Trying to conceive is an exciting time in life, but it’s one that can also be confusing and stressful for a couple. There are many factors that play into the chances of getting pregnant in any given month and trying to keep track of all of them can add an extra and unnecessary burden to hopeful mothers.
With a little bit of knowledge and practice, you can learn to calculate the estimated dates for ovulation based on your menstrual cycle.
Understanding your menstrual cycle is one of the most important steps to conceiving because it will tell you when you’re most fertile in a month. This time period is roughly six days out of the month, so it’s important to get the timing right. To calculate this important date range, you first need to understand a few facts about your cycle:
Length
You’ll need to know the length of your average menstrual cycle. This varies from woman to woman, but it’s usually around 28 days, although it can be as short as 24 or as long as 34! Your cycle begins on the first day of your period. [1]
Phases
Your menstrual cycle is broken into three phases. It’s important that you understand what happens during each phase so you can have the best chance of getting pregnant.
Follicular Phase
The follicular phase starts on the first day of your menstruation. During this phase, the follicles inside your ovaries start to grow in size under the influence of hormones from pituitary gland. Each follicle contains an egg that will be released during next phase.
During late days of this phase, your ovaries are also working hard to prepare a place to house the egg. This phase lasts around 15 days and continues right until ovulation.
Ovulation
The 2nd phase of your cycle is one of the most important parts when it comes to conception. The exact day of ovulation depends on the length of your personal cycle, but it usually happens about halfway through your full cycle.
During ovulation, an egg is released from mature follicle inside the ovary and is picked up into fallopian tube, where it waits to be fertilized by a sperm.
Luteal Phase
The last phase of menstrual cycle is the luteal phase. After the release of egg, the ruptured follicle is converted into corpus luteum; hence the name luteal phase. The corpus luteum starts secreting progesterone to stimulate secretions from endometrium and fallopian tubes.
If the egg is not fertilized, the corpus luteum undergoes degeneration which results in shedding of endometrium and start of a new cycle.
After Ovulation (if fertilized) – IThe egg has to be fertilized by a sperm within 12-24 hours of its release, so the sperm has to be in place in order to make it happen. An embryo is formed after fertilization, which then travels to the uterus to implant itself into the uterine wall where it will grow for the next nine months!
Menstrual Cycle Diagram
As mentioned before, determining the timing of your ovulation is critical when you’re trying to conceive. One way to determine this is by using an online calculator like the one found here. However, if you’re concerned about the reliability of those results, you can also calculate your dates manually.
Manually Calculating Ovulation Days
Calendar
The easiest way to calculate what days you’ll be ovulating is by counting days on a calendar to get a good starting point. The first day of your cycle begins on the first day of your period, so that’s Day One.
The last day of your cycle begins the night before you start your next day period. The number of days in that period gives you the length of your cycle. For this example, let’s say you have a 28-day cycle.
You ovulate roughly midway through your cycle, so if your cycle is 28 days long, you can estimate the ovulation date on Day 14 of your cycle.
If your cycles are closer to 35 days, your ovulation day would be around day 21, so your most fertile days would be days 19-21.
If your cycle is closer to 21 days, your ovulation day would be around day 7 and your most fertile days would be days 5-7 [2]. It’s best to have sex every other day starting five days before your ovulation date, as sperm can live up to five days.
Body Temperature
Another way to manually determine if you’re ovulating is by taking your body temperature. This method is much more accurate than looking at a calendar, but you will need a basal temperature thermometer, which you can get at any pharmacy.
Take your temperature every day starting on the first day of your period and plot it on a graph or in your calendar. Before long, you’ll spot a .4F rise in your temperature over three consecutive days.
This occurs about five days before your ovulation date and continues for three days after it. That time period is your best chance of getting pregnant.
Detecting Signs
Another way to know that you’re ovulating is to be familiar with the signs and in touch with your body. Our bodies give out signals when ovulation is nearing, and when it’s passed, all we have to do is be aware of them.
When estrogen levels are highest and ovulation is coming, you’ll notice a stretchy cervical fluid that’s similar to egg whites [3] and your cervix will be high, soft and open.
You can also check your urine for high levels of estrogen using an ovulation predictor kit. Some women even experience ovulation cramping similar to period cramps.
Chances of Getting Pregnant
Tracking ovulation helps in both getting pregnant or in avoiding it. If you want to get pregnant, your fertile window is when you should be having sex. This period reflects the lifespan of sperm, which is 5 days, and the lifespan of the ovum, which is 24 hours.
Having sex six days before you ovulate gives you basically zero chance of getting pregnant. However, if you have sex five days before, your chance rises to 10%.
This percentage will increase the closer you get to ovulation and will then decrease once again after the end of the fertile period. During your fertile days, you should be having sex every 2 to 3 days to increase your chances of conception.
