When you’re trying to conceive, it’s important to know when you are most likely to
get pregnant. Keep in mind is that you can only get pregnant in the 5 days before and 1 day after ovulation. That is why it’s essential to be familiar with your cycle. Below, we break down the different stages of the menstrual cycle and when conception is possible.
During your period
For most women, ovulation starts about two weeks before the start of your period. This means that your period is generally too far ahead of ovulation to make conception from sex during your menstrual cycle possible.
Pre-ovulation
Conception is possible in the pre-ovulation phase. This is because
sperm can live for up to 5 days within cervical mucus. If you’re trying to conceive, you should have sex frequently (aim for every other day) in the week leading up to your ovulation. This usually starts at about day seven of your cycle.
Ovulation
Ovulation is the prime time for conception, which is why it’s important to track your cycles using an
ovulation kit, monitoring your vaginal discharge, or tracking your temperature. Your body temperature will go up by about half a degree when you’re ovulating, which is a good indicator that it’s time to work on making a baby! Once you’ve been tracking your cycle, you should be able to predict fairly accurately when you’ll be ovulating. The 24-hour window around ovulation is the best time to conceive.
Post-ovulation
Eggs only survive for about 12 hours, so you may still be able to get pregnant in the day following ovulation. After that, your chances of conceiving are very low until your next cycle.
