Trying to conceive is not just a matter of what you do, it is also a matter of “when you do it” and ovulation is the best time to conceive. This is because the female body is not constantly fertile all the time. Instead, every healthy woman goes through what is known as the fertility cycle, which begins when her period begins.
A period occurs when the body sheds the lining of the womb that was prepared to house a fertilized egg (ovum). If pregnancy does not occur, this lining is shed in the form of bleeding that occurs during a period. Once that lining has been removed, the body prepares for the next possible pregnancy.
About fourteen days before the next period begins, which is about the middle of the average cycle, ovulation occurs when the ovaries release an egg. If this egg is fertilized through sexual intercourse during this time, it will embed itself into the lining of the womb (which will have grown back by then) and become a pregnancy. Therefore, if you are trying to get pregnant, you should time most of your intercourse to occur during this most fertile period.
ovulation calendar
It’s not always easy to tell when you’re ovulating. Although some women’s periods work like clockwork, that’s not true for most people. Therefore, you may need help. To be more exact, you use an ovulation calendar.
To properly use an ovulation calendar, you need to be familiar with your own body, and many young women, for a variety of reasons, aren’t, or their periods are so irregular, that you need to understand the symptoms of ovulation.
ovulation signs
To find out when your ovulation days fall, there are certain physical signs you can look for:
- Elevated basal temperature. When you ovulate, your temperature rises 0.4 degrees or more, and this remains constant until the end of your cycle, when you menstruate again. Start taking your temperature with a sensitive thermometer from the first day of your period onwards, and after a couple of cycles you will be able to record your ovulation period.
- Changes in the shape of your cervix. If you’ve never had a baby before, it may not be as easy to find, but by carefully inserting a finger into your vagina, you can feel it there. At ovulation, it is softer and wetter than usual.
- Changes in cervical mucus. At this time, your cervical mucus becomes thinner, clearer, and more slippery than at any other time in your cycle.
- Other symptoms: Some women feel slight pain during ovulation. In time, you may feel it too as you get to know your body. Others, though rare, even experience light breakthrough bleeding.
Sex is not a task for conception
Remember: when you’re trying to conceive, don’t just time intercourse on the days you ovulate. This could make it a boring task with only one goal in mind. While it’s obviously best to be together as much as possible at your most fertile times, just think of it as a time to show each other more love and still be as spontaneous as you can. Hopefully, you will conceive a baby, and if you don’t, at least enjoy the extra closeness and love you have with your partner.