Does ovulating mean your pregnant
Right Time For Sex , When Do You Ovulate ?
When are you more likely to conceive?
We’re talking about the 'fertile window’ – the days in a woman’s menstrual cycle when pregnancy is possible. The ‘fertile window’ depends on the length of the menstrual cycle, which varies among women.
The ‘fertile window’ is the day an egg is released from the ovary (ovulation) and the five days beforehand. Having sex (intercourse) during this time gives you the best chance of getting pregnant.
Ovulation Calculator
What day did you your most recent period start?
Number of days in your cycle Please select20 Days21 Days22 Days23 Days24 Days25 Days26 Days27 Days28 Days29 Days30 Days31 Days32 Days33 Days34 Days35 Days36 Days37 Days38 Days39 Days40 Days41 Days42 Days43 Days44 Days45 Days
Your ovulation day
Most fertile time
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What is an ovulation calculator and how does it help you get pregnant?
This ovulation calculator or ovulation calendar can help you work out your most fertile time.
These are the days you are most likely to get pregnant.
It can also estimate your due date if you do become pregnant during your next fertile days.
Others ways to help you work out when you're ovulating:
- Notice changes in vaginal mucus
A few days before ovulation, you may notice your vaginal mucus becomes clear, slick and slippery, and feels a bit like egg white.
This is a sign that ovulation is about to happen. It’s the best time to have sex, as sperm travel more easily in this kind of mucus.
- Use an ovulation predictor kit
You can use a predictor kit from a supermarket or pharmacy, to test your urine for signs of ovulation. If you start testing your urine a few days before the day you next expect to ovulate, a positive result means you are going to ovulate within the next 24 to 36 hours (one to two days).
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Facts about timing
Ovulation is when a mature egg is released from the ovary. The egg then moves down the fallopian tube where it can be fertilised. If sperm are in the fallopian tube when the egg is released, there is a good chance that the egg will be fertilised, creating an embryo, which can grow into a baby.
Pregnancy is technically only possible if you have sex during the five days before ovulation or on the day of ovulation. But the most fertile days are the three days leading up to and including ovulation. Having sex during this time gives you the best chance of getting pregnant.
By 12-24 hours after ovulation, a woman is no longer able to get pregnant during that menstrual cycle because the egg is no longer in the fallopian tube.
There’s almost no chance of getting pregnant if you have sex before or after the fertile window (but if you’re not trying to get pregnant, don’t rely on this – contraception is your best option!).
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How to know when you’re ovulating
Knowing when you ovulate can help you plan for sex at the right time and improve your chance of getting pregnant. You can keep track of your menstrual cycles on a chart, in a diary, or on a free period-tracker app on your smartphone.
To work out the length of your menstrual cycle, record the first day you start bleeding (first day of your period). This is day 1. The last day of your cycle is the day before your next period begins.
- What is a ‘menstrual cycle’ and a ‘period’?
Some people think the ‘menstrual cycle’ and a ‘period’ are the same thing.
A period is when you bleed (or menstruate).
A menstrual cycle starts on the day when a period starts (day 1) and ends the day before the next period. A cycle’s length is considered normal if it’s between 21 and 35 days. They can vary between women and from one cycle to the next.
- Working out your ‘average’ menstrual cycle length
If your menstrual cycles are different lengths (most women’s cycles are) you can work out your average cycle length.
The number of days in a woman’s menstrual cycle can vary month to month. Periods are not always regular. It can be useful to work out an ‘average’ cycle length, based on the length of three menstrual cycles, to estimate when you’re most likely to be ovulating.
If you add the number of days in three cycles and divide the total number by three, it gives you your average cycle length.
Example
Sarah tracked her last three menstrual cycles by counting the time from the first day of one period, to the day before the next period.
Cycle 1 was 28 days; Cycle 2 was 32 days; Cycle 3 was 27 days
28 + 32 + 27 = 87
87 divided by 3 = 29
So the average length of Sarah’s menstrual cycles is 29 days.
