How To Determine Your Most Fertile Day To Conceive
To determine your most fertile day to conceive, use the duration of your menstrual cycle to help you if you have regular periods. Subtract 14 days from your normal cycle to find your ovulation day. Your fertility window will be the 6 days leading up to and including this day.
What are common causes of delayed ovulation?
Causes of delayed ovulation can be multiple, for example: having irregular menstrual periods, stress in your personal life, obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, your age, medical conditions affecting the female system, some medications, hx of long acting contraceptives like Depo-Provera provera .
When do you ovulate and how long does it last?
It takes about 12 to 24 hours for ovulation to take place. Ovulation usually occurs in about 14 days after the beginning of ones menstrual cycle. The lifespan of this released egg after ovulation lasts for about a mere 12 to 24 hours.
If Youre Trying To Get Pregnant
If youre trying to get pregnant, pinpointing ovulation is a vital first step. If youve been dutifully baby dancing mid-cycle and havent yet gotten pregnant, you may even wonder if you have more irregular ovulation and would benefit from sex during or right after your period.
There are several ways you can try to figure out your ovulation patterns. They include:
At-home ovulation predictor kits. These tests work by detecting LH , which surges 12 days before ovulation takes place. So these kits can tell you when youre going to ovulate, but they cant tell you when ovulation has taken place.
Progesterone test kits. Some women who have irregular periods, such as those with PCOS, find that using a kit that detects progesterone the hormone released right after ovulation is helpful to use in addition to a standard ovulation kit. Determining whether or not your body produced progesterone will help you to know if you ovulated or not.
Fertility apps.Ovulation-tracking apps compile a monthly record of multiple factors, such as basal body temperature and cervical mucus. They can help women with regular periods determine when theyre ovulating. We wish we could put this in neon flashing lights, though: These apps can help you get pregnant, but theyre not birth control and shouldnt be used to prevent pregnancy.
Calculating Your Monthly Fertility Window
Your fertility window is the time during your menstrual cycle when youre most likely to get pregnant. For most people, its the five days leading up to ovulation, the day of ovulation and the day after ovulation. Calculating your monthly fertility window can help you target the optimal time to have sex if youre trying to conceive. However, natural family planning is a less reliable form of contraception and does not protect against sexually transmitted infections.
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The Basics Of How Ovulation Works
Tiny eggs develop in sacs called follicles in your ovaries. Follicles develop for several months before they are ready to release their egg, . At any given time, there are follicles at several stages of development in your ovaries .
Early scientists once mistook the follicle for the egg itself
Follicles undergo incredible changes leading up to ovulation, developing many parts and layers, each with their own functions. Most follicles, though, will never reach ovulation, dying off at different phases of development or pre-development.
At the beginning of each menstrual cycle, a few developing follicles are considered candidates for that cycleâs ovulation . By about midway through the follicular phase, one follicle becomes dominant.
Just like a superstar athlete being selected from the pack, all resources then go to preparing that single follicle, and the other potentials die off.
When the follicle is ready, it releases its egg. The egg travels out of the ovary and is taken up by the fallopian tube . After its release, the egg has about 12â24 hours to be fertilized by sperm in the fallopian tube. If the egg isnât fertilized within this short window, it begins to degrade. If it is fertilized, it travels to the uterus over the following 6-12 days, to possibly implant for pregnancy .
This first part of the cycle is called the follicular phase .
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How Does Conception Occur
Conception is when sperm and an egg join together. Its one of the many steps that happen to create a pregnancy.
Conception is closely related to a persons menstrual cycle. A menstrual cycle describes the sequence of events that occur within your body as it prepares for the possibility of pregnancy each month. Women or people assigned female at birth ovulate during their menstrual cycle. Ovulation is when your ovary releases an egg for fertilization. Tiny finger-like structures called fimbriae help guide the egg through your fallopian tubes towards your uterus. During this journey through your fallopian tubes, an egg can be fertilized by sperm.
If a sperm is successful on its quest to fertilize an egg, the now fertilized egg continues to move down your fallopian tube, dividing into two cells, then four cells, then more cells. About a week after the sperm has fertilized the egg, the zygote has traveled to your uterus. Itâs now a growing cluster of about 100 cells called a blastocyst.
