Best Positions to Get Pregnant

No matter how comfortable you and your partner are in the bedroom, having sex with the intention to conceive can make things feel radically different. You may start to wonder, “Is there a best position to get pregnant?”

In short, no. According to scientists, no sexual posture is better than any other when it comes to your ability to conceive.

While having an orgasm (for both parties) may help slightly improve your chances of conception, other factors play a more decisive role. Below, we explore what aspects of sex have the biggest impact on female and male fertility, as well as tips for improving your chances of success.

Why doesn’t sex position matter for improving chances of conception?

To reiterate: The best positions to get pregnant involve those where your partner ejaculates inside you (which is to say, any position can work!).

While position won’t be a decisive factor in whether you and your partner conceive, others might be, including timing, sperm health, and age. And for those wondering, can you choose the gender of your baby? There are methods for gender selection—though sexual positions aren’t one of them.

• Timing – Timing is the main factor you want to focus on when trying to conceive. Conception can only occur during the female fertile window: the period leading up to and the day of ovulation. For most people, the window lasts about 7 days. If you want to conceive naturally, having sexual intercourse during this timeframe is crucial.
• Sperm health – Around half of infertility cases are thought to stem from an issue with male sperm or seminal health. In order to conceive naturally, sperm and semen need to be in healthy condition, which requires a state of general health.
• Uterine environment – Conception can only occur in the uterus if the correct environmental conditions are met. One of the most important factors is cervical mucus. When you’re fertile, it should be a stretchy consistency—often compared to egg whites—which works to “trap” sperm and move them more easily toward the ovum.
• Age – Age and fertility are closely linked, as age is one of the most significant factors affecting the ability to conceive. Female fertility typically begins to decline after age 35, while male fertility gradually decreases after 40. As age increases, the quantity and quality of eggs and sperm may diminish, which can make conception more challenging.
• Overall well-being – Leading a healthy lifestyle plays a major role in dictating a couple’s ability to conceive. As we discussed, healthy sperm and uterine environments depend on your general health. Nutrition, activity level, stress management, existing health conditions, and disease management are all important factors to consider.

Does gravity impact my ability to conceive?

No. Healthy Sperm are some of nature’s most gifted swimmers, and several other mechanisms work to facilitate their marathon to your egg, like:

• Slippery cervical mucus
• Your muscle contractions

You might worry that standing up after sex might deter them from their mission, but there’s really no evidence to support the myth. In other words, gravity doesn’t play much of a role in boosting or impeding sperm’s ability to reach your egg.

5 Science-Backed Tips for Optimizing Conception

Though specific sexual positions won’t impact you and your partner’s fertility, several other methods might—according to evidence—improve your odds of getting pregnant.

#1 Find Your Fertile Window

One of the most influential factors involved in conception has to do with timing. Your fertile window is the apex of your fertility each month. So, knowing when you ovulate is crucial for getting pregnant.

To get a more accurate picture of your ovulation window, you might try:

• Tracking your basal body temperature (BBT) – Your basal body temperature refers to your temperature when your body is in a state of perfect, undisturbed rest—usually, just after you’ve woken up and before you’ve gotten out of bed.

To track your BBT, you’ll need a special thermometer (a basal body temperature thermometer). You’ll also need to wake up at the same time each day to take your temperature. On the day ovulation occurs, you’ll notice a small spike in body temperature—the perfect time to get busy in the bedroom!

• Tracking your cervical mucus – Your cervical mucus—also called “discharge”—changes in texture throughout the reproductive cycle. When you’re fertile, it looks and feels slippery, elastic, and usually transparent.
• Ovulation predictor kits – While it’s possible to figure out your fertile window the old-fashioned way, there are also ovulation predictor kits available. These are urine tests that screen for LH, or luteinizing hormone, which peaks just before you ovulate.

Remember, sperm can survive in your body for up to 5 days after your partner ejaculates inside you, while your egg only lives for about a day. So, as long as sperm are in the vicinity after you’ve ovulated, you’ll vastly improve your chances of conception.

#2 Curb Your Alcohol and Caffeine Consumption

A growing body of research suggests it may be best to limit—or totally avoid—alcohol and caffeine consumption while trying to conceive:

• Alcohol – One 2021 European paper showed heavy drinking (6 or more drinks per week) can negatively impact female fertility—particularly during the second half of the reproductive cycle. Men who drink heavily (between 7 and 14 drinks weekly) may also be at risk, as chronic and heavy drinking can severely injure sperm cells.
• Caffeine – The science on whether caffeine can impair human fertility remains divided. While one 2017 paper suggested excessive caffeine intake may cause DNA damage in sperm, a different 2020 survey declared no evidence that caffeine compromises fertility in males or females—though researchers urge “caution” despite these conclusions. Notably, caffeine is known to heighten stress levels, which may impair fertility quality across genders.

