If you’re trying to conceive, be aware that there are plenty of mistakes you can make along the way. There are things that you’ll try in order to increase your chances of getting pregnant that will, in all actuality, reduce your chances of getting pregnant. By understanding some of the most common fertility mistakes, you can increase the likelihood that you’ll get pregnant, and do so sooner.

Here are some of the most common fertility mistakes that couples make when trying to get pregnant:

• Assuming when you ovulate. If you remember your sex ed talk, you’ll know that most women have a cycle that lasts 28 days. That means they’ll ovulate on about day 14. That being said, women are very rarely in a situation where they have exactly 28 days in their cycle. If your cycle is shorter or longer, you won’t ovulate on day 14. The worst part about it is that you can’t count forward from the start of your period to figure out when you’re going to ovulate. You actually have to cound backwards 14 days from when you start your period. If your cycle is irregular at all, you’re probably going to want to use an ovulation prediction kit in order to know when the best time to conceive is going to be.
• Only having sex when you believe you’re ovulating. While too much sex can decrease a man’s sperm count, the fact of the matter is that you should be able to have sex about every other day in the four or five days leading up to ovulation if you want to maximize your odds of getting pregnant.
• Unhealthy habits. There are some specific types of behaviors such as smoking and excessive caffeine drinking that can affect your fertility. Even extremes in weight, whether overweight or underweight – can affect your fertility.
• Waiting too long to get pregnant. Today, it’s much easier for a woman over the age of 40 to get pregnant than it was just 50 years ago. That being said, you’re still most fertile when you’re in your 20s, and from about the age of 38 onward you’re going to have a struggle.