If you're like most women, you have probably spent a good portion of your adult life trying not to get pregnant. And you have probably received lots of information from various sources (friends, family, school) on just how to accomplish this. I'm sure you imagined that when the time came that you actually wanted to get pregnant, it would be quite an easy task. That tips on getting pregnant would be the last thing you would need. Simply stop using any precautions, ie. birth control, and that should do it!

Well, as it turns out, it is not always so simple. Yet most women have much more knowledge about how to avoid getting pregnant than how to actually get pregnant. You probably never thought you would need any tips on getting pregnant, but the truth is it might not "just happen" unless you get some good information first.

If you ask your friends for tips on getting pregnant, most will just tell you to have a lot of sex. This is definitely a good start, but the number one mistake that couples make when trying to get pregnant is improper timing of intercourse. One of the biggest reasons that occurs is because many women have the mistaken idea that they ovulate on day 14. This is a myth that has been perpetuated because most examples of an ideal menstrual cycle use a model of 28 days, in which case it is likely you would ovulate around day 14--but not definitely. However, many women do not have a perfect 28 day cycle, it can range from 24 days to 35 days or even a bit more or less. So you must never assume that you ovulate on day 14--that is one of the best tips on getting pregnant that you could ever get.

So how do you figure out when you do actually ovulate? Well, there are several methods that can help you accomplish this. One way is using a basal body thermometer and take your temperature each morning upon waking and keep a record for several months. You will start to see a pattern that shows a slight shift up in the temperatures each month. At the point that your temperature shifts up, you have just ovulated. Keeping this chart for a few months will give you a very good idea as to the approximate time of month that you in fact ovulate.

Another thing you can do is check your cervical mucus throughout your cycle to notice any changes. You will start to notice that your cervical fluid changes in consistency as you get towards the middle of the cycle. When the cervical fluid becomes clear and stretchy (like raw eggwhites), you are approaching ovulation.

If you are more interested in a scientific method, you can purchase ovulation test kits, a saliva test kit or a fertility monitor. Each of these note changes in your hormones that indicate when ovulation is approaching. These methods are more expensive, but can be very reliable.

Once you have pinpointed when you will be ovulating, you need to time intercourse so that you can have the maximum number of sperm "waiting" when your egg is released. One of the best tips on getting pregnant would be to have intercourse every day up through the day of ovulation as soon as you discover your ovulation is approaching through one of the methods outlined above. The reason is that the sperm can live for about 5 days inside a woman's body while waiting for the egg to drop. Once ovulation occurs the egg only lives for a short time. So having intercourse after you have already ovulated is probably too late! The egg will start to disintegrate within 12-24 hours of ovulation.

So in conclusion, if you are searching for tips on getting pregnant, concentrate your efforts on figuring out when you ovulate so that you do not waste the small window of opportunity to get pregnant that arrives each month. Once you have that figured out, you can time intercourse to maximize your chances of having the most sperm available and "waiting" when the day of ovulation arrives. Good luck!