Most Fertile Days to Get Pregnant

For some couples, conceiving happens quickly, while for some it takes a long time. Couples planning to start a family should be aware of the days that are more fertile to increase the chances of getting pregnant. Moreover, this information is also important for those who want to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Before we head into the fertility window information and find out when women are most fertile, we need to understand what is ovulation and how fertilization takes place.

Ovulation and Fertilization

Ovulation is the process in which an egg is released from the ovary. This process of ovulation takes place every 28 days (cycle length varies in women). When the egg is released from the ovaries, via the fallopian tubules into the uterus, the ovum is ready to be fertilized by the sperm. For fertilization to occur, a sperm must make its way into the egg. The meeting of the sperm and egg to form a zygote is called fertilization. The zygote then implants itself on the walls of the uterus and one is then said to be pregnant.

Which are the Most Fertile Days to Get Pregnant

The mature ovum or egg is released from the ovarian follicles into the uterus about 14 days before one's next menstrual period. Women having 28 day menstrual cycles, have ovulation occurring exactly midway in their cycle. For women with three or five week menstrual cycles, date of ovulation needs to be calculated by counting 14 days before the onset of next period. For example, if the monthly period is expected on the 2nd of August, then one's ovulation would have occurred on the 19th of July. Having intercourse during this ovulation week increases the chances of pregnancy.

Another way to predict the best days to get pregnant is by checking your cervical mucus consistency. When the mucus is clear and slippery, most resembling the consistency of raw egg white, it's a good time to have intercourse. This is because the mucus protects and nourishes the sperm heading to fertilize the egg. Moreover, using a basal thermometer to detect the rise in body temperature during ovulation also helps predict the ovulation time to some extent. Noticing physical changes like breast and nipple tenderness and abdominal cramping also give you a better idea of when you are ovulating.

However, women who encounter early, late or irregular menstrual periods, it's very difficult to predict the date of next menstrual cycle onset. This makes it difficult for them to predict the approximate ovulation time. Such women need to take assistance from ovulation predictor kits, which test for luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in the body.

Just before ovulation, there is a surge of LH levels in a woman's body. The kit detects this rise in LH level and tells you when ovulation is taking place in your body. Women are advised to have sex, before the day of LH surge, on the day of LH surge and the next two days as well. However, predicting the day before LH surge is difficult, thus, the latter two have to be focused upon.

For fertilization to take place, it is not necessary for the time of sexual intercourse to coincide with the day of ovulation. The egg released 14 days before one's next menstrual period, has a life of about 12-24 hours to be fertilized after which it starts degenerating. Even though the egg has only 12-24 hours of life after ovulation, sperms have a longer window period. They can live inside the female for about four to six days. Thus, if one has had sexual intercourse two to four days before ovulation, there are chances for one to get pregnant. Having sex a day after ovulation can also conduce to fertilization.

Most women get pregnant within one year of having sexual intercourse. However, some women who were on birth control pills are seen to take longer to conceive. Then again, there are those who conceive right after stopping the pill. It all depends on how long the body takes to produce the natural hormones after the pill's suppressing effects. By using the ovulation calendars online, one can predict the most fertile days and increase one's chances of getting pregnant.