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/
Comment Text*I had my period April 14,and may 30when is my fertile period
Your next most fertile period is from Thu Jun 09 2016 to Mon Jun 13 2016
I had my period on 23 of april and 20 of may when will i see it again
hi, I had period on may 28 ends on may 31,when is my ovulation and how many days cycle do I have?
That is only 3-4 days. You will have to go through the instructions given in the post above. No one can tell you this. You have to keep track of your body to understand and learn when your cycle is and should be. Make sure to take notes as well.
I saw my last period may 9th. Met with my husband 15th,19th,20th. am I pregnant because my period has not come yet
please I had sex with my girlfriend somewhere March 24th , a day after her menses. though her menses delayed the next month, thus April instead of 11th it came 13th of April. her menstrual cycle is 24…please I want to know if she can be pregnant because she had a pregnancy text today and she was positive… after two months of menstruation.
You can have your period or even spotting for the first few months of pregnancy. It is not unheard of. Since she had the test read negative she needs to see a doctor to know for sure. No one online can answer this for you, only a doctor can. Just have her stay calm till you both know for certain.
Can fibroids affect my chance of conceiving?
Yes it can. Fibroids typically cause pain and excessive bleeding. Women who become pregnant while they have fibroids run the risk of having a miscarriage or a pre-term delivery.
I saw my period on Feb 14, March 15 and April 22. it didn’t come this month as yet. what would be my cycle length?
I saw my last period on the 25th of April 2016 and on the 23rd of May 2016. I had been trying for years to conceive. Please, when is my best time or date for me to have sex? I really need a baby badly.
Read the informative link to http://womanjunction.com/how-to-get-pregnant-guide/ . You can improve your chances of becoming pregnant if you follow these tip.
Hi, I had my period on April 10 after removing my Paraguay then had it on May 14…..when is my ovulation and how many days cycle do I have?
Hello Lena, You have a 34 day cycle and Your next most fertile period is June 01,2016 to June 05,2016.
Best time for pregnancy is having sex early morning. One more thing, it’s time you stop those routine things. Why not have sex at times odd to you. Let your food be 70% vegetables and fruits. Stop those sugar stuff. Avoid stress and make sure you understand your body. Above all, never stop praying. GOOD LUCK MOTUNRAYO.
Hi, I saw my last period on April 26th and it lasted 5 days. When was my ovulation time and when am I expecting the next one in May? Thanks.
Hi. You must determine the number of days in your menstrual cycle before this can be determined. If you don’t know this information, you have to wait to see the date that your May period would arrive. This is how you calculate the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle starts on day 1 of the bleeding for one month to day 1 of the bleeding for the other month. So if one period started on March 10, 2016 and the next one started on April 5, then you would count March 10 as day 1 and continue counting all the days on the calendar until you get to April 4. You should count 26 days; this means you have a 26 days cycle. April 5 would now be counted as day 1 for your April period.
I had my period on the 16th of April – it lasted four days and I also had my period on the 11th of May and it lasted four days. When is my ovulation period?
Based on the dates given, you have a 25 days cycle. You should ovulate from May 20 to 24, 2016.
Oh my God; I love what this doctor is doing here, educating both the women and men, Doc. God is lifting you higher… this is helpful. God bless you.
I menstruated on may 7 when is my next menstruation?
Hello Seun, To calculate your next expected menstruation date we also need to know your normal menstrual period as in how many days it normally takes for you to get your next mensuration. Ideally it is 28 days and based on that it would be June, 04.
My menstrual cycle is very inconsistent how can I check the ovulation date?
Since your menstrual flow is irregular, it’s best to use an ovulation predictor kit to help you.
l menstruated on march 6 and April 16. When is my next ovulation. Please help
Hello Millicent, Considering the gap of march 6 and april 16 i.e. 39 days as your regular period gap,your next most fertile period is May 09, 2016 to May 13, 2016.