# Pregnancy chances **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021 "2002-12-20T14:54:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brainfizz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/da6949/32.png) [@brainfizz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainfizz)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/1 "2002-12-20T14:54:37Z")
Joe and Jane Average get married and decide they want kids. If neither of them have any infertility problems, both are in the prime of life, and it’s Jane’s most fertile time of her cycle, what are the odds of Jane getting pregnant first time? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/2 "2002-12-20T15:25:26Z")
Even. Either she will or she won’t. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/3 "2002-12-20T15:33:41Z")
Ixnay, Duck. If you both are healthy and the woman is at her most fertile time, you still only have a [25% chance]([http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/trying/secretsofconception.asp#pregnancy](http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/trying/secretsofconception.asp#pregnancy) chances) of getting pregnant the first month of trying. My doctor said it’s perfectly normal for a healthy couple to try and conceive for a year without being successful, and by god, it’s been nine months and she’s right :(. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/4 "2002-12-20T15:35:06Z")
What that should read is 25% chance EACH cycle, not just for the first one. ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/5 "2002-12-20T15:43:51Z")
I would like to add… a women’s age is the key factor for the 25% chance-- all else equal— to getting pregnant per cycle. It decreases greatly after 30. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/6 "2002-12-20T15:45:01Z")
super. ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/7 "2002-12-20T15:51:35Z")
Yea…super for me, too. (33 & 3/4 --ttc for 2.5 years --ugh.) ---
**Author:** ![YEP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/43a26b/32.png) [@YEP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YEP)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/8 "2002-12-20T17:23:38Z")
Well, speaking from experience when Mrs. YEP and I decided to try for our second, tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks. Weeks or more of nookie dance in my head. But my big headed wiggler accomplished the job in one swim. Ohh…humm I think I’m back on the shelf till next time. ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/9 "2002-12-20T18:18:16Z")
YEP… Lucky dog. First time, eh? ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/10 "2002-12-20T18:22:08Z")
YEP, it’s not the non-stop fun you may imagine in your head. My husband now refers to our sexual encounters as ‘workin in the coal mine’ what with all the manuevering that must be done…offlimits positioning, pillows under the ass, sacrificing goats… sigh after a while it really becomes a project. ---
**Author:** ![YEP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/43a26b/32.png) [@YEP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YEP)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/11 "2002-12-20T19:36:48Z")
Siemsi, Yep, Fist times a charm in yepdom. And to add, It was only a quickie b/f her favorite tv show came on. jarbabyj, I don’t want to make a project out of it, but even a pro or pr… would be nice. She only has a small pouch right now, but if she only new how beautiful she was… Well you sound like you’re about to pop. I hope you the best of luck. And to you husband…ewww the thought of blacklung won’t leave my noggin for a while. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/12 "2002-12-22T00:08:19Z")
I think you misunderstand…I’m not pregnant. I’m TRYING to get pregnant. I’ve been trying for almost a year. Quickies, longies, spontaneous, planned… All that positioning and pillows and work is to try and get those friggin sperm in the right place 😃 ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/13 "2002-12-22T01:45:42Z")
My wife and I have stopped trying NOT to get pregnant, and are still having a great time not trying! We are both past the midpoint of our 30’s, so we’ll see when the lightning strikes. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/14 "2002-12-22T05:11:09Z")
**jarbabyj** , the surest method I’ve ever seen for getting pregnant is to decide you’re going to hold off a while and make plans to go back on the pill. Works like a charm for everyone I know. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnancy-chances/144021/15 "2002-12-28T09:14:17Z")
Mrs. Evil Captor and I spent over a year trying to get pregnant. It never did work out for me, but SHE managed it finally. Now we have an 11-year-old boy. Coincidence? I think not!