Getting Pregnant During Ovulation
Typically, between days 13 and 15 of your cycle, youll experience a surge in luteinizing hormone, which signals an egg to be released from one of your ovaries. It will travel down your uterine tubes ready for a sperm to fertilize it. This is called ovulation.
If youre ready with your calendar wondering when the best time to have sex to get pregnant is, its now. Medically speaking, this is the time youre most likely to conceive.
The only time during the menstrual cycle to get pregnant is the six to seven days around the time of ovulation, or midcycle for most people, says Dr. Barbara Levy, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Washington, DC, US. This is known as your fertile window.
Sperm can live in your reproductive tract for up to five days. At the same time, the egg that the ovaries release into the uterine tube is healthy and viable for around 24 hours after ovulation. So even if you dont have sex on the day that you ovulate, the sperm might still be able to meet and fertilize your egg.
You can work out when your fertile window is using an app like Flo. And while it might not sound like the sexiest thing in the world, its recommended that you plan to have sex every day of your fertile window to maximize your chances of getting pregnant.
Your chances of getting pregnant in your first month of trying are around 30%.
Can Oral Sex Affect Chances Of Conception
One prevailing myth about oral sex and conception is that saliva can be a sperm killer. While there is a little bit of truth to the claim, like all things in trying to conceive, its complicated.
According to some studies, large amounts of saliva can produce a shaking effect in up to 12% of sperm, which dramatically reduced their motility and progression. In other words, large amounts of saliva killed some sperm. The National Library of Medicine notes that this is a particular issue for couples dealing with infertility issues that include a low sperm count.
So if oral sex helps you get in the mood, go for it!
What Are Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant Every Month
Generally, a woman whos trying to get pregnant has between a 15% and 25% chance of doing so each month. Despite those odds, most couples conceive within the first year of trying.
Whether you will conceive depends on several factors such as your overall health, age, your and your partners fertility, and having sex at the right time during your cycle.
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How Should You Deal With Fertility Problems
“Even under ideal conditions, perfectly fertile couples can take several months to become pregnant,” Dr. Wood assures. If you’re under 35, with regular menstrual cycles and no underlying health issues that might affect fertility, Dr. Wood advises waiting it out for one year. After two or three months of trying, it’s easy to get frustrated. That doesn’t mean an immediate appointment with a fertility specialist is in order.
There are a few ways to boost your fertility without visiting a specialist. Things like focusing on a healthy diet, watching your weight, keeping stress levels down, and staying away from toxins like pesticides are smart places to start.
Have Sex Every Other Day During The Fertile Window
The “fertile window” spans a six-day interval the five days prior to ovulation and the day of it, according to theAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine . Every month, a woman is most fertile on these days.
Many women are turning to new technology tools, such as fertility-tracking apps and websites, to help them keep tabs on when they may be more likely to conceive, but a 2020 review in the journalBMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health suggests that there is limited independent research on their accuracy. In a study published in 2016 in the journalObstetrics & Gynecology , scientists analyzed 50 popular fertility-tracking websites and apps with a hypothetical woman, and found that the results varied wildly, with many mistakenly tagging days outside of the fertility window, Live Science reported.
Its also important to note that a report by Colorado State University highlights concerns around digital privacy and period tracking apps in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court overturn of Roe v Wade. Health data collected by these apps is not protected by HIPAA and there is a fear that this data could be used to criminalize women in states that ban abortions. A 2019 KFF survey found that close to a third of American women use a health app to track their menstrual cycles or fertility, so this is an issue of real concern to a large portion of the female population.
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Sometimes Getting Pregnant Is Difficult
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No matter how healthy you are, or what age you are, sometimes it is difficult to get pregnant.
If you have tried for 12 months or more , its time to talk to your doctor about your options. The best place to start is to see your general practitioner . You might like to complete the Healthy conception tool, and take your results, and your partners results , with you to discuss with your doctor.
Understanding Ovulation: When Is The Best Time To Get Pregnant
When youre trying to conceive, knowing when you are most likely to get pregnant is crucial. Each month, there is a short window when an egg can be fertilized and implant in the uterus. Learn how to calculate these best days to conceive by tracking ovulation and seizing the opportunity on your most fertile days.
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Will It Be A Boy Or Girl
Both the manâs sperm and the womanâs egg play a part in determining the gender of a baby.
