timing your best chances

In order to get pregnant, sperm must be present in a woman’s reproductive tract during her most fertile time. But in the span of an ovulation cycle, just when are you most fertile?

You are fertile more than just the one day a month because it takes the egg two to three days to travel through the fallopian tubes to the uterus and sperm can live in the female reproductive tract for 24 to 72 hours. Hence, your “fertile window” generally starts five days before ovulation until one to two days after ovulation. This corresponds to approximately 19 to 10 days before your next expected period. Use the ovulation calculator to find your fertile window, and build your fertility calendar over three months.

so when should we have sex?

It may be tempting to give up on the numbers and just have sex every day between your periods. But keep in mind that timing is more important than frequency. Although there’s no such thing as too much sex for couples wanting a child, it’s the days leading up to and during ovulation that are most crucial.

Not all women ovulate exactly on Day 14 from the beginning of a cycle, and your cycle can even vary month to month. So to cover your bases, it’s a good idea to have sex on Days 10, 12, 14 and 16 of your cycle. And having sex every other day, rather than every day, helps makes sure enough sperm are around to do the job. Keep in mind that while trying to conceive, “storing up” sperm is not a wise tactic for men. Two to five days’ abstinence between ejaculations ensures good sperm counts and motility in a fertile man.

To increase the chances of getting pregnant, refrain from using douches or lubricants immediately before having sex.

ovulation predictor kits

Ovulation predictor kits can also be used to predict the time of your peak fertility. These kits test levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine, which surges just before ovulation (usually 24 to 36 hours before ovulation). You are most likely to get pregnant in the 36 hours after this surge is detected.

To perform a test, you should collect urine at the same time each day. If it is not possible to test your urine immediately after it is collected, it may be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. However, if urine has been refrigerated, the sample should stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before you test it. Drinking should be avoided for one to four hours before you collect a sample to avoid diluting the urine.

Predictor kits are:

• Accurate: more accurate than charting your fertility signs, such as basal body temperatures and cervical mucus.
• Convenient: can be done in the privacy of your own home and available at most drug stores.
• Precise: able to predict ovulation as close as six hours before it happens, making it easier to time when you should have sex.
• Simple: only needs to be used mid-cycle, rather than daily.

However, predictors kits may also:

• Be expensive (kits cost between $20 and $50 per cycle) and testing may need to be repeated over several days.
• Miss the range of days if testing is started after ovulation has already occurred.
• Not work well for women with irregular cycles.
• Work better for women whose temperatures don't rise after ovulating.

• Not work well for women taking fertility drugs, many of which are hormone-based and thus may invalidate test results.