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When you are looking to conceive, you can improve your chances by understanding your fertility window during the ovulation phase of your menstrual cycle. Understanding when you are most “fertile” can improve your chances of pregnancy significantly.
Understanding Your Fertility Window
The menstrual cycle is regulated by hormones. It has three phases: the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase.
Follicular Phase: “A phase of the menstrual cycle that involves the maturation of ovarian follicles and the preparation of the uterine lining for pregnancy” according to the Cleveland Clinic. Some symptoms that occur during the follicular phase include bloating. Cramps, nausea, breast tenderness, lower back pain and mood swings.
Ovulation: Cleveland Clinic defines the ovulation phase as the time when “your ovary releases the egg that matured during the follicular phase. It begins its journey to your fallopian tubes.”
Luteal Phase: In this phase, “the dominant follicle that released the mature egg changes into a structure called the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum produces important pregnancy hormones. If you don’t get pregnant, the corpus luteum will disappear, and you’ll shed your uterus lining, also known as menstruation.”
Your fertility window is the period during your menstrual cycle when you’re most likely to achieve pregnancy. For most, this is the five days leading up to ovulation, the day of ovulation and the day following. Understanding and tracking your fertility window can help you understand the most optimal times to have sex for conception.
Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle
Most menstrual cycles last 28-35 days though the exact time varies from person to person. Usually, the follicular phase ranges from 14 to 21 days. The luteal phase lasts about 14 days.
If you’re trying to get pregnant, you’ll want to start by tracking your ovulation window. Understanding your entire menstrual cycle will help you achieve this goal. “It begins on the first day of your period and starts over when your next period begins. A typical menstrual cycle is 28 days, but cycles ranging from 21 to 35 days are considered normal,” according to Johns Hopkins.
Hormone fluctuations are normal during this time. Many women are stereotyped as being moody, irritable, and difficult to please during menstruation, but a lot is happening chemically and physically! “About halfway through, one of your ovaries releases a mature egg. The egg goes to one of your fallopian tubes, where it waits to be fertilized by sperm. The lining of your uterus gets thicker, too. This prepares the uterus for implantation of the fertilized egg.”
When you don’t get pregnant, that is when your period begins.
Ways to Track Ovulation
Understanding your “fertility window” or the period in which you are ovulating is key to achieving pregnancy for many. There are a number of ways you can track your ovulation period including:
- Calendars: Whether you're trying to conceive or looking to prevent pregnancy, using an ovulation calendar might work for you. Use this tool to calculate your most fertile days, which is during the ovulation period. A calendar or schedule tracks your menstrual cycle.
- It’s important to note that if you have irregular periods and the length of your menstrual cycle varies from month to month, the calendar method won’t be accurate for you.
- Cervical Mucus Tracking: This method helps you predict when your most fertile days are by tracking the changes in your cervical mucus (vaginal discharge) throughout your menstrual cycle. According to Planned Parenthood, “you check out your mucus every day and write the results on a chart. The changes in your mucus help you figure out when you’re going to ovulate and are able to get pregnant.”
- Ovulation Predictor Kits: According to Stanford Medicine, “Ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) can help determine when a woman is ovulating and most likely to get pregnant. They can be useful for women with irregular menstrual cycles, and can also help adjust doses of certain medications.”
- Basal Body Temperature: This involves tracking your body temperature to predict ovulation and determine when you're most likely to get pregnant. Your BBT is your body temperature when you're fully at rest. It's usually lower in the first part of your menstrual cycle, and then rises after you ovulate according to the Cleveland Clinic.
When Should I Have Sex?
For the best chances of pregnancy, you should have sex every day or every other day during the:
- Five days leading up to ovulation
- Day of ovulation
- Day after ovulation
There’s some misinformation out there that dates back to folklore about different ways to increase chances of conception. For instance, there’s no specific sex position that increases your odds of conceiving. Some lubricants may negatively affect sperm and prevent them from reaching the egg. Talk to your health care provider about which lubricants to avoid.
Irregular Menstruation
If you have irregular periods, meaning they are unpredictable or vary in length from month-to-month, you should speak with your OB/GYN or a fertility specialist. This irregularity may be due to a hormone imbalance and could make it more challenging to get pregnant using natural methods.
Testosterone and Ovulation
If you are an individual of trans experience, you might still be ovulating. “Examination of the ovarian tissue shows that 33% of transmasculine individuals show signs of recent ovulation, despite being on testosterone and no longer menstruating," says Joyce Asseler, PhD candidate at Amsterdam UMC.” If you decide that you’d like to carry a pregnancy to term, consult with a specialist to see if going off of testosterone is either necessary or preferred for you to achieve your pregnancy goals.
No matter the method, having a good basic understanding of your entire menstrual cycle will help you to feel empowered as you attempt to navigate fertilization and pregnancy. If you are struggling to get pregnant, consult with a fertility specialist or OB/GYN to find out what your next steps are to achieving your goals.
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