When am I most fertile?
When trying to conceive, it can be helpful for you to know two things: when ovulation occurs and when you are most fertile. On the other hand, some women may wish to track their fertile window to avoid getting pregnant.
You are most fertile around your ovulation which often means about 6-7 days in a month. This period is known as the ‘Fertile window’ and refers to the days in a woman’s menstrual cycle when she can get pregnant.
‘Safe period‘ is the day when a person is least likely to get a pregnancy.
Ovulation is when your ovaries release an egg.
Understanding ovulation
The first day of the last menstrual period is day 1 of your cycle which continues up to the first day of your next period. It is important to know that ovulation does not always occur same day every month.
When an egg is released by one of the ovaries during ovulation, the egg moves to the fallopian tube and stays there for about 12-24 hours. Pregnancy will occur if sperm travels to the fallopian tube and fertilizes an egg. If this does not happen, the egg moves to the uterus break down and will leave the body during the next menstrual period.
If you have a 28-day monthly cycle, ovulation occurs around 14 days before the next period. For most people, ovulation occurs between days 11-21 of the monthly cycle.
If you ovulate today, it is possible to conceive within the next two days as eggs survive for about 24 hours after they are released. Also, remember that the same is true if you have sex before your period because fertile days begin 2-3 days before ovulation.
This means that even if you do not have sex on the day you ovulate, you can still get pregnant if you had unprotected sex right before or after ovulation day. Remember sperm can survive for up to 3-5 days inside your body.
Tracking Ovulation
You can know the precise day you are going to ovulate every month by keeping track of the signs of ovulation.
The signs of ovulation to look out for include:
- A higher sex drive.
- A small increase in basal body temperature.
- A Wetter, more slippery, and clearer vaginal discharge that looks like an egg white.
- Mild cramping in the lower abdomen.