- Working out your most fertile days
When you know your average menstrual cycle length, you can work out when you ovulate.
Ovulation happens about 14 days before your period starts.
- If your average menstrual cycle is 28 days, you ovulate around day 14, and your most fertile days are days 12, 13 and 14.
- If your average menstrual cycle is 35 days ovulation happens around day 21 and your most fertile days are days 19,20 and 21.
- If you have shorter cycles, say 21 days, ovulation happens around day 7 and your most fertile days are days 5, 6 and 7.
Your most fertile days are the three days leading up to and including the day of ovulation.
Some women have very irregular cycles or find it difficult to work out an average cycle length. This can make it hard to work out when ovulation happens. If it’s all too hard, having sex every 2-3 days covers all bases and improves your chance of getting pregnant.
Myth busting
- MYTH
A woman can get pregnant any time of the month.
- FACT
A woman can only get pregnant on a few days during her menstrual cycle.
Why?
Because eggs and sperm only live for a short time:
- Sperm live for around five days.
- Eggs can only be fertilised for around 24 hours (one day) after being released from the ovary.
Eggs and sperm need to come together at the right time for fertilisation to happen to create an embryo.
Getting the timing right
If you're trying to get pregnant, timing is everything. Dr Karin Hammarberg explains how to work out when you are ovulating and the right time to have sex to improve your chance of pregnancy.
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What are the chances?
Having sex as close as possible to the time of ovulation increases the chance of pregnancy.
If a woman has sex six or more days before she ovulates, the chance she will get pregnant is virtually zero.
If she has sex five days before she ovulates, her probability of pregnancy is about 10 percent.
If she has sex on the day of ovulation, or the two days before, the chance of getting pregnant is around 30 percent.
These are average figures and depend on a woman’s age.
When does preconception health begin?
Professor Sarah Robertson, Director of Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, highlights the key time before pregnancy that your health is most important to ensure your child has the best start to life.
How to know you are ovulating
Kerry Hampton, a registered nurse and fertility specialist, discusses the importance of fertility awareness, and how to determine your fertile window to improve your chances of conceiving.
- References
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Optimizing natural fertility, https://www.reproductivefacts.org/news-and-publications/patient-fact-sheets-and-booklets/documents/fact-sheets-and-info-booklets/optimizing-natural-fertility/
- Berglund Scherwitzl, et al. (2015). Identification and prediction of the fertile window using Natural Cycles. The European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care, 20(5), 403-408. doi:10.3109/13625187.2014.988210
- Ecochard, R., et al. (2015). Self-identification of the clinical fertile window and the ovulation period.
Fertility and Sterility, 103(5), 1319-1325.e1313. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.01.031 - Pfeifer, S., et al. (2017). Optimizing natural fertility: a committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility, 107(1), 52-58. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.09.029
- Stanford, J. B. (2015). Revisiting the fertile window. Fertility and Sterility, 103(5), 1152-1153. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.02.015
- Stanford, et al. (2002). Timing intercourse to achieve pregnancy: current evidence. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 100(6), 1333-1341.
- Stephenson, J., et al. (2018). Before the beginning: nutrition and lifestyle in the preconception period and its importance for future health. The Lancet, 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30311-8 doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30311-8
- Vélez, M. Pet al. (2015). Female exposure to phenols and phthalates and time to pregnancy: the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study. Fertility and Sterility.
doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.01.005 - Verón, G. L., et al. (2018). Impact of age, clinical conditions, and lifestyle on routine semen parameters and sperm kinematics. Fertility and Sterility, 110(1), 68-75.e64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.03.016
- Waylen, A. Let al. (2009). Effects of cigarette smoking upon clinical outcomes of assisted reproduction: a meta-analysis. Hum Reprod Update, 15(1), 31-44.
- Zenzes, M. T. (2000). Smoking and reproduction: gene damage to human gametes and embryos. Hum Reprod Update, 6(2), 122-131.
