You can only get pregnant during a short window each month. The hard part is figuring out when exactly that is. Once your egg is released, it has about 24 hours to get fertilized before it dissolves.
However, sperm can live inside a woman for up to 5 days. From about 5 days before ovulation through the day of ovulation is your fertile window. The trick is determining when you're going to ovulate. There are three basic methods for estimating ovulation:
1. Calendar method
The calendar method is the easiest. Simply start with the day you expect to get your next period and count back 14 days to estimate when you'll ovulate.
2. Charting method
Chart ovulation symptoms over time to see if there's a pattern. Changes in your basal body temperature, cervical mucus, and cervix are the most common symptoms.
3. Ovulation predictor kit
Ovulation predictor kits can be purchased over the counter. They test for a hormone that signals ovulation will happen soon.
If you can't pinpoint ovulation, try having sex every 2 to 3 days during the middle 2 weeks of your cycle.
Talk to your doctor if: you're under 35 and have been trying for more than a year without success, or you're 35 or older and have been trying for 6 months without success.
Good luck and baby dust!
- 5750 views
