There is no doubt that having a child is one of the most joyous moments any human being can experience. Despite this, not everyone has the chance to share this joy as many people fail to conceive or take very long to do so. Consequently, they start looking for ways to increase chances of getting pregnant.

In men, the sperm quality might be at fault. This can be due to different factors like a regular exposure of the testicles to intense heat like in a sauna. The problem might also be due to prevailing illnesses or genetic in nature.

Pregnancy might be delayed due to having sex on the wrong day of the ovulation cycle. The problem can also stem from a condition known as endometriosis where the uterine wall takes on different morphologies that don't support the growth of a fetus. Age and sexually transmitted diseases also play a role in infertility and decrease chances of pregnancy.

Frustration can lead to the blame game, with either partner passing the buck back and forth. There are, however, some factors that affect both sexes. These include drugs like alcohol and smoking which affect each sex in different ways but with a similar end result.

What Can You Do at Home?

It pays not to give up hope and keep trying to conceive a child. Here is how to increase the chances of pregnancy from the comfort of your own home without incurring the expense of medical help.

1. Maintain a normal body mass index

Your body weight has a lot to do with your chances of getting pregnant. When you are overweight, the excessive fat content interferes with the production and regulation of the reproductive hormones. The younger and more overweight you are, the higher your chances of developing polycystic ovarian syndrome in the future.

On the other end of the scale, being very underweight is not advisable. The lack of enough fat undermines the production of the hormones, leading to difficulty in conceiving.

2. Eat a balanced diet

A balanced diet contains all the nutrients that your body needs. Embarking on this diet ensures that your body is in the perfect position to start the reproductive process.

Among men, eating well ensures that the sperm are well nourished, and, therefore, have the ability to swim towards their destination: the fallopian tube. Regarding the women, having a balanced diet ensures that your hormones are available at the right levels and at the right time. Once you have conceived, a balanced diet ensures proper development of the baby within your body.

3. Stay off the booze and coffee

In a number of studies, the results have shown that indulging in more than a glass of alcohol a day can throw off your ovulation cycle and make it quite difficult for you to get pregnant. Coffee, on the other hand, contains caffeine which has been shown to interfere with the process of implantation. Caffeine hampers the descent of the eggs from the ovaries down into the uterus. Staying off both beverages increases your chances of conception.

4. Work out regularly – but don't overdo it

Exercise is important for increasing the chances of pregnancy. This is mainly because it gets the blood flowing and generally keeps you in a healthy state.

You should cut back on excessive exercise, though. Studies have shown that women who plan more than five hours a week for exercise often find it difficult to get pregnant. All you need is a little light exercise so that you don't become a couch potato: a situation that's bound to see you pack on the pounds.

5. Try having sex at the right time

Often, you fail to conceive because the timing is off. No one wants to have a diary with sexual appointments penciled in because the spontaneity – an enjoyable aspect of sex – is killed. But you are trying to make a baby here, which is why you need to know when to engage in sexual activity.

You should follow her cycle so that you can know the days when your conception is most likely. There are apps these days that do all this for you, alerting you to the right time to have sex.

6. Have the right amount of sex

When you are both lively and healthy, it is very possible to conceive especially when you are very sexually active.

This is how to increase chances of getting pregnant by having the right amount of sex. This means that a few days to the beginning of ovulation, you should start having intercourse and continue doing so every other day until a few days after ovulation is done.

Still Not Pregnant? Here Are Some Alternative Course of Action

However hard you try though, sometimes adhering to all the above does not always mean that you will conceive. If this is the case, you have to go to a medical professional. They will determine the causes of the conception inability and offer advice and help.

• Medication

Your doctor will prescribe medication depending on the cause of your infertility. Sometimes your ovaries are dormant and do not release eggs to be fertilized. In such an instance, the doctor will most likely provide estrogen-blocking drugs like Clomid.

Once the estrogen is blocked, there is an increased production of follicle stimulating and luteinizing hormones which prompt the ovaries to produce eggs.

Sometimes though, the doctor will offer a direct route; the ideal hormones injected directly into your bloodstream to bring about the desired effect.

• Artificial insemination

While this might sound off-putting, it's sometimes the only viable solution that will allow you to conceive.

Sperms are collected from the man and then introduced into the woman through a number of ways, depending on the ability of the sperms to swim or the woman's ability to let them through.

Sometimes these two methods are used in conjunction with each other to ensure better results. However, this can also lead to multiple births which are rife with complications.

To Sum It Up

Getting pregnant is something that many couples are excited about and look forward to. However, these hopes can sometimes be destroyed when conception does not occur after numerous tries.

There are, however, plenty of home remedies that can be used to ensure that both the man and woman are in peak condition to increase the chances of pregnancy. When these fail, modern medicine is always ready to offer a helping hand through medication and artificial insemination.