The problem is that many women nowadays who are postponing children until later in life for a variety of reasons often don't realize until it's too late about the reduced odds, says Dr. A.F. Haney, chairman of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Duke University Medical Center. Mustering the patience until you conceive is often easier said than done. A British study even shocked the medical community by claiming recently that a late afternoon roll in the hay is the optimum time for conception because that's when female hormones that affect fertility and sperm count and potency are at peak levels. So far, however, experts say there isn't enough evidence to prove that any particular positions, time of day or activity after intercourse make a difference. There's nothing wrong with maintaining romance, or even a sense of humor, while trying to conceive, but a candle at the head of your bed is probably as useful as a candle at the Four Seasons, and it's a whole lot less expensive.
Ovulation sometimes can be harder to predict if a woman's cycles are irregular.
And for women who are getting older, monthly cycles first get shorter, then longer the closer they get to menopause. This handheld computer tests and records a woman's LH and estrogen levels by reading a urine sample stick, and notifies her of low, high and peak fertility times. It's as obsessive as I got about tracking the best time to get pregnant because I knew that it would be counterproductive. There are some relatively controllable factors that may be slowing down a couple's ability to conceive. For women, they include being too overweight or underweight, eating disorders, excessive exercise, smoking and drinking.