The blastocyst then attaches itself to the lining of your uterus . This attachment process is called implantation. However, just because conception occurs doesnât mean implantation will. Sometimes implantation doesnât happen, and you pass the fertilized egg in your next menstrual period.
Timeline of getting pregnant
The process of getting pregnant in a 28-day menstrual cycle is:
Conception and a positive pregnancy test
How Can I Tell If I Am Ovulating
the length of your menstrual cycle ovulation usually occurs around 10 to 16 days before your period starts, so you may be able to work out when youre likely to ovulate if you have a regular cycle. your cervical mucus you may notice wetter, clearer and more slippery mucus around the time of ovulation.
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How Do I Know If Im Pregnant Without A Test
The most common early signs and symptoms of pregnancy might include: Missed period. If youre in your childbearing years and a week or more has passed without the start of an expected menstrual cycle, you might be pregnant. However, this symptom can be misleading if you have an irregular menstrual cycle.
Can You Get Pregnant Right Before Your Period
Yes, but it’s unlikely, and chances are even lower that you could conceive during this time than while you are on your period or right after it. That’s because the time you are fertile has probably passed.
However, if you have a menstrual cycle that is shorter than the typical 28 days, there are fewer days between ovulation and the start of your next period during which you are not fertile. That means your chances of getting pregnant right before your period are higher if you have a shorter cycle and lower if you have a longer cycle.
Learn more:
BabyCenter’s editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you’re seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.
ACOG. 2019. Fertility awareness-based methods of family planning. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Fertility-Awareness-Based-Methods-of-Family-Planning
ACOG. 2014. Planning your pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Patient-Education-Pamphlets/Files/Planning-Your-Pregnancy
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How Can You Get Pregnant On Your Period
The chances of getting pregnant when youre on your period are low, but theyre not zero. So how could a pregnancy happen at the same time your body is deciding its not pregnant?
Lets break it down: At ovulation, your ovary releases an egg into your fallopian tube, where it can live for 24 hours awaiting fertilization before it travels to the uterus. Meanwhile, the uterus is building up a lining just in case it needs to host a growing embryo.
If egg meets sperm during ovulation and implants in that lining, bingo baby on board. If not, your body sheds both lining and egg .
Most womens menstrual cycles last about 24 to 28 days, from the first day of their period to the first day of the next period. Because the egg can survive for 24 hours after ovulation and sperm can live inside a woman for up to five days, a woman can get pregnant starting five days before ovulation and ending a day after.
Ovulation usually occurs 14 days before the first day of your next cycle which, if you have a 28-day cycle and a week-long period, leaves you a week between the last day of your period and the first day you ovulate.
But what if you have sex on the last day of your period and you ovulate a few days early? There could still be viable sperm inside you, and you could get pregnant.
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What Is A Late Period
If your period is late or youre wondering if youre pregnant, the days can tick by rather slowly. How long do you have to wait before taking a pregnancy test? The instructions on home pregnancy tests often talk about your missed period. What do they mean?
In the world of pregnancy testing, a missed period means you expected your menstrual bleeding to have started yesterday, and it still has not started. The day of your expected period depends on what your normal menstrual cycle looks like and when your last period started.
The menstrual cycle is the time from the first day of your period to the day before your next period starts. The average cycle is 28 days, with a pattern that looks something like this:
Some womens menstrual cycles last the same number of days every month. These women can accurately predict the day their period will start. Other women have a menstrual cycle that is a little different each month. Your period is still considered regular as long as it comes every 24 to 38 days.
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How Does Pregnancy Start
Your cycle starts on the first day of your period and continues up to the first day of your next period.
This is what happens during the cycle and the start of a pregnancy.
- Eggs mature in your ovaries once a month.
- The lining of your womb starts to get thicker to prepare for fertilised eggs.
- Once the egg is mature it is released from one of the ovaries this is called ovulation.
- During ovulation your cervical mucus becomes thinner and clearer to help any sperm to swim to the egg.
- If you have sex, millions of sperm will swim up the cervix into the uterus and the fallopian tubes to meet a mature egg.
- If sperm is present at the point of ovulation, or during the next 24 hours, the egg may be fertilised .
- If the egg is fertilised, it starts to move towards the womb and divide into more cells.
