What days can you get pregnant in your cycle
How to Chart Your Cycle to Know When You Can Get Pregnant
Written by Jennifer Rainey Marquez
In this Article
- Check Your Basal Body Temperature (BBT)
- Check Your Cervical Mucus
Getting pregnant is all about timing. You want to make sure the conditions are right for egg and sperm to meet. Your menstrual cycle can give you clues about when your body is ready to start the process.
The first step is to learn the days when you're most fertile. Most women have a 28-day menstrual cycle. That means you have about 6 days each month when you can get pregnant. That includes the day that one of your ovaries releases an egg, called ovulation, and the 5 days before. Having sex within that window is key. You can’t get pregnant without ovulation, and tracking your monthly periods is one way to get familiar with your body’s fertility.
To figure it out, you'll need to chart your menstrual cycle and record how long it lasts. Day 1 is the first day of your period. Since the length of your cycle can vary slightly from month to month, it's best to keep track for a few months.
Once you have an average, subtract 18 days from the length of your shortest cycle. This is the first day you're likely to be fertile. Next, subtract 11 days from the length of your longest cycle. This is the last day you're likely to be fertile. Having sex between those two dates will give you the best shot at getting pregnant.
Check Your Basal Body Temperature (BBT)
It's also a good idea to pay attention to the signs that your body is ready to ovulate. Checking your basal body temperature (BBT) is one way to do this.
The BBT is your temperature first thing in the morning. Just after you ovulate, it rises slightly -- sometimes by less than a degree -- and stays higher until your period starts. If you record your temperature every day, you can spot the subtle changes that mean one of your ovaries has released an egg.
To take your BBT, you need to:
Use a basal body thermometer.
It's more sensitive than a standard one and will show temperature changes down to a fraction of a degree. You can get them at many pharmacies for less than $20.
Take your temperature at the same time each morning. Always do it before you get out of bed. (To make it easier, keep the thermometer on your nightstand.) Even getting up to go to the bathroom can affect your body temperature. So can smoking, drinking, or getting a bad night's sleep.
Remember, your BBT won't tell you exactly when you've ovulated, and it may take a couple of months before you start to see a pattern. You're most likely to get pregnant 2 or 3 days before your ovary releases an egg, and then another 12 to 24 hours after that. When your temperature has spiked for 3 days, your chances of conceiving drop.
Check Your Cervical Mucus
The same hormones that control your menstrual cycle also affect the mucus that your cervix makes. Just before and during ovulation, the amount, color, and texture of it change to make it easier for you to get pregnant.
As your ovaries prepare to release an egg, your cervix makes more mucus. A few days before ovulation, it may be sticky and cloudy or whitish. Then, right before you ovulate, the mucus gets slippery, like egg whites. It may stretch across your fingers if you spread them apart. This stage usually lasts 3 or 4 days, which is when you're most likely to get pregnant.
To check your cervical mucus:
- Use your fingers or a tissue to check the opening of your vagina for mucus a few times a day. Make sure your hands are clean before you start. Write down whether it's cloudy and sticky or clear and slippery.
- Chart your cervical mucus changes and your basal body temperature to get a clear picture of where you are in your cycle.
Keep in mind that other things, like breastfeeding, can change your mucus. Using douches or other hygiene products can also affect it. Gynecologists usually don't recommend these products.
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
-
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).
-
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!).
-
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.
-
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: 02/12/2022
The menstrual cycle and everything you need to know about it
What days can you get pregnant? According to a survey conducted by the research organization Child Trends, 66% of young men and women do not know when a woman is fertile and how many days this fertile period lasts. And according to the American Infertility Association, at least 20% of cases of "presumed infertility" (when couples think they can't have children before going to the doctor) are due to a misconception about what time a woman can get pregnant.
Whether children are included in your immediate plans or not - it will not hurt to know on which days of the cycle the fertilization of the egg can occur in any case. No, this is not about the calendar method of protection: according to doctors, counting “safe” days is like relying on chance. But you must admit: avoiding an unwanted pregnancy (or achieving the desired one) is much easier, focusing on the phases of your own cycle. We explain how it all works - no more confusion and assumptions.
What you need to know if you want to get pregnant
When to have sex?
Many people think that the surest way to conceive is to have sex every day, but according to fertility specialist Kylen Silverberg, such diligence, on the contrary, reduces the chances. “It takes an average of 36 to 48 hours for a man’s body to accumulate enough sperm,” he explains. “Daily sex can lead to the fact that during the period of ovulation, sperm for conception may not be enough.
” Doctors recommend having sex every other day during the fertile period.
How long will it take?
There is a 10-15% chance of conceiving each month if both partners are healthy and under 35 years of age. 88% of these couples get what they want within a year, 95% within two years. On average, couples under the age of 30 need six months, 35-year-olds - nine months.
Health matters
Quitting alcohol and caffeine will increase your chances of conceiving. And definitely quit smoking. Chemicals found in cigarette smoke have been shown to reduce the production of estrogen, which is essential for egg maturation and thickening of the endometrium. Excessive thinness and obvious excess weight also do not have the best effect on the hormonal background, and therefore on fertility.
