How long is too long? 

It’s a question that’s on many couples’ minds when discussing the issue of conception.  If a woman hasn’t become pregnant in three months, is that a sign there’s a fertility issue?  Or should she wait six months?  A year?  Two?

Generally speaking, most fertility specialists recommend that if a couple hasn’t conceived naturally after trying for a year, there may be an underlying fertility issue.  (Again, the word is “may” — some couples take longer to conceive than others, especially if they aren’t having regular sexual intercourse.)

Of course, in the case of couples dealing with secondary infertility, they might be inclined to see a fertility specialist sooner rather than later.  (For instance, this could make sense for a couple who conceived their first child within two months but have been unsuccessful at conceiving a second child after nine months of regular sex.) 

While it’s not recommended that couples overly stress about being unable to quickly conceive naturally, it may be a good idea to talk to a fertility specialist if a good deal of time has passed and no pregnancy has resulted.  After all, a check-up could only help.

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