The internet will tell you to βjust relaxβ for another six months. UK pages are more specific. The NHS infertility page says it's a good idea to see a GP if you haven't conceived after a year of trying. Women aged 36 and over, and anyone who already knows they may have a fertility problem, should go sooner. That's 36, not βover 35β as a US blog would write it. Both partners, not just her.
The βdonβt bother them yetβ line is common. Tests take time. Female fertility does not wait for your diary. If you're already 37 and four months in, you are not being dramatic. Book the appointment.
What βtryingβ actually means
More than 8 out of 10 couples, where the woman is under 40, will conceive naturally within a year if they have regular unprotected sex. The NHS figure is every 2 or 3 days. That's frequency, not a fertile-window app with a marketing budget. Tracking can help some couples. It is not the definition of trying on that page.
Marie Claire's how-to-get-pregnant explainer covers timing, prenatal vitamins and the usual lifestyle list in magazine English. It does not replace the GP clock.
Go sooner if you have another reason to be concerned β cancer treatment, a suspected STI, known endometriosis, absent periods, previous pelvic infection. Fertility tests take time. Don't wait out a year of something that is already wrong.
The two clocks people mix up
| Clock | What the page says | What people hear |
|---|---|---|
| See a GP | After a year of regular unprotected sex; sooner at 36+ or with a known problem | βWe are not allowed to knock until month 12β |
| Investigation | After 1 year, offer both partners further assessment; at presentation if 36+ or a known cause | βInvestigations start the day you worryβ |
| Infertility as a diagnosis | Usually diagnosed and treated after 2 years of regular unprotected sex | βNothing happens until year twoβ |
| Unexplained infertility, later | NICE fertility guidance: try for a total of 2 years before treatment such as IUI or IVF in that pathway | βThe GP year and the treatment year are the same yearβ |
Those are not the same clock. You can β and often should β be in a GP surgery at 12 months (or immediately at 36+) even if NHS-funded IVF is still a conversation for later. Local integrated care boards set what they fund. The GP appointment is how you enter the system, not how you leave with a cycle of IVF.
Go now, not at month 12, if any of this is you
- You're 36 or over.
- Periods are rare, absent, or wildly irregular β including a known or suspected PCOS picture.
- Endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, previous ectopic pregnancy, or chemotherapy sits in the history.
- He has had testicular surgery, chemotherapy, or a known sperm problem.
- You cannot, or find it very difficult to, have vaginal intercourse. You should not have to wait out a year of something that is not happening.
- You're using donor or partner insemination: further assessment is often offered after 6 cycles, not 12 months of guessing.
If a miscarriage or ectopic happens during the year of trying, UK fertility guidance says do not restart the clock. Take that to the appointment if a receptionist tries to reset you to month one.
What the GP actually does
Both partners should go. Fertility problems can affect either or both. Expect questions about sex frequency, contraception wash-out, smears, smoking, weight, alcohol, medicines (including herbal bits), and previous pregnancies. She may get a progesterone blood test timed to the cycle, a chlamydia screen, BMI, a pelvic exam. He may get a semen analysis.
While you wait, the public-health basics still apply. 400 Β΅g folic acid daily if you could become pregnant, ideally for three months before, and through 12 weeks. Smoking cessation helps both of you. Alcohol: see the caffeine and alcohol when TTC note rather than inventing a unit count here.
Food supplements while you wait
A year of trying is not a year of empty shelves, but it is also not a reason to stack six bottles because a forum βstarted IVF prep earlyβ. If you want a preconception formula in the 90 days you already have, Her Fertility and Him Fertility are the formulas in this range for that window. The fertility-support collection and the exist so you are not pretending only one partner has a clock. They do not move the NHS year.
FAQ
We've only been trying four months and I am 37. Do we wait until a year?
No. Book the GP. Take him with you.
Does βregular unprotected sexβ mean tracking ovulation?
The NHS figure is sex every 2 or 3 days. Tracking can help some couples. If timed sex has taken over the relationship, say that in the appointment.
Can I skip the GP and go private?
You can. HFEA-licensed clinics still want a work-up. Starting with a GP is how most NHS pathways, and many private ones, get the first bloods and a semen analysis without paying twice.
Book the appointment on the NHS timetable, not a sales timetable. If you're still in the 90-day window while you wait, a food supplement can sit beside that without pretending it is the referral.
How the formulas sit on that timeline
See the GP on the NHS/NICE clock. If you are also using preconception nutrition while you wait, Her Fertility and Him Fertility are the two formulas in this range β not a reason to postpone the appointment. Folic acid 400 Β΅g still applies for her from before pregnancy. The couple bundle starts both the same week.
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