The optimum time to conceive

Timing is important while attempting to conceive. After all, nature only gives us a month to conceive. While it’s possible to get pregnant on any day of the month (due to cycle irregularities), working with your body’s typical reproductive rhythm increases your chances of getting pregnant

The optimum time to conceive

Okay, here’s a short biology refresher: Each time you ovulate, an egg is released into the fallopian tube, ready for sperm fertilization. The egg has 12–24 hours to meet the sperm.

Luckily, sperm last longer in the fallopian tubes (up to several days). The good news is that you can still get pregnant by having sex a few days before ovulation. When the egg arrives, it should still contain viable sperm.

So how do you know when to ovulate? First, calculate your average monthly cycle. Count the days between your periods, starting on the first day. While 28 days is average, it varies widely. Yours may be 21, 35, or somewhere in between, which is acceptable fertility-wise.

Now for the math. The follicular phase differs from woman to woman. The luteal phase lasts 14 days on average, though it might be 12 days. So if you have your period 28 days after your last one, you’ll ovulate on day 14 or 16.This approach works best for women who have regular cycles. Keep an eye out for the other ovulation indicators listed below.

Signs indicating it’s time to conceive

1.Your cervical mucous is like egg white.

When did you last check your undies? Or, ahem, felt a discharge? It’s odd, but your cervical mucus (CM) can predict when sex will be most productive. Look for discharge that resembles egg whites, indicating ovulation.

You’ll see a pattern if you monitor your CM all month: you’ll be dry for several days to a week after your period. A few days later, your CM may be sticky. Around day eight, it will thicken and turn creamy, white or pale yellow.

2.The largest one is ovulation mucus.

Your discharge will be copious, slippery, and stretchy (it will stretch up to a few inches between two fingers!). During this egg-white stage, you and your partner may choose to skip supper and a movie and focus on being intimate.

Also, the CM texture helps sperm reach the egg. Finally, following ovulation, your skin may get drier.

3. Know your cervix

Examine your cervix for fertility indicators. During ovulation, the cervix transforms from stiff, closed, and low in the vagina to higher, soft, and open (due to estrogen).

These adjustments make it more sperm-friendly. And if you’re willing to get hands-on, you can feel the difference. Here’s how you feel. Insert a clean finger with a short nail inside your vagina while seated or squatting. Observe your moods for a month. You may keep track on paper or, even easier, using a smartphone fertility app.

4.Learn about your vagina.

Pay attention to your vaginal lips all month. They may appear enlarged or fuller during ovulating.

5.Notify crampy aches

Mid-cycle stomach pain is another indicator. This cramping, called mittelschmerz (meaning “middle pain” in German), usually occurs on one side, near the ovary releasing an egg. But it can be a general aching. Don’t panic if you don’t have mittelschmerz – only approximately one in five women has it.

6.Get an ovulation kit.

You may buy an ovulation tester online or in a drugstore if you want a more high-tech option. Consider a few types. Predictive ovulation kits measure luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. You simply pee on a stick and wait for the luteinizing hormone (LH) to rise, indicating ovulation. A line equal to or darker than the control line.

7. A fertility monitor is a step up.

This instrument measures LH and estrogen in urine. The monitor turns on when your period comes and notifies you when to use the urine strips. To determine your fertility level, you urinate on a strip and insert it into the device.

8. Saliva testing can potentially detect elevated estrogen levels by measuring electrolytes. You put saliva on a lens in the morning. A scientist looks at it under an eyepiece five minutes later. An ovulation pattern might be seen one to three days before the start of the period. The drawback of saliva tests: some women struggle to read the patterns.

Finally, wearables. A fertility watch analyzes sweat salts. This is your cue to get busy about four to six days before ovulation. A fertility tracker bracelet records vital signs including skin temperature, respiration, and resting pulse. It tells you when you’re in your fertile zone and when to start trying.

source: What to expect.