Best Time to Conceive

If you and your partner have decided to start a family then timing your sexual intercourse is one of the biggest steps towards getting pregnant. This is because female fertility is dependent on a monthly cycle, which revolves around what is commonly known as the period. This article will discuss why when you have sex is important to having a baby.

The monthly menstrual cycle

The monthly cycle, properly known as the menstrual cycle, is specific to women and dictates when the body is most fertile. This cycle involves a number of changes in the female body, each of which is a consequence of the presence of certain hormones. The most well known of these hormones are oestrogen and progesterone, and the levels of these determines in which part of the cycle you will find yourself. As far as getting pregnant is concerned, the point in the cycle referred to as ‘ovulation’ is when women are at their most fertile, meaning that if you are looking to conceive this is the ideal time to have intercourse.

What does ‘ovulation’ mean?

‘Ovulation’ is the medical term for the point during the menstrual cycle at which an egg is released from the ovaries in which eggs are stored. The cycle is called the monthly cycle because it is about a month (28 days) long, and ovulation will occur somewhere between 10 and 16 days before the beginning of a period.

How do I find out when I am ovulating?

There are a number of ways to determine when you are ovulating. The simplest is perhaps through an over the counter prediction kit which can tell you whether or not it is that particular time of the month. The kit works by measuring hormone levels, and through this determines whether or not you are ovulating.

An alternative method is through calendars designed to map out your monthly cycle. These use the timing of your periods to deduce when you are most likely to be ovulating, and as such are perhaps less accurate than the over the counter kits. That being said they are also extremely convenient, particularly as these days they are available digitally as mobile phone applications.

Remember though, that even if you are timing intercourse perfectly it is perfectly normal to take some time to get pregnant, and you shouldn’t worry if you don’t get pregnant straight after intercourse during an ovulation.

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