- Once it reaches the womb the fertilised egg has to attach the lining of the womb, this is called implantation and is the start of pregnancy. Many fertilised eggs dont implant and are passed out of the body.
- If the egg has not been fertilised, the egg is re-absorbed by the body, the hormone levels drop, and the womb lining is shed the beginning of your next period.
Now that you know all about how to get pregnant, use our tool to find out if you are ready to conceive.
Understanding The Basics Of How Ovulation Works Can Be A Powerful Tool For Your Health
Itâs common that people are introduced to the topic only after they have trouble becoming pregnant. But having a grasp on the process can give you insight into more than fertility. Youâll better understand any hormonally-influenced changes to your body around that time, and learn what factors might affect the timing of your ovulation , and why.
Currently in the West, we ovulate roughly 400 times throughout our lifespan . This number is influenced by the use of contraceptives , time spent pregnant and breastfeeding, and any behaviors or health conditions that affect the reproductive hormones . Prehistorically, women would have ovulated less than half as often .
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How To Calculate When I Am Ovulating
There is no one definitive answer to this question every woman experiences ovulation differently. However, there are a few general tips that can help you understand when you might be ovulating.
First, keep track of your menstrual cycles this will help you identify when your body is releasing eggs. Secondly, try to conceive as soon as possible ovulation can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Finally, drink plenty of fluids and eat healthy foods during your fertile period.
What Is An Ovulation Calendar And How Do You Use One
After working out the ovulation date using the calculator, many couples turn to an ovulation calendar to figure out the days of the month where theyre most likely to conceive if they have sex.
It works as sperm can live in the body for up to five days after sex, so conception can occur even if youve had sex four or five days before ovulation begins. The fertility window is normally around six days, as that is the amount of days that the egg and sperm can survive. To figure out this fertile period, plot on your menstrual cycle on a calendar then count back 14 days from the expected last day of your next cycle. This will be your most fertile day.
Alternatively, there are a number of apps that will do this for you such as Clue.
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How Long Does It Take To Get Pregnant
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HomePregnancyHubPlanning a pregnancyGetting pregnant How long does it take to get pregnant?
Some women get pregnant very quickly, in fact 1 in 3 women who are having regular sex or timing sex around ovulation, will conceive within a month. You can estimate your own ovulation period here using our ovulation calculator.
If they are having regular unprotected sex:
- more than 8 out of 10 couples where the woman is aged under 40 will be pregnant by 1 year
- more than 9 out of 10 couples will get pregnant by 2 years.
Regular unprotected sex means having vaginal sex every 2 to 3 days without using contraception.
However, age makes a difference. Starting at age 34 your ability to get pregnant starts to decline gradually.
Can You Get Pregnant When Youre Not Ovulating
You can get pregnant if you have unprotected sex anywhere from 5 days before ovulation until 1 day after ovulation. You cant get pregnant if you are not ovulating because there is no egg for the sperm to fertilize. When you have a menstrual cycle without ovulating, its called an anovulatory cycle.
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What Is The Fertile Window
Your fertile window is the time during your cycle when your chances of conceiving are at their highest.
When is the fertile window?
Your fertile window occurs midway through your cycle.
The length of your menstrual cycle helps determine the length and timing of your fertile window. Your period marks the first day of your cycle the average cycle length is 28 days, but it can range from 21 to 35 days. So, depending on your cycle, your fertile window can be anywhere from six to 10 days in length.
Sex Right After Your Period
While you may assume that your odds of getting pregnant are slim in the first few days following your period, you are actually moving into a new fertility window. Researchers have shown that a persons chances of conception jump starting a week after the start of their last period and rise steadily after that, peaking around day 15 LMP.
Your odds of getting pregnant in the days just following your period rise when you have a shorter length between periods because that usually means you ovulate soon after your period ends. Research has shown that people with a 23-day menstrual cycle, for instance, have a 9% chance of ovulating on day 10 LMP. That means they are fertileable to get pregnantbetween six and 11 days after the start of their last period.
Remember, even when you are in your suspected fertile window, that does not mean you will necessarily get pregnant from sex. Structural problems with your uterus or fallopian tubes or issues with either your eggs or your partners sperm can prevent conception and fertilization. If you are timing sex to get pregnant and having trouble after several months, consider talking to a fertility doctor about tests you can take to better understand how to maximize your chances of conception.
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