Page created on: 28/08/2018 | Last updated: 22/12/2022
Ovulation signs | Pregnancy Birth and Baby
beginning of content3-minute read
Listen
If you are trying to become pregnant, your chances will be improved if you have sex at a particular time of your cycle.
Knowing when you ovulate – when an egg is released from your ovaries – is the key to knowing when that right time is.
When you are most fertile
The 5 days before ovulation, together with the day you ovulate, are the days when you are most likely to conceive. Sperm can live up to 5 days inside your body, so if you have sex up to 5 days before your egg is released, you can get pregnant. After ovulation, though, your egg can only live for 12 to 24 hours. After this time is up, your time for getting pregnant has gone for now till the following month.
Your chances of getting pregnant are at their highest in the 3 days leading up to and including ovulation.
Predicting ovulation
Ovulation usually happens about halfway through your menstrual cycle, about 14 days before the first day of your next period, but the exact time can vary. Although signs that you are about to ovulate can be subtle, there are some things you can pay attention to and track over time to help you predict your fertile window.
Changes in mucus
Noticing how your vaginal secretions change during your menstrual cycle is the basis of the Billings ovulation method. Around the time of ovulation, you may notice your secretion is clear, stretchy and slippery — similar to egg whites. After ovulation, when the chances of becoming pregnant drop, the secretion tends to become cloudy and thick, or disappear entirely.
Changes in body temperature
When you’ve just ovulated, your body temperature may increase very slightly, by about half a degree Celsius. If you’re using temperature as a means of keeping track of when you are most fertile, you need to use a special thermometer to take your temperature every morning before you get out of bed. If you record the readings every day using a graph or a spreadsheet, it’s possible to learn your pattern over time. The time when you are most fertile is 2 to 3 days before the rise in temperature.
Other signs
There may be other signs that you are near the time of ovulation, such as mild abdominal cramps, breast tenderness or increased sex drive.
However, using these signs to predict when you’re fertile is not the most reliable method.
Using ovulation calculators and kits
Ovulation calendars and kits can also help you predict ovulation.
Ovulation calendars are available on websites such as www.yourfertility.org.au, and use the date of your last period and the length of your cycle to predict when you are likely to be most fertile.
Home ovulation predictor kits are available from pharmacies. You use the kit a few days before your predicted ovulation day, to test for a rise in the level of a hormone called luteinising hormone (LH) in your urine. A positive result indicates you will ovulate within the next 24 to 36 hours.
A blood test, which your doctor can order, can also detect ovulation by measuring levels of the hormone progesterone.
If you are trying to get pregnant, there are also a number of other things you should consider, such as taking folate, maintaining a healthy diet and making sure your vaccinations are up to date.
For more information and support, call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436.
Sources:
Billings Life (Key to fertility control – the mucus), Your Fertility (Your Fertility right time for sex), Your Fertility (Understanding ovulation and the fertile window), Women and Children's Health Network (Getting pregnant), Family Planning NSW (Maximising natural fertility)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: July 2020
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Ovulation and pregnancy - methods for determining the relationship
Ovulation is the process of release of a mature egg from the follicle in the ovary. This phenomenon occurs once a month, around the middle of the menstrual cycle. The beginning of the cycle itself is counted from the first day of menstruation to the beginning of the next. And if we take the average menstrual cycle equal to 28 days, then ovulation with it will fall on about 13-15 days.
How to determine the onset of ovulation when planning a pregnancy
The physiological and hormonal cycles of each woman are strictly individual. In addition, many factors can influence the duration of a single menstrual cycle: stress, colds and other diseases, nutrition, taking various medications, etc. Therefore, at the very beginning of the cycle, it is impossible to say with certainty exactly when ovulation will occur.
But there are several methods that can help you determine the exact start date.
- Special diagnostic complexes , which measure the content of a certain type of hormone (luteinizing hormone) in the urine. Such kits can be purchased at almost any pharmacy, and they always contain detailed instructions for use. A positive result with such a diagnosis usually indicates that ovulation will occur within the next 48 hours. But such complexes have not too high reliability, so a false positive result is possible.
