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How do I track my ovulation cycle to get pregnant?

The process of ovulation involves the release of an egg from your ovaries. You are potentially fertile from the five days prior to ovulation and the actual day of ovulation; the days just before ovulation are usually the most fertile, but timing sex does not guarantee pregnancy.

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How do you track your ovulation cycle?

If you have a regular menstrual cycle, it becomes easy to track your ovulation. There are multiple ways of doing this – using an ovulation calendar, ovulation predictor kit, an ovulation calculator or watching out for ovulation symptoms. If you are tracking your cycle to fall pregnant, check out our article on the 12 things to do when trying to fall pregnant to get an overview.

1. Ovulation Calendar and Calculator

In a 28-day cycle, day 1 is the first day of your period. Ovulation may happen around day 14, but this is only an estimate and can vary between cycles.

Calendar estimates cannot confirm when you ovulate, even if your periods are regular. An ovulation calculator estimates your fertile days from your usual cycle length. It cannot confirm ovulation or guarantee the timing is right.

2. Ovulation Predictor Test

An Clearblue Digital Ovulation Kit (10 ovulation tests and 1 pregnancy test, Amazon Australia) checks the hormone levels which increase right before you are about to ovulate to indicate the fertile period. Urine ovulation tests detect a rise in luteinising hormone, which usually happens before ovulation. Follow the instructions for your test. A positive result does not prove that an egg has been released.

 

3. Ovulation Symptoms

If you have regular periods you may notice a certain pattern right before you ovulate. This pattern will include changes in cervical mucus, increased body basal temperature, reduced cervical firmness and spotting and cramping at times.

The hormone progesterone increases in the body post ovulation, an increased level of this hormone increases your Body Basal Temperature thus, indicating that you have ovulated. Use a basal thermometer and make sure your body is well rested when you check. Post ovulation till you get your next period, your BBT will go up by 0.5 to 1 degree Fahrenheit. This method is not an indicator of when you are about to ovulate but that you have ovulated hence, this must be observed with other indicators like change in cervix and cervical mucus.

Your cervical mucus will resemble egg whites – stretchy, slippery and clear just before ovulation indicating that you are highly fertile and the chances of intercourse leading to conception are high.

The texture of your cervix becomes soft, open and wet as you are about to ovulate. Post that it goes back to being firm and dry.

If you are looking at conceiving you may have a million questions about when is the right rime. Can you get pregnant 3 days before ovulation, or Can you get pregnant 3 days after ovulation? Can you get pregnant before ovulation or can you get pregnant after ovulation?  Timing is extremely important.  

How often should you have sex during your fertile window?

Ideally you should have sex everyday or every other day, the highest pregnancy rates occur amongst couples who follow this pattern.

You may have heard that certain positions ensure conception, however, scientifically this has not been proven. There is no direct correlation between a sexual position and increasing the odds of conception.

What is the best time within the cycle to fall pregnant?

 

Can you get pregnant 3 days before or 3 days after ovulation? 

If you are looking at conceiving you may have a million questions about when is the right rime. Can you get pregnant 3 days before ovulation? Can you get pregnant 3 days after ovulation? Can you get pregnant before ovulation or can you get pregnant after ovulation?  Timing is extremely important.  

Why is this the most fertile window?

The key to getting pregnant is having sex at the right time – the most fertile time. For those who have regular periods, you need to start having sex three days before ovulation including the day of ovulation. This is the most fertile window