Quiz: How to Boost Your Pregnancy Chances

Daily sex raises the odds of pregnancy, but every other day is nearly as good. Plus, it can take the pressure off of having to perform every day. This is supposed to be fun, right?

If you’re worried that trying too often will affect his sperm, don’t. Daily sex doesn’t decrease a man’s fertility.

When should you start? It’s hard to predict exactly when you’ll ovulate and be fertile, so aim for every other day as soon as your period ends.

Do it however you like. Scientists don’t have proof that any single position helps more sperm reach their target. Sperm usually enter the cervix and the uterus within seconds after ejaculation.

If you do orgasm while doing the deed, great! A woman’s orgasm can help speed sperm along. But don’t stress over the big O. It won’t necessarily boost your chances of getting pregnant.

If he's a briefs guy, there’s no reason to switch. While overheating does reduce a man’s sperm count, briefs don’t create nearly as much heat as saunas and hot tubs, which can hurt the quality of sperm. Studies haven’t shown a link between wearing briefs and infertility.

Hormones make cervical mucus clear and slippery (like an egg white). That helps sperm swim when your egg is ready to be fertilized. Learning to spot this change helps you know when you’re ovulating and fertile. Or you can use an over-the-counter ovulation test.

Why the others aren’t as easy to do: When you use the calendar or "rhythm method,” you track your period. Then you estimate when you’re fertile based on that -- usually for several days after your period. But that’s based on averages, and women’s cycles can vary a lot.

Body temperature rises after ovulation, so it’s only a clue for the next month.

Because sperm can survive for several days inside your body, having sex before ovulation can help you get pregnant. The ideal window is 3 days: ovulation day and the 2 days before it.

Eggs need to be fertilized within 24 hours after they’re released from the ovaries. That means having sex a day or 2 later may be too late.

If you track your ovulation based on the calendar, you might want to have sex a few days before and after the expected date, because the actual day can shift from month to month. Ovulation predictor kits can help you get the timing even more exact.

Time of day doesn’t matter. The most important thing is to try to have sex on your ovulation day and the 2 days before it.

There’s no harm to you or your baby if you get pregnant right after you go off the pill. But you may want to finish the pack before you start trying so you don’t get irregular bleeding. And it may be a challenge to predict your ovulation until your cycles are regular again.

One or two cups of coffee won’t hurt your chances of conceiving, and it's safe during pregnancy, too.

Why lay off cigarettes and dieting? Not only can smoking cause infertility, it might also make menopause start earlier.

Losing -- or gaining -- too much weight can disrupt your menstrual cycle. If you’re trying to get pregnant, eat a balanced, nutritious diet. Aim for a normal weight. Being underweight can lower your odds.

Experts are divided over whether it's OK to drink alcohol when you’re trying to get pregnant. Some studies show it can make you less fertile, though others suggest it helps.

When deciding what to do, remember that you might not know exactly when you get pregnant. Studies have shown that drinking alcohol during pregnancy -- even early pregnancy -- can cause birth defects. 

Store-bought lubricants can slow down sperm in the laboratory, so they may have the same effect in the bedroom. Canola and mineral oils are better bets for baby-making.