If you are ready to conceive and you want it to happen sooner rather than later the magic word is: TIMING.
If you don’t time your baby making to happen during the short window of opportunity each month, conception is impossible. That fertile window occurs on the five days leading up to and including the day of ovulation. The reason this window is wider than just the day of ovulation (when the egg is released from the ovary) is that unlike the egg, which only lives for 24 hours, the sperm can live for several days in the reproductive tract. But if you miss that period of time then you’ve missed your golden opportunity – until the next month, that is.
Some people handle the issue of timing by having sex every other day throughout their entire cycle when they are trying to conceive. But this can be exhausting and arduous for some couples. Those who opt to hone in on their fertile days and time sex to occur when they have the best odds may have a better shot. Here are a few ways women use to determine their ovulation date and fertile window.
Calculate the Date:
One of the easiest methods for pinpointing ovulation can be done with some simple math. First figure out the length of your cycle. For most women this is between 28-30 days. But some women have shorter or longer cycles. Once you have the length down, subtract 14 to determine your ovulation day. For example if your cycle is 29 days long, your ovulation day would be on day 15. (29-14) Count backwards an additional 5 days to determine the first day of your fertile window. (Days 10-15) Have sex at least once daily during this period for the best odds of conception.
Do a Temp Check:
It’s not for everyone, but some women have great success with charting their basal body temperature to determine when they ovulate. BBT method is based on the science of the body temperature increase that has been proven to occur right before the release of the egg. (Basal body temperature rises about half a degree.) It’s not the best method for timing sexual intercourse immediately, as it leaves little time left to conceive after you have figured out ovulation is occurring. But it does help pinpoint the date of ovulation in women with a regular cycle if you chart it for a few months, and can be used for future baby making scheduling. It does require the use of a special thermometer that is inexpensive and available in most drugstores.
Check In With Your CM
Cervical mucus may sound a bit unappealing, but changes in this important bodily fluid can help a woman determine ovulation, as well as enhance the success of conception. Some call it the “egg white” test, but when you notice your cervical discharge becoming stretchy and more abundant (like raw egg white), that’s a sign that ovulation is near.
Predict With A Kit
Most women have regular cycles, but some women don’t. For those with a more unusual rhythm, an over-the-counter ovulation predictor kit can be a great help. The kits can be found in family planning section of drugstores. Most of them use your morning urine to detect a surge in the lutenizing hormone that occurs just before ovulation. Less commonly found kits use saliva or sweat to pinpoint the date.
Whatever method you use, be sure to take the time to get your timing right, and you’ll be well on your way to increasing your odds for conception success.
If you are ready to conceive and you want it to happen sooner rather than later the magic word is: TIMING.
If you don’t time your baby making to happen during the short window of opportunity each month, conception is impossible. That fertile window occurs on the five days leading up to and including the day of ovulation. The reason this window is wider than just the day of ovulation (when the egg is released from the ovary) is that unlike the egg, which only lives for 24 hours, the sperm can live for several days in the reproductive tract. But if you miss that period of time then you’ve missed your golden opportunity – until the next month, that is.
Some people handle the issue of timing by having sex every other day throughout their entire cycle when they are trying to conceive. But this can be exhausting and arduous for some couples. Those who opt to hone in on their fertile days and time sex to occur when they have the best odds may have a better shot. Here are a few ways women use to determine their ovulation date and fertile window.
Calculate the Date:
One of the easiest methods for pinpointing ovulation can be done with some simple math. First figure out the length of your cycle. For most women this is between 28-30 days. But some women have shorter or longer cycles. Once you have the length down, subtract 14 to determine your ovulation day. For example if your cycle is 29 days long, your ovulation day would be on day 15. (29-14) Count backwards an additional 5 days to determine the first day of your fertile window. (Days 10-15) Have sex at least once daily during this period for the best odds of conception.
Do a Temp Check:
It’s not for everyone, but some women have great success with charting their basal body temperature to determine when they ovulate. BBT method is based on the science of the body temperature increase that has been proven to occur right before the release of the egg. (Basal body temperature rises about half a degree.) It’s not the best method for timing sexual intercourse immediately, as it leaves little time left to conceive after you have figured out ovulation is occurring. But it does help pinpoint the date of ovulation in women with a regular cycle if you chart it for a few months, and can be used for future baby making scheduling. It does require the use of a special thermometer that is inexpensive and available in most drugstores.
Check In With Your CM
Cervical mucus may sound a bit unappealing, but changes in this important bodily fluid can help a woman determine ovulation, as well as enhance the success of conception. Some call it the “egg white” test, but when you notice your cervical discharge becoming stretchy and more abundant (like raw egg white), that’s a sign that ovulation is near.
Predict With A Kit
Most women have regular cycles, but some women don’t. For those with a more unusual rhythm, an over-the-counter ovulation predictor kit can be a great help. The kits can be found in family planning section of drugstores. Most of them use your morning urine to detect a surge in the lutenizing hormone that occurs just before ovulation. Less commonly found kits use saliva or sweat to pinpoint the date.
Whatever method you use, be sure to take the time to get your timing right, and you’ll be well on your way to increasing your odds for conception success.