Many women will have spent several years trying to avoid getting pregnant. So you may assume that when you stop using contraception, you’ll get pregnant straight away. But for many, it’s not quite as simple as that.

Even if everything is working well physically with both you and your partner, you have on average a one in four possibility of getting pregnant in each monthly cycle.

This means that on average it will take a couple in their early twenties about five cycles (five months). For women in their early thirties it can take an average of nine months.

Some couples will be lucky and get pregnant straight away, others will still be trying a year later – this doesn’t mean there’s anything actually wrong with either of you.

One in 10 couples who have no physical problems will take more than a year to conceive; one in 20 will take more than two years. You can increase your chances of conceiving and ensure you are both at your most fertile by looking at more articles in our section on fertility.

If you have been trying for a while and nothing has happened, the first thing you should do is visit your doctor and ask for some tests.

Top conception tips

Here are five things to focus on in your quest to conceive:

1. Eat well
2. Cut back on caffeine
3. Don’t use recreational drugs, including tobacco
4. Avoid alcohol
5. Have sex often