The menstrual cycle is the defining factor par excellence when trying to conceive. Choosing the right time to have sex with your partner, i.e. during ovulation, allows you to significantly increase your chances of getting pregnant. Before identifying the most fertile day or days, however, also known as the fertile window, you need to learn more about the mechanism of your menstrual cycle and keep track of it appropriately.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Knowing the Menstrual Cycle
Step 1. Identify the key aspects of the monthly cycle
The whole menstrual process can be broken down into several phases, but that doesn't mean you are fertile throughout the month. Know that you can only get pregnant on your most fertile days, before and during ovulation. This occurs when the mature egg is released from the ovaries and passes through the fallopian tubes to be fertilized by the sperm. The phases of the cycle therefore include:
- Menstruation, which actually begins the monthly cycle. They occur when the body expels the thick lining of the uterus through the vagina causing bleeding, which usually lasts 3 to 7 days. This also determines the first day of the follicular phase, which stimulates the growth of the follicles that contain the eggs. This phase ends at ovulation and typically lasts for 13-14 days, but it is not uncommon to find women with a follicular phase of 11 or 21 days.
- The ovulation phase is triggered by a very high spike of luteinizing hormone which stimulates the release of the egg. This phase is short, generally lasting no more than 16-32 hours, and ends once the egg has been released.
- The luteal phase begins after ovulation and continues until the next menstruation. This is the moment when the uterus prepares to host the fertilized egg implanted in its walls. It starts about 14 days after your previous menstruation and ends about 14 days later.
Step 2. Know the fertile period, or "fertile window"
This is the period when you are most likely to get pregnant if you have sex. For most women, this phase lasts around 6 days.
Keep in mind, however, that having sex during this fertile period does not automatically guarantee you a pregnancy, even if your chances increase significantly during the 5 days before ovulation and in the following 24 hours. In a fertile, young and healthy couple, a woman's chances of conceiving during the fertile window are generally around 20-37%
Step 3. Evaluate the regularity of your cycle
The monthly cycle is different for every woman and can change or vary based on external factors such as stress. The best way to determine if your period is regular and if each month always starts at the same time is to write down the dates for three or four consecutive months.
- Mark the first day of your period on your calendar and define it as "day one". Then count the days that pass until the next menstruation. Know that on average the period is about 28 days, although it can be 21 to 35 days.
- Continue like this for three to four months and check for regularity of your period.
Step 4. Determine if your period is irregular
If, after monitoring it for three or four consecutive months, you find that it is not following a consistent pattern, it means that it is not regular. This is not an uncommon phenomenon and can occur due to several factors, such as extremely low body weight, excess physical activity, stress or several serious medical conditions. Women with irregular periods are still able to find their fertile window, but it takes longer and more effort than those who follow a regular rhythm.
See your gynecologist if you have not had a period for 90 days or more and you are not pregnant. If it starts to become irregular after a period of normalcy or you have bleeding between periods, you need to talk to your doctor to make sure you are not suffering from any endocrine disease, an infection in the reproductive organs or any other health problem
Part 2 of 2: Determine the Fertile Window
Step 1. Identify your fertile days based on your monthly cycle length
If you have a regular cycle, you can figure out which days are best to conceive based on its typical duration. As already mentioned, the fertile window extends from the six days preceding ovulation to the day of the release of the ovum, although those that guarantee the greatest probability of success are the two days before and the day of ovulation itself. You can find your favorable days for conception by removing 14 days from your cycle length; in other words:
- If your period is 28 days: in this case ovulation occurs around the fourteenth day of the cycle; therefore the most fertile days will be the day 12, 13 and 14.
- If your period is 35 days: in this case the monthly cycle is longer and ovulation occurs on the twenty-first day; so the best times to conceive will be on the 19th, 20th and 21st.
- If your period is 21 days: the cycle is really short, ovulation occurs on the seventh day and the most fertile dates are day 5, 6 and 7.
- If your period is regular but outside this range, you can use an online calculator to determine your fertile window. All you need in this case is the date of the first day of the last menstruation.
Step 2. Measure your body temperature or use an ovulation test if you have an irregular cycle
If your periods don't follow a regular pattern or you think your monthly cycle has stopped, you can use other methods to figure out when ovulation occurs:
- Track your body temperature. During ovulation the temperature rises and you can monitor this thermal change by measuring your temperature at the same time every day. In most women this value increases by about half a degree within 24 to 48 hours after ovulation. You can decide to use a regular thermometer or get a special one for your basal temperature.
- Get an ovulation test that you can buy at the pharmacy. Although this is the most expensive solution compared to the basal temperature method, it is still the most accurate for pinpointing the time of ovulation. This kit analyzes urine to detect the level of luteinizing hormone (LH). You need to run some urine on the stick to check if the hormone levels have risen. In this case, you can be sure that one of the ovaries is ready to release the egg or that you are ovulating.
- Watch for changes in cervical mucus. Shortly before ovulation, the vagina releases a large amount of clear liquid mucus which is intended to facilitate the passage of sperm to reach the egg. Just before ovulation you may notice this clear mucus on your underwear or around the vagina, you will notice that it is elastic, slimy and similar to egg white. You can collect a sample of this mucus by gently rubbing the vaginal opening with a piece of tissue or with a clean finger. If you search several times a day for this mucus but don't notice it, you are probably not in your fertile days.
Step 3. Focus sexual intercourse during the fertile window
Most doctors recommend having sexual intercourse with your partner every day or every other day starting in the 5 days before ovulation up to 24 hours after ovulation. Although spermatozoa can live up to 5 days inside the woman's body, the life of the egg is actually only 12-24 hours; so, if you have more sexual intercourse in this time frame, you have a better chance of conceiving.
- Try to have sex within your fertile period, 3-5 days before ovulation. If you wait after ovulation it may be too late, despite the presence of sperm in your body.
- If you are under the age of 35 and have had sex in your fertile phase for 12 months to no avail, or if you are 35 or older and have been having sex during your fertile window for six months but do not get pregnant, you should seriously consider. See your gynecologist for a fertility test. You and your partner should perform tests to determine if there are other problems that are preventing you from getting pregnant.
