that they there are no underlying medical conditions that may prevent a pregnancy from occurring. Once they get the green light, then making some lifestyle changes can increase their chances of becoming pregnant.

Excess weight can interfere with a person’s fertility, especially fat around the abdominal area. This problem can be remedied by taking walks and staying more physically active. Cut back on calories and the first fat the body will burn will be in the mid section.