The most fertile part of your menstrual cycle is when you have the biggest chance of becoming pregnant.
The five days leading up to and the day of ovulation are referred to as your "fertile window".
According to a research titled "Day-specific probabilities of clinical pregnancy based on two trials with imprecise assessments of ovulation," the two days prior to and the day of ovulation had the highest chances of conception.
Your chances of getting pregnant will be highest if you have intercourse on those days. Your ovary produces a mature egg during ovulation.
That egg travels via your fallopian tube and into your uterus. The sperm will (ideally) encounter the egg along this path and fertilise it. Sperm has a five-day life span. Therefore, if you're attempting to get pregnant, your objective is to ovulate with living sperm in your fallopian tubes.
What symptoms indicate ovulation? You can count your period days as one method. Use an app or a calendar to record your menstrual cycles. Each cycle begins on the first day of your period and concludes the day before the beginning of your subsequent period.
Look for your cycle's halfway. You will typically ovulate on day 14 of a 28-day cycle. Additionally, keep an eye out for the following indicators of ovulation:
Change in vaginal discharge
Your mucus will become thick and clear after you ovulate, resembling egg white in texture.
Rise in basal body temperature (BBT)
After you ovulate, your body's resting temperature will slightly rise. Before rising in the morning, you can check your BBT using a basal body temperature thermometer.
It should be noted that this cannot forecast ovulation; it can only inform you if you ovulated. But if you monitor your body temperature over a few cycles, you can later determine what cycle day you typically ovulate.
Over-the-counter ovulation kits are also offered by pharmacies.
These tests can tell you when you're most likely to be ovulating by looking for hormone changes in your pee. For additional details, consult the test kit instructions.
What are the optimal sex positions?
Each male orgasm releases hundreds of millions of sperm, therefore any unprotected intercourse performed around the period of ovulation might result in a pregnancy. You have a possibility to become pregnant as long as sperm reach the vagina.
The Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility came to the conclusion in a study that no specific sex positions have been demonstrated to boost the chance of pregnancy.
However, some postures can be more advantageous than others for ensuring that those little swimmers make it to the egg. Deeper penetration is made possible by the missionary (guy on top) and doggy positions (man behind), which carry sperm closer to the cervix.
Gravity works against you when you're standing or sitting on top of your male partner. However, getting up soon after intercourse shouldn't make you less likely to become pregnant. Sperm can swim rather well. Within 15 minutes of being implanted in the vagina, they can reach the cervix.
Even while you don't have to lift your legs high or even lay flat on your back after sex to encourage this, it can't harm. It will also help to keep the sperm swimming in the appropriate direction if you place a cushion under your lower back.
How frequently should one have sex?
Having intercourse too frequently lowers sperm quality and quantity, as you may have read.
Sperm had superior quality when collected after a 2-3 day period of abstinence, according to a study titled "Effect of ejaculatory abstinence duration on the pregnancy rate following intrauterine insemination."
Additionally, studies have indicated that couples who have sex every 1-2 days experience increased odds of conception.
During your reproductive window, having a sexual encounter once a day or every other day will improve your chance of becoming pregnant.
Try to have sex more frequently, but don't make a timetable for it. It could cause unneeded tension. In the end, how many times you feel comfortable having sex is the perfect number.
Does using a lubricant change your chances of becoming pregnant?
Just under two-thirds of women use a lubricant during sex, according to a research titled "Effect of Vaginal Lubricants on Natural Fertility," however there have been concerns about whether these items can impair sperm quality.
In laboratory tests, water-based lubricants significantly decreased sperm mobility by 60 to 100%.
The same study revealed no detrimental impact on fertility, so don't freak out and toss out the lube tube just yet. In fact, lubrication could help with your attempts to conceive by enabling more frequent intercourse.
Additional advice for becoming pregnant
You may increase your chance of getting pregnant in other ways besides changing your sexual behaviour. Other steps you may take to increase your fertility include:
Orgasm
You ought to know this by now, but for the record – ejaculating is necessary for a guy to make his spouse pregnant. Even while a woman doesn't need to reach her climax in order to become pregnant, the motion of her orgasm can assist sperm migrate closer to their target.
Regulate your weight
Reduced fertility may result from being overweight or underweight.
Smoking
Avoid smoking because smoking decreases sperm mobility and raises the risk of infertility and miscarriage.
Caffeine
Caffeine intake should be kept to a minimum because caffeine can reduce fertility when used in big doses - more than five cups per day.
When should you visit a physician?
Consult your health care physician or a fertility expert if you've been trying to conceive but are having no luck.
When should you schedule a doctor's appointment? According to your age. Before seeking medical attention, women under the age of 35 should try for at least a year. After six months of attempting, women 35 years of age or older ought to visit a doctor.
If you have a history of miscarriage, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, irregular or non-existent periods, hernia surgery, or a problem with the testicles, schedule a consultation right away (in your male partner).
Your health and medical history will be assessed by the doctor. People who are having trouble getting pregnant can get help from medications, artificial insemination, and surgery.
Any form of unprotected intercourse is beneficial for conception. Your chances of success will, however, increase if you time your contacts well and have them more frequently.
Do not put pressure on yourself or your spouse if a pregnancy does not occur for you immediately. It may take many months to become pregnant, especially if you're older than 30.
However, if you've been trying for a while and are still impatiently anticipating that baby bump, consult a doctor.