Optimal Timing: When Is the Best Time to Get Pregnant?

Knowing how ovulation works and being able to calculate your fertile window will go a long way when trying to time sex or fertility methods to get pregnant. While you can technically get pregnant anytime you want, your chances of getting pregnant will increase if you time your period around your fertile window.

Ovulation usually occurs around day 12 to 14 of a 28-day cycle, but it varies from person to person depending on the length of their cycle. It can even vary from cycle to cycle!

An ovulated egg is only capable of fertilization for 12 to 24 hours after it is released from the ovary, but with the help of cervical mucus, sperm can survive in the female reproductive tract for up to 5 days. Since it is almost impossible to pinpoint the exact moment of ovulation, having sex before ovulation (as opposed to during it) can increase your chances of getting pregnant by getting your sperm ready to wait for the egg.

Your fertile window is basically the five days before ovulation. To calculate it, you need to determine when your menstrual cycle begins (as in the first day of your period). From there, determine the length of your cycles.

Of course, not everyone’s cycles are always the same, which can make it difficult to calculate your fertile window. Ovulation prediction kits can be helpful, but they aren’t always completely accurate.

You can track ovulation using a calendar, and some tools use physiological changes like body temperature, cervical mucus, or hormone levels. Here are a few methods you might consider.

Research shows that the best day to have sex or use fertility treatment to get pregnant is the day you see your most fertile cervical mucus. Fertile cervical mucus is a vaginal discharge that resembles raw egg white. This type of discharge, which is clear, stretchy, and slippery, is healthy and normal and usually occurs in the days leading up to ovulation. It’s relatively easy to spot once you know what to look for.

Cervical mucus improves sperm motility (movement) and helps them survive their journey to the uterus. The more sperm that survive and travel to your fallopian tubes to meet the eggs released during ovulation, the greater the chance of fertilization.

Ovulation predictor tests   work similarly to pregnancy tests, except they tell you when you’re likely to ovulate. They come in the form of test strips or test strips that react with your urine. To use them, you urinate into a cup and then dip the test strip into the collected urine. You’ll receive a result based on color changes or a digital reading. 

Home ovulation tests detect luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine. LH increases just before ovulation, so when the test is positive, it means your body is trying to release an egg from your ovary and it’s probably the best time to get pregnant.

Basal body temperature charting   involves taking your body temperature every morning before you wake up. Your basal body temperature is your body temperature at complete rest, and hormone levels affect this temperature. 

The hormone progesterone raises your body temperature. Progesterone increases after ovulation, so if your basal body temperature rises and stays high for at least a few days, it means you probably ovulated just before you noticed the rise.

There are many online and smartphone apps that track ovulation cycles. The more accurate ones will ask you to enter your basal body temperature or changes in your cervical mucus, but if your menstrual cycles are very regular, a simple calendar-based app can help you determine when your most fertile days are. You need to enter the time of your period so the app can figure out your cycle and tell you when you’re likely to ovulate.

First and foremost, it’s important to know that the frequency of sex when trying to get pregnant is really up to you and your comfort level. That said, experts recommend that you don’t have sex more than once a day. It may seem like more sex means a better chance of getting pregnant, but in reality, too much sex can actually reduce your healthy sperm count.

For those who want to get pregnant through sex, consider the following tips:

If you can easily track and detect ovulation, you can be sure to have sex during your most fertile time. When:

If you chart your basal body temperature, you can know the approximate day you ovulated each month—but only after that. In this case, you should have sex three days before ovulation and possibly on the day you expect to ovulate.

It’s also a good idea to have sex regularly throughout your cycle if you want to. This can help give you time to enjoy sex without having to go on a mission to raise children.

While some people feel empowered by tracking ovulation, others may feel anxious and overwhelmed by it all. Regardless of which ovulation tracking method you choose—checking your temperature every morning, using ovulation strips, checking your saliva for fertilization, checking your cervical mucus, or all of the above—paying close attention to your cycles and signs of ovulation can be emotionally draining.

If timing sex for ovulation causes anxiety, you can rely on regular sex instead. In these cases, experts recommend having sex every other day of the week, especially in the middle of your typical cycle. By following this schedule, you should have sex at least once during your fertile window, even without tracking your cycle.

When you’re trying to get pregnant, it’s easy to overcomplicate things. It’s true that you’re more likely to get pregnant if you have sex or undergo fertility treatment during your fertile window, but it’s also true that if you have sex frequently throughout the month, you’re more likely to eventually get pregnant.

There is a lot of pressure online in fertility support groups to make the most of ovulation tracking methods. Tracking your cycles can be helpful, informative, and even fun, but it can also be stressful. Do what feels best for you. If you don’t get pregnant after a year of trying (or six months if you’re over 35), it’s important to contact your healthcare provider.