If you’ve been actively trying to get pregnant and haven’t been successful, one thing to consider is when you’re the most fertile. Conception can only happen during your fertile window, a period of time that lasts about a week out of the month. Getting the timing right depends on understanding the difference between high fertility vs. peak fertility.
You may have been told that ovulation happens around day 14 of your menstrual cycle, but it’s not that simple. Cycles can vary as much as seven days, so your fertility window may not be when you think it is.
Ovulation and Your Fertility Window
Ovulation is when hormone changes prompt one of your ovaries to release an egg. Once an egg is released, it must be fertilized by sperm within 24 hours for pregnancy to happen. This doesn’t mean that there’s only one day out of the month when you can get pregnant, because sperm can live for up to five days.
High fertility is the onset of the fertility window and it starts five days before ovulation. This is the time frame in which an egg could be fertilized by sperm that are living in your body for a few days. Peak fertility happens toward the end of the fertility window and refers to the two days in the month when you have the best chance of getting pregnant, which are the day you ovulate and the day before you ovulate.
Signs of Ovulation
Since increasing your chances of getting pregnant depends on having intercourse as close to ovulation as possible, it may be helpful to try to pinpoint when ovulation happens. During ovulation, some women experience cramping or bloating. There may also be an increase in basal body temperature, changes in cervical mucous or an increased sex drive.
Even if you don’t have any symptoms of ovulation, there are some things you can do that can help you to recognize your fertility window. Tracking your basal body temperature daily for several months may help you to identify a pattern. This requires a special thermometer that show two decimal places rather than one. Take your temperature daily first thing in the morning before getting out of bed and pay attention to a rise in your temperature. It may only be about half a degree. This subtle increase in temperature happens after ovulation.
Another way to pinpoint ovulation is to take an ovulation test, a test that’s available online or at a nearby drugstore. This type of test works by checking your urine for hormones. When hormones are high, ovulation is about to happen.
Timing sex around high fertility and peak fertility gives you the best chance of getting pregnant, but there’s no guarantee this will work. Infertility has many possible causes and if you’re struggling to get pregnant, it’s time to work with a fertility expert to find out what options are available that may help. Schedule a consultation at the Center for Reproductive Health today.
