When to get pregnant

Luteal phase

The Luteal Phase is the period between ovulation and the first day of the next cycle. Normally 14 days in most women

Best time to get pregnant

When is the best time to get pregnant?

The period of time between ovulation and the first day of the menstrual period is known as the 'Luteal Phase' sometimes referred to as the 'Post Ovulation Time'. The length of the luteal phase is fixed and in the majority of women lasts for exactly 14 days. This number can vary with some women having a luteal phase of 15 or 16 days and others as short as 12 days, but, whatever the length of your luteal phase, it is always constant being the same number of days long, month in - month out... even if you have irregular periods. If you do have an irregular cycle then the 'irregular' part of the cycle is the first part up to ovulation. Once ovulation has occurred then your period will start exactly 14 days later (or however many days long your luteal phase is) unless of course fertilization has occurred.

What is the optimum moment for fertilization to occur?

Obviously this should be around the time of ovulation. The ovum will survive for a period of 12 hours or so in which it is capable of being fertilized. Ideally, fresh sperm should be inside the female body prior to ovulation so when this occurs fertilization can happen. The sperm can last for 3 or more days inside the woman's body, considerably more time than the fertile window of maybe 12 hours that the ovum has.

The secret to getting pregnant fast is to know your body. To learn what phase you are in and to predict as closely as possible when you will ovulate so that intercourse may be performed as close to this time as possible. Don't forget that lovemaking too often can reduce the virility of sperm and reduce the sperm count.

For women who have regular cycles, the time of ovulation can be quite accurately predicted.
presuming that your 'luteal phase' is 14 days long (the most normal) then ovulation will occur sometime between days 11 and 14 of the cycle with day 1 being the first day of bleeding of your period.

If you have irregular periods then you can take a note of your cycles of the past few months and try to estimate an average length of period. You can then use the method  above, it will be a little less accurate but will still give you a good idea as to when you should be ovulating. If lovemaking is undertaken once every 2 days or so then there should be sperm present inside you ready for when you ovulate.

A valuable method for getting to know your cycle and observing your body is by using the BBT method (Basal Body Temperature). To do this you need to use a special BBT thermometer which can be easily obtained. The thermometer is calibrated to show fractions of degrees. The method consists of taking your vaginal temperature every morning upon waking. The temperature is plotted daily on a graph. A notable rise in temperature occurs at the time of ovulation. By using this method you will be able to know exactly when you are ovulating and therefore be aware of the tell tale signs (such as subtle aches and sensations in the abdominal region) that accompany ovulation. You will also be able to calculate the exact length of your 'luteal phase' and note how it does not vary from month to month even if your periods are extremely irregular,

You can also confirm ovulation is occurring by observing the texture of your vaginal mucus. This generally has a thick texture which when seen under a microscope appears to consist of a mesh of fibers. As the hormones in your body change at the time of ovulation, so too does the texture of the mucus. It becomes clearer and thinner. When this is viewed under the microscope it appears that all of the fibers are parallel. This actually aids the sperm along their way to the ovum by means of capillary action, sucking up the sperm thus facilitating fertilization. The mucus remains like this for a period of two or three days - The ideal time for fertilization.

If you can combine all of the ideas noted here then it should help you to get to know your body and the rhythm of your monthly cycle facilitating the prediction of your exact ovulation time.

© Pregnantaid - 2006

 This article is copyrighted and MAY NOT be copied or distributed in any form.