The decision to try for a baby can come with a mixture of emotions. One moment you’re scared, the next you’re incredibly excited – and that’s before you even start getting into the logistics of trying to conceive.

Because despite what many of us had shoved down our throats at school (ie unprotected sex = pregnancy), conceiving a baby is often more complicated than that. Anyone who’s tried to get pregnant in the past will know that it’s easy to find yourself drowning in information about ovulation and basal body temperatures and dealing with unsolicited advice from friends, family members and your social media algorithm.

Of course, before you do anything, you need to get the basics right: having penetrative, vaginal sex without contraception during the fertile window of your cycle. Working that last bit out is probably the trickiest part, but if your menstrual cycle is regular, it’s usually between days 10 and 17 (if your cycle is irregular, check out the advice below).

“I’m a fertility doctor – these are the 5 things couples often get wrong when they’re trying to conceive”