References
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1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/menstrual-cycle/art-20047186
2. https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-is-an-irregular-period-1959924
3. https://www.parents.com/getting-pregnant/ovulation/fertile-days/what-cervical-mucus-looks-like-at-every-point-in-your-cycle/
My period is irregular.. my last period is July 16 and August 12 or 13 I’m not sure between 12&13. I had sex last July 1. Myproblem is my period is still not coming for the month of September.
Hi xxxxx, It is possible that you are pregnant,you should take a pregnancy test or visit your doctor.
Had my period on d 18th of September 2015. When am I likely to ovulate as I have been trying to conceive for 5months now.
The best way to increase your chances of being pregnant is to track your menstrual cycle every month to determine your fertile days. If you do this and you have regular periods, then you can easily identify the best days to have sex. If you have a smart phone, you can download an ovulation app to guide you.
I had an abortion on the 8th of august 2015, and I saw my period on the 10th to 13th…I bled again on the 21st to 23rd…I. Haven’t seen my period this month at all and I had an unprotected sex on 6th and 22nd of September…pls. Am I pregnant again??? And pls how can I calculate my menstrual cycle???
Please refer to our FAQ page via the link http://womanjunction.com/faq-frequently-asked-questions-menstrual-cycle-pregnancy-ovulation-abortion/ See the first question under Section #6 which is titled Abortion. See also section number 1 (Menstrual Cycle) which will help you to calculate your menstrual cycle.
Please I need your answer urgently. I had my last period on august 22 2015 and the one for this month started on the 21st of September…please I can’t calculate it, when is my ovulation date please?
Hi. Based on the dates provided you have a 30 days cycle. You ovulated from September 05 to 09. Your October period is expected to start on the 21st and you will ovulate from October 05 to 09.
my cycle came on aug 15 to 21 and it’s sept 15 and no cycle yet. am I pregnant
Hi,saw my period 14th of September and my last period was on 18th of july.plz when is my most fertile period.thanks
Sorry 18th of august
hi i have been trying to be pregnant for few months. but my periods is not accurate each month.it seems to be fluctuating each month by like a week , a few days .like last month it had been 15th august and this month it started 12th September. so for me when would be the best time to get pregnant?
Hi Kanti, read this article and maybe it will help you to track your period and know when you are ovulating. good luck 🙂
I had sex Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I ovulated on Saturday the 5th. could I get pregnant?
of course you can!
Hi. My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for 4 months now. We currently have 3 boys. My period is very accurate every month. I missed my period today and took a home pregnancy test which came out negative. What’s my next step?
Hello. To increase your chances of getting pregnant try having on the most fertile days in the cycle, which is at least 3 days before, during and some days after ovulation. This will be the best time for you to try and conceive. Sperms will survive for 3 to 5 days while the egg will last for 12 to 24 hours. You are fertile for about 5 to 7 days. Expand the number of days that you have sex…Good luck!
I am pregnant. I had sex with a couple of guys. My sex days were the 4, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 21. On the 15 i felt him cum in me. But my doctor is claiming i got pregnant on the 7. I dont have a regular 28th day cycle and i recieved cramping on the 19th of august and took a pregnancy test on the 22 and 23 and the test came out with extremely faded positive lines. When did i get pregnant?
Hello Shae, It is hard to tell the exact day you were conceived because no one knows the exact day your egg released The best you can do is take a DNA test when the child is born to know for sure.
hi I got ma periods on augst 18. am planing to hav a baby when is the best time. I dont knw how 2 calculate it. my last month period was on july 14 thn augst 18. plz help
i had sex on the 1st july 2015. i took a contraceptive but on 18th july i realise am pregnant so i had an abortion on the 18 th july, the bleeding ended in 7-8 days.
when can i expect my period again in august. am getting worried.
Hi Queen,You can expect to get a normal period about 4 to 8 weeks after the abortion. We cannot predict exactly when you will get your period because pregnancy and abortion affect you menstrual cycle. The pregnancy hormone, HCG, may remain in your blood and urine for up to 8 weeks after your termination.
Hi I was looking for baby in June , so in may I had my period 20 then June I had sex durin my fertile days n in June I got my period 23 which was a bit late, then I saw a heavy blood with clots, I don’t know whether I was pregnant
My period starts on the 13 of the month and lasts 5 days but it lately seems to be fluctuating each month by like a day so like next month it might be the 14th or 12th anyway when would be the best time to get pregnant? Thanks!
Hello my last period was 25-31july and I had sex on 5-12 august. Can I be pregnant pls?
Hello,plz my last period was on 20thjuly,i saw my next period 18 august. Plz when is my most fertile period.plz help me,me and my partner are trying for baby so badly
Hi kelly, plz reply to this one.tks
Hi Marie, Your next most fertile period is August 30, 2015 to September 03, 2015.