Every normal human cell contains 46 chromosomes . Chromosomes are tiny threadlike structures made from DNA, which each carry human genes. Genes determine a babyâs inherited characteristics, such as hair and eye colour, blood group, height and build.
When a sperm fertilises an egg, 23 chromosomes from the father pair with 23 from the mother, making 46 in total.
The sex chromosome from a womanâs egg is always the same and is known as the X chromosome. But the sex chromosome from a manâs sperm may be an X or a Y chromosome.
If the egg is fertilised by a sperm containing an X chromosome, the baby will be a girl . If the sperm contains a Y chromosome, the baby will be a boy .
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When To Ask For Help
If you or your partner are feeling stressed or anxious about trying for a baby for whatever reason, try to give each other time to talk about it. It can help both of your wellbeing to approach making a baby as a couple, so its important to talk about it and support each other through the process.
It can sometimes help to get professional support. Relate can offer you a space to talk about your worries together confidentially with a trained counsellor.
If youve been feeling extra stressed or anxious and it doesnt go away or your anxiety is affecting your daily life, its a good idea to see your GP. Some people can find it difficult to talk about their feelings, but mental health problems can be treated with the right care and support.
Find out more about planning a pregnancy and managing your mental health.
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/6they Should Be Able To Break Away
One of the downsides of using smartphones is digital addiction. Once you start using it, you’re likely to be dependent on it, which can be dangerous for your child. That said, find out whether or not your child has it in them to break away. Make sure they have other things they enjoy doing, so that a mobile device does not hamper their daily routine.
Are There Things I Can Do To Get Pregnant Faster
There are some steps you can take that help give you the best chance of conceiving, but keep in mind: The amount of time it takes to get pregnant differs from person to person. Some people conceive quickly, while others can try for years with little success.
Before trying for a baby, it’s a good idea to prepare. Here are some ways to get started:
- Schedule a preconception checkup with a doctor or midwife.
- Kick unhealthy habits like drinking, smoking cigarettes or marijuana, or using illicit drugs.
- Maintain or work towards a healthy weight.
- Take at least 400 mcg of folic acid daily at least one month before you start trying to conceive. This nutrient can dramatically reduce the risk of certain birth defects.
Once you’re ready to begin, these tips may boost your chances of getting pregnant fast:
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How Can You Tell When Youre In Your Fertile Window
While you can track your cycle using an app like Flo to see the days that you might be ovulating, there are also some other signs associated with the fertile window that you can look out for. They include:
However, Dr. Charlsie Celestine, obstetrician and gynecologist, New Jersey, US, warns that not everyone experiences these symptoms.
Age Fertility And Conception
The most important factor for the chance of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby is the womans age. Fertility starts to slowly decline around age 32. By age 35, the fertility decline speeds up and by age 40, fertility has fallen by half.
The effect of mens age on fertility is less dramatic but is an important factor too. Men aged 45 and older are less fertile, and some health conditions are more common in children with older fathers.
Find out more about the effects of age on fertility and pregnancy health.
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Chances Of Conceiving At Each Phase Of Your Menstrual Cycle
Even though most women ovulate well after their period ends, cycle length and ovulation can vary widely from person to person and even cycle to cycle.
Because it is unlikely that an egg will be released during or soon after your period, there is little to no chance that sperm introduced during your period will result in a pregnancy.
However, it is possible to get pregnant if you have sex around the time of when period and you ovulate very soon after your period ends. Despite the low chances, if you are trying to avoid pregnancy, it is still best to use contraception.
Also, having sex right after your period ends leads to low chances of getting pregnant. An egg is not technically released during this phase but having sperm in the correct place can be helpful if you ovulate earlier than expected.
According to doctors, just before and during your ovulation is the best time to conceive as that is when an egg is released and ready to be fertilized. After ovulation, you only have about one day for the egg to be fertilized.
Once your ovulation is over, the final portion of your cycle beings. Also known as the luteal phase, during this time, progesterone starts to rise. Your cervical mucus will dry up, which makes the vaginal tract less friendly to sperm.
What Is An Epidural
An epidural is an injection of local anesthetic given into the space around your spinal cord and nerves. It numbs the lower part of your body, giving you substantial relief from pain. Doctors use epidural injections for:
- Pain relief during childbirth, including cesarean sections
- Numbing the lower half of the body for surgery
- Pain relief after some types of surgery
- Pain relief for sciatica or slipped disc, in combination with steroid medicines.
