Women’s guide to getting the timing right

Apart from being healthy, what might help you get pregnant? Sex! (Or intercourse at the right time, to be technical about it.)

The best time to try and conceive is during the ‘fertile window’ of the menstrual cycle; this is different for different women.

The fertile window

I am talking about the days in a woman’s menstrual cycle when pregnancy is possible. Pregnancy is technically only possible during the five days before ovulation through to the day of ovulation.

These six days are the ‘fertile window’ in a woman’s cycle, and reflect the lifespan of sperm (5 days) and the lifespan of the ovum (24 hours).

If a woman has sex six or more days before she ovulates, the chance she will get pregnant is virtually zero. If she has sex five days before she ovulates, her probability of pregnancy is about 10%.

The probability of pregnancy rises steadily until the two days before and including the day of ovulation.

At the end of the ‘fertile window’, the probability of pregnancy declines rapidly and by 12-24 hours after she ovulates, a woman is no longer able to get pregnant during that cycle.

For those women who are not aware of their ‘fertile window’ or when they ovulate, sexual intercourse is recommended every 2 to 3 days to help optimise their chance of conceiving.

Myth conception

The myth:

"The best time to try to conceive is day 14 of your menstrual cycle."

The truth:

The only time a woman can conceive is during the ‘fertile window’ of the menstrual cycle. This window will vary depending on the individual’s cycle, however timing intercourse in the 6 days leading up to and including ovulation is the window with highest chance of conception.

What is ovulation?

Ovulation is when a mature egg is released from the ovary, moves down the fallopian tube, and is available in the fallopian tube to be fertilised.

Tracking your ovulation

• Work out the length of your average menstrual cycle. Day one is the first day of the menstrual period and the last day is the day before the next period begins.
• Ovulation happens about two weeks before the next expected period. So if your average menstrual cycle is 28 days, you ovulate around day 14.

Remember the ‘fertile window’ is the six days leading up to and including ovulation.

The three days leading up to and including ovulation are the most fertile. Depending on your cycle length the most fertile days in the cycle varies:

• If you have 28 days between periods ovulation typically happens on day 14, and the most fertile days are days 12, 13, and 14.
• If you have longer cycles, say 35 days between periods, ovulation happens on day 21 and the most fertile days are days 19, 20, and 21.
• If you have shorter cycles, say 21 days between periods, ovulation happens on day 7 and the most fertile days are days 5, 6, and 7.,  DONT FORGET TO PRAY!!!