- Basal temperature measurement . This method must be applied over several menstrual cycles in order to subsequently plot changes in basal temperature. It must be measured immediately after a night's sleep, at about the same time every day. Based on your individual schedule, it is possible to determine the onset of ovulation with a high degree of probability. Usually, about a day before ovulation, the basal body temperature decreases slightly, and the immediate release of the egg is accompanied by an increase in basal temperature by 0.
3-0.6 ° C. nine0014
The relationship between ovulation and pregnancy
The period of release of the egg from the follicle and the following 24 hours is the optimal time for its fertilization and conception of a child. But, of course, not every ovulation ends in pregnancy. After all, a woman's body contains approximately 450 to 550 eggs, and all of them are already in her ovaries at the birth of a girl. This number determines the number of ovulations for her entire life, since once a month one of the eggs matures and becomes ready for fertilization. nine0005
An ovum that has left the ovary remains capable of fertilization for no more than a day, and spermatozoa retain this possibility for up to 72 hours. And it is during this period, that is, approximately 2-3 days before the onset of ovulation, that the efforts made by the couple have the highest probability of successful fertilization and the onset of pregnancy.
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What is ovulation?
Master:
We are back in the studio, dear viewers.
Our guest is a gynecologist, an obstetrician of the highest category, Evgenia Mikhailovna Nazimova. I would like to ask this question: in general, what is ovulation? Does it really happen on the 12-14th day?
Evgenia Mikhailovna Nazimova, gynecologist:
Well, ovulation, as I said, is the release of an egg, a mature egg from the ovaries into the abdominal cavity. For different women, depending on the length of the menstrual cycle, these will be different days, but usually it is somewhere around 12-14 days before the next period. That is, if the cycle is 33 days, for example, then somewhere we expect around 20-21 days, and if the standard 28-day cycle, then this is really the thirteenth-fourteenth day approximately, on average. It's just that the orientation usually goes to the standard cycle of 28 days, so it is believed that ovulation occurs approximately on the 14th day of the cycle. nine0005
Master:
If a girl is planning a pregnancy, but her cycle is not stable.
Here it is necessary to stabilize the cycle here in some medical way or in some other way in order to find the day of ovulation?
Evgenia Mikhailovna Nazimova, gynecologist:
If the duration is not stable enough, you need to understand what is the reason for this instability, because many of the causes that cause problems with the menstrual cycle will in turn cause problems with the onset of pregnancy. That is, a woman may simply not get pregnant when she has a problem with the cycle. If, according to the results of the examination, everything is generally in order, there may be some slight disturbances in the regulation of menstrual function, then, as a rule, this does not affect the possibility of conception, and it makes no sense for such women to engage in separate regulation of the menstrual cycle. If ovulation occurs, if all processes are generally normal, it is simply possible that pregnancy will not occur in the first or second month, but maybe it will be necessary to wait longer for this.
But still, it eventually comes. If, of course, problems are revealed during the examination, then yes, something needs to be done here in order for this pregnancy to simply occur. nine0005
Master:
We listen to viewers. We have a call, and they are priority. We will definitely resolve this issue. Hello. Hello. Yes, please speak.
Patient:
My daughter is almost 12 years old, she has her period for half a year. Cycle 28-30 days. And I noticed that her right breast is larger than the left. Well, I think it's pretty noticeable. Is it normal or not?
Evgenia Mikhailovna Nazimova, gynecologist:
How big is the chest? For size?
Patient:
Not on the size, well, maybe half.
Evgenia Mikhailovna Nazimova, gynecologist:
Well, in general, the breast is a paired organ, and therefore asymmetry is generally normal, it occurs in many women. If this asymmetry is significant enough, it may make sense to take the girl to a specialist, to a mammologist, to see how the breast development is going.