3
See also: Sex and menstruation - more uncomfortable questions about the structure of the female body
What cycle changes mean .
However, if the cycle is constantly less than 21 days or more than 35 days, and if the amount and color of menstrual flow differ from time to time, you should consult a doctor: these symptoms can indicate a number of diseases.
There is no magic position
Have you heard that it is good to lie down with your legs up after sex to increase your chances of conceiving? Forget it. “As soon as ejaculation occurs, spermatozoa immediately rush to the cervix, and you can be sure that they will find their way, regardless of whether you are standing or hanging upside down from the bed,” explains gynecologist Hilda Hutcherson.
Cycle lengths of 25 to 31 days are the most common, but variations of 21 to 35 days are also considered normal. To determine the approximate day of ovulation, calculate the average cycle length and subtract 14.
What you need to know if you do not want to get pregnant
When you are the most and least fertile
obstetrician-gynecologist, doctor of the highest category Starostina Antonina Viktorovna.
The problem of contraception sooner or later confronts every person who is sexually active and thinks about his future. Contraception is not only protection against unwanted pregnancy. This is the preservation of your health and the way to the birth of a healthy child when you want it.
- Physiological method of contraception.
Many people use the so-called physiological method. It is based on the fact that a woman can become pregnant only on the days of the cycle close to ovulation - the release of an egg ready for fertilization from the ovary. With an average 28-day cycle, the “dangerous” days for conception will be from the 10th to the 17th day of the cycle. Days 1 to 9 and 18 to 28 are considered "safe". This method can only be used with a regular menstrual cycle. If the cycle length is different, the dangerous days are corrected taking into account the fact that for any cycle length, ovulation occurs approximately 2 weeks before menstruation (and not in the middle of the cycle!).
"Dangerous" will be 4-5 days on both sides of the expected ovulation. Before applying the method, it is recommended to take into account the average cycle duration for the last six months. However, in this form, the physiological method is not reliable enough and, therefore, it must be supplemented with more accurate data on the timing of ovulation. Now on sale are convenient and inexpensive home tests to determine the day of ovulation by the rise in the level of luteinizing hormone in the woman's urine.
- Coitus interruptus.
This method of preventing pregnancy is based on the ability of a man to feel the moment of ejaculation. Feeling the approach of orgasm, the partner removes the penis from the vagina so that sperm does not get there. Many consider interrupted intercourse to be the "easiest and most natural" method of contraception. However, this is not quite true. The main disadvantage of this method is its low efficiency - only 40-50%. Pregnancy can occur for the following reasons: firstly, in many men, the release of sperm begins long before the final ejaculation, this process cannot be felt and therefore cannot be controlled.
If we consider that the first portions of sperm contain the largest number of spermatozoa, then the unreliability of interrupted intercourse becomes obvious and understandable. Secondly, even experienced partners do not always manage to avoid getting sperm on the woman's genitals, in this way the seminal fluid can easily penetrate the vagina. Coitus interruptus is associated with a certain psychological stress and dissatisfaction: a man has to control his feelings all the time, a woman worries whether her partner will be able to stop in time - such emotions can in no way be considered “natural”. Prolonged use of interrupted intercourse can cause a weakening of erection in a man, premature ejaculation and even impotence. Women experience various psychological disorders, in some cases there is anorgasmia (the inability to achieve orgasm). Therefore, coitus interruptus cannot be considered a method of contraception.
- Male condom.
The advantage of this method is that it protects against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and is easy to use.
What is the disadvantage?
1. May tear
2. Having to put it on at the wrong time for extraneous manipulation.
The effectiveness of a condom is 98-99%, but in practice these figures are much lower - about 90%. The reliability of this method depends on its correct application. Many people think that it is enough to put on a condom just before ejaculation. This is wrong, since more than half of men begin to produce seminal fluid long before the onset of "final ejaculation".
- Chemical contraceptives: suppositories, ointments, creams
These drugs are inserted into the vagina 10-15 minutes before sexual intercourse and should not be washed off with detergents for two hours after. With each subsequent sexual intercourse, a new dose of the drug is used.
- Intrauterine devices.
Intrauterine devices (IUDs). They come in various shapes and sizes, may contain various chemical elements: copper, silver, gold, hormones.
The IUD is inserted on the 3rd or 4th day of menstruation. before insertion, you need to take a smear and blood for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis. The IUD can remain in the uterine cavity for up to 5 years. There are clear contraindications for the IUD. The gynecologists of the center will help you determine whether the IUD is suitable for you or not, as well as install it in the uterine cavity.
- Hormonal contraception.
The world's most popular method of contraception is hormonal. When taken correctly, oral contraceptives provide almost 100% reliability. The most popular of the hormonal contraceptives are COCs containing gestogens and estrogens. Women who regularly take hormonal contraceptives are less likely to get inflammatory diseases of the uterus and appendages, as well as endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer and mastopathy. When taking COCs, the menstrual cycle normalizes (the female sexual cycle increases by 28 days). The role of hormonal contraceptives in the treatment and prevention of various diseases is well known, including infertility and miscarriage, excessive hair growth and acne, endometriosis and other diseases.