The takeaway? You may be able to improve your chances of conception by eliminating or reducing your alcohol intake. This is a simple way to prepare your body for pregnancy. If you don’t want to nix caffeine but are trying for a baby, “everything in moderation” may be the best approach.

#3 Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

Being both underweight and overweight may impair a couple’s ability to conceive. While being underweight might correlate with nutritional deficits your body needs to have a baby, being overweight can stop ovulation by overproducing estrogen. Additionally, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is a common cause of both extra weight and fertility issues in women.

Your healthcare provider can help you ascertain whether you’re at a healthy weight to get pregnant. They, as well as a dietician, can be excellent resources if you want to develop a fertility-forward weight loss or management plan.

#4 Take Stress to Task

Although the impact of stress on fertility can be hard to measure, it’s thought to be a major culprit in interfering with female fertility. There is a strong correlative relationship between difficulties conceiving and instances of anxiety, depression, and other forms of distress.

To that end, experimenting with different stress management interventions may help improve your odds of conceiving, depending on the types of stressors you experience. You might try:

• Starting a meditation practice
• Learning about mindfulness techniques and implementing these throughout your day
• Joining a stress or life event support group
• Adopting gentle movement practices like yoga
• Journaling, collaging, or vision boarding
• Seeking out a therapist
• Carving out reserved time to decompress

Even simple, small measures of managing your stress levels may put you and your body in a better position to conceive.

#5 Adopt an Active Lifestyle

Exercise can be a confusing subject when it comes to fertility. One 2023 “mini-review” of the relationship between exercise and fertility stated that while people who struggle with their weight are encouraged to exercise, women at a healthy weight are cautioned from overdoing it.

For best results, researchers recommend women trying to get pregnant keep an eye on their overall nutrition and caloric intake, in addition to their exercise regimen. They also recommend partnering with a healthcare provider to monitor progesterone during the luteal phase to protect fertility.

More Ways to Enhance Your Fertility

If you know you’re ready to grow your family, making a few simple adjustments may help you and your partner enhance your fertility. You can try:

• Taking a prenatal vitamin as part of your preconception routine. This can help prepare your body for pregnancy by supplying key nutrients like folic acid, iron, and calcium.
• Kicking unhealthy habits. Plenty of evidence indicates that alcohol, caffeine, and other recreational drugs can depress fertility rates in both men and women. Other possible depressors include processed foods, added sugars, chemicals, and environmental toxins.
• Exploring other supplements. In men, certain supplements may help drive up sperm count and quality. Some of the most promising include:
  • Fenugreek, zinc, or D-aspartic acid (an amino acid that may help elevate testosterone levels)
  • Vitamin C, an antioxidant that may help enhance semen quality
  • Tribulus terrestris, an herb that may assist with sperm motility

Just be sure to consult with your healthcare provider before introducing any to your regimen.

Finally, if tweaking your health routine isn’t working, there’s no shame in consulting a professional. For couples struggling to conceive after 1 year of trying, fertility testing can tell you and your significant other how likely you are to get pregnant on your own. Seeing a fertility specialist can help you and your partner find the right method to get pregnant if you’re struggling.

Remember, everyone’s pathway to parenthood looks different, and it’s not always easy. No matter what challenges you’re confronting, solutions from fertility treatments to reproductive technologies may offer the help you need.

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At SneakPeek, our commitment is to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable information to empower our readers. Our content is thoroughly researched, reviewed by medical experts, and fact-checked to ensure its credibility. We prioritize the well-being and education of our readers, and our editorial policy adheres to the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in all our articles.

This post has been reviewed for accuracy by:

Haley Milot

Haley Milot, a highly skilled laboratory professional, currently serves as the Associate Director of Lab Operations at Gateway Genomics, the parent company of SneakPeek. Her extensive experience in laboratory management, spanning over seven years with Gateway Genomics, showcases her expertise in quality assurance, quality control, and the development of laboratory procedures. Haley's background includes pivotal roles in DNA extraction and purification, real-time qPCR, and specimen accessioning, underscoring her comprehensive understanding of laboratory operations and diagnostics. Her adeptness in managing complex laboratory functions and her deep knowledge of medical diagnostics make her a vital contributor to SneakPeek's innovative approach to prenatal testing.

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