If there really are some problems, maybe with the development of glandular tissue, something else, there may be some hormones, but as a rule, this situation is absolutely calm, that is, it does not require any correction. If, of course, this asymmetry is progressing, then here, not even from the point of view of health, but from the point of view of aesthetics, it may make sense to do this, although in most cases it is very difficult to do something, because we cannot make one breast grow , and the second to stop its growth. But of course, you need to see a doctor, see a mammologist, and then see what will be revealed during the examination. But as a rule, this is not some kind of serious health problem, but more such an aesthetic one. nine0005
Master:
In fact, the girls are only 12 years old, and things can stabilize during adolescence.
Evgenia Mikhailovna Nazimova, gynecologist:
Of course of course. The situation when the breast is just starting to grow, and in principle everything is still ahead.
Well, it's hard to say what's next.
Master:
If we continue talking about menstruation. A girl, for example, noticed that she had become more scarce, or vice versa, very plentiful. Is it worth going to the doctor right away? How serious and dangerous is this? nine0005
Nazimova Evgenia Mikhailovna, gynecologist:
If this happened for the first time, well, it is advisable to look at another cycle or two. If this is a stable change, then of course it is better to get interested in this issue and try to find out, together with a specialist, why this is happening. Because so many health problems are reproductive women's health, they just manifest themselves in problems with menstruation. If, of course, there are such situations in life, then over the course of life, as a result of the fact that the hormonal background changes, a woman gives birth, feeds, some other processes go through, menstruation can really change stably. But this is not a pathology, just a woman is moving to a more such a new stage in her life and this will now be the norm for her.
But you need to look. That is, each situation can be both the norm and the pathology. nine0005
Master:
Well, in fact, reproductive function is an important function for the female body. In this regard, such a question. As far as now this problem of infertility has become relevant for very young girls, who may not have paid attention to some points, but now the time has come and it doesn’t work out.
Evgenia Mikhailovna Nazimova, gynecologist:
Very relevant. The problem of infertility is very relevant today. It is difficult to say why this happens, there are probably a lot of reasons. This, and the problem is that we do not have dispensary observation of girls as such, here lies on the conscience of the mother, so to speak. If she became interested and took the girl away, then, accordingly, she received some kind of help. If not, then the girl herself will reach the gynecologist by herself, this may already be quite serious. In addition, it is natural now that women themselves who give birth to girls are, as a rule, not completely healthy, and during pregnancy they receive a huge amount of medications, including hormonal ones.
All this can affect the reproductive function of their children, when they grow up and want to become mothers - they may have problems. In addition, infections that spread very widely and now, in general, sexual activity begins early, and the change of partners occurs quite often, while young people usually do not receive any examination or treatment. Therefore, all this naturally leads to the fact that we have quite a lot of cases of infertility, both female and male, in general, they are practically on an equal footing now. And indeed now the situation is quite serious. nine0005
Master:
Well, Evgenia Mikhailovna, so that such problems do not happen, so that our nation is as healthy as possible, women's health is very important for a woman. Give our viewers some wishes, recommendations. As a gynecologist: what should a girl be taught from an early age, what should one pay attention to, what symptoms do you need, should you immediately consult a doctor?
Evgenia Mikhailovna Nazimova, gynecologist:
Well, first of all, the girl, of course, should monitor her menstrual function.
Here is the same menstrual calendar that I talked about at the beginning, it is mandatory for every girl. Mom should teach the girl to celebrate just the day of the beginning of her menstruation. It's not that hard. Now everyone has mobile phones, many now, I know, mark it all in the phone, and it is very convenient to navigate later. This is the first. nine0005
If the menstrual cycle is in order, if menstruation comes on time, lasts a small, average number of days, not very voluminous, not very scarce, not very painful, then in principle there are no special reasons for concern in this regard. But all the same, once a year a girl needs, even if she does not live a sexual life, or does not say that she lives a sexual life, anyway, well, at least get an ultrasound, at least sometimes bring her to a gynecologist to look, because casuistic situations, when a girl at the age of 20 first comes to the gynecologist and it turns out that she simply does not have some female organs. She has no idea about it.