Epidurals are also known as epidural anesthesia, epidural block, and regional anesthesia. Your doctor will inject local anesthetic drugs such as bupivacaine, chloroprocaine, or lidocaine. Sometimes, they combine these medicines with narcotics like fentanyl or sufentanil to decrease the required dose of local anesthetic. Epidurals start working 10 to 20 minutes after the first dose is given.
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When Is The Best Time To Try To Get Pregnant
Your menstrual cycle describes a series of changes that youll experience every month, triggered by the rise and fall of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. It can be split into two phases: the luteal and follicular phases. Their medical names can sound daunting, but theyre pretty easy to understand.
Day one of your menstrual cycle aligns with the first day of your period, and the last day is marked by the start of your next period. The average cycle is 28 days, but if yours is between 21 and 35 days, its still considered typical. You can track your period using an app like Flo to find out how long yours is.
While theres no golden day in your cycle where youre guaranteed to conceive , to understand the best time to get pregnant, it can be helpful to get into the nitty-gritty of what your hormones are doing before and after your period.
Best Time To Get Pregnant Before Your Period
The days after youve ovulated and before your next period begins are called the luteal phase. If you havent conceived, then your progesterone levels will slowly start to drop. This can trigger any premenstrual symptoms you experience .
Your estrogen levels will also drop, and this will eventually signal your next period to begin and a new menstrual cycle to start. Youre less likely to get pregnant during your luteal phase.
If you conceived during your fertile window, then your progesterone levels will remain high, creating an ideal environment for the fertilized egg to implant in the uterine lining and thrive.
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Cut Back On Strenuous Workouts
Being physically active most days of the week can help a woman’s body prepare for the demands of pregnancy and labor , and has been associated with a reduced risk of fertility problems, scientists reported in the March 2020 issue of the journalHuman Reproduction . But getting too much exercise or doing frequent strenuous workouts could interfere with ovulation,Live Science reported .
Doctors see a lot of menstrual disturbances in women who exercise heavilymeaning to the level of training for a marathon, for instance, or exercise equivalent to the training undertaken by Olympic athletes and a lot of times these women need to cut back on their workouts if they want to become pregnant, Pavone told Live Science.
Endometriosis is another common reproductive condition, affecting more than one in 10 women in the United States. It occurs when tissue found in the uterus grows in other parts of the body, such as the ovaries or fallopian tubes.
Even mild endometriosis can reduce fertility, while severe endometriosis can distort a woman’s pelvic anatomy and, for example, block her fallopian tubes, according to a 2015 study in The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of India .
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Is Missed Period For A Month Something Common
Missed period for a month is something common. If you have missed your period for a month, it can be due to many reasons.
It can happen because of stress and anxiety, irregular menstrual cycle, irregular ovulation, thyroid disorders, diabetes, PCOS , fibroids, endometriosis etc.
The best way to find out if you are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. If it comes out positive, you need to see a gynaecologist immediately and get examined with an ultrasound so that they can confirm whether it is an actual pregnancy.
This article was first published in theAsianparent.
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How Long Does It Usually Take To Get Pregnant
It’s impossible to say how long it takes to get pregnant because it’s different for each woman.
Many factors can affect a couple’s chances of conceiving, such as:
- your reproductive health
- how often you have sex
Some women become pregnant quickly, while others take longer. This may be upsetting, but it’s normal.
Causes Of A Missed Period
If youre worried that you might be pregnant, here are five other reasons for experiencing a missed period.
An imbalance of the thyroid hormones could also play havoc with your ovulation and menstrual cycle the first sign of that would be a missed period.
However, look for other signs such as rapid weight gain or weight loss, mood swings, hair falls, chronic fatigue and brain fog which are some prominent signs of a thyroid disorder.
What you can do: Get your T3, T4 and TSH levels tested and visit a general physician who could decipher the results for you.
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Changes In Body Temperature
When youve just ovulated, your body temperature may increase very slightly, by about half a degree Celsius. If youre using temperature as a means of keeping track of when you are most fertile, you need to use a special thermometer to take your temperature every morning before you get out of bed. If you record the readings every day using a graph or a spreadsheet, its possible to learn your pattern over time. The time when you are most fertile is 2 to 3 days before the rise in temperature.
