Best Time to Get Pregnant

If you and your partner are ready to start a family you are probably wondering “When is the best time to get pregnant?” Knowing the answer to this makes the whole process of conceiving much easier, as you will be able to concentrate your efforts during the period when success is probable. It is fairly easy to figure out when you ovulate, and hence when the window of best opportunity opens up for you to conceive.

To help you fully understand how your monthly cycle works and how you will use it to determine when the best time to get pregnant is, let us start with some basic facts.

When is the Best Time to Get Pregnant: Methods

 

The Luteal Phase

The Luteal Phase is generally 14 days long, starting on the day you ovulate and ending on the first day of menstruation. This phase is often referred to as the post ovulation time. Most women have a fixed luteal phase, with menstruation beginning on the 15th day after ovulation. I know this hardly sounds simple, but once you start paying attention to your cycle it will all make more sense.

A fairly simple way to figure out when you ovulate involves simple subtraction. On the first day of menstruation subtract 12-16 days to pinpoint your most fertile period. This is a straightforward way of figuring out when is the best time to get pregnant.

The Basal Body Temperature Method

This is another easy way to figure out when you are ovulating. It involves taking the vaginal temperature each day with a calibrated basal body temperature thermometer. On the day you ovulate the internal temperature of the vagina will be slightly higher than normal.

When is the Best Time to Get Pregnant: The Fertile Window

The formation of the egg is the first step in the menstrual process, and begins when chumming terminates. It takes 8-12 days for the ovule to fully develop and begin its journey down the Fallopian tubes. For conception to occur a sperm must essentially intercept the egg on its journey to the uterus and fertilize it before it gets there. This puts our preliminary calculation for the phase of highest fertility between days 8 and 12 of your cycle.

However, when you consider that the sperm can stay alive and fertile for up to five days, the fertile period becomes a bit longer, as sperm deposited before the egg is released can hang around in the Fallopian tubes and fertilize the egg when it comes through. So, while the egg only lasts 12-16 hours, the longer life of the sperm widens the window considerably.

When is the Best Time to Get Pregnant: A Definitive Answer

To define the fertility window in an easy to remember format like a week, go back a few days from ovulation to account for the sperm’s longevity and put the window between day 5 and day 12 of the cycle.

This gives us a clear answer to the question “When is the best time to get pregnant?” Having sex regularly (every day) during this week long period is highly recommended to increase the chances of a successful conception.