Getting pregnant isn't always easy. About a quarter of couples experience a period of infertility lasting more than a year, and some continue to experience difficulties for longer. At least one in six couples consults an infertility specialist, and about one is 80 babies in the UK is born as the result of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment.
Infertility may be a result of factors affecting the fertility of either partner. In some instances, despite investigation, the cause is never identified. This is called unexplained infertility.
How long does it take to get pregnant?
If you make love two or three times a week, you have about a 20 to 30 per cent chance of conceiving in any month. It's not unusual, however, for a healthy couple to take up to two years to conceive, as the following statistics from the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA) show.
30 per cent of couples conceive within a month of starting to try for a baby.
75 per cent conceive within six months.
90 per cent conceive within a year.
95 per cent conceive within two years.
Time it right
For fertilisation to occur, the man's sperm needs to meet the woman's egg at about the time of ovulation (when the egg is released from the ovaries). Ovulation normally occurs 14 days before a period. So, if the woman has a menstrual cycle of 28 days, ovulation will be on or around day 14. If the menstrual cycle is longer or shorter, count 14 days back from when the next period is due.

There are many reasons people come to the decision not to continue fertility treatment. It may happen when the consultant says there's little or no chance of success. For others, there comes a point at which they can no longer endure the emotional roller coaster of treatments, or the financial cost is too high and they can no longer afford treatment. After several - or many - attempts that haven't resulted in the birth of a baby, a couple may just feel it's time to move on.
At whatever point it's decided to call it a day, it's vital to know the decision has been made without pressure and that the time - and money - spent having treatment hasn't been wasted. There shouldn't be a feeling of personal failure.
Alternative ways of having a family
Even if you decide not to have any more attempts at assisted reproduction, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up all hope of having a family. There are other ways of becoming a parent.
Adoption is likely to work best if it's seen as a positive choice rather than as second best. For this reason, many adoption agencies specify that people who've been trying for a baby using assisted conception leave it six months to a year after completing treatment, to ensure they have come to terms with their infertility.
It can take time to come to terms with the idea of being childfree. This is especially the case if there has been the hope of a child while going through fertility treatment. The realisation may also come if adoption and surrogacy haven't worked out or aren't possible.

Donation
Deciding to use donated sperm, eggs or embryos involves complex issues with far-reaching implications for parents and children. It's a difficult decision that should be made after careful consideration of the impact it's likely to have on everyone involved.

Important questions
When considering whether to use donation, you might want to ask yourself the following questions:
Why do you feel using donated eggs or sperm is better than adoption or being childless?
How would you feel about your child having the genetic characteristics of someone who isn't a family member?
How would you feel knowing the donor may have other children, so your child would have half-siblings?
How will the use of donated eggs or sperm be discussed with family and how are they likely to feel about it?
How and when will any resulting child be told of their origins? Research suggests that children are better balanced if they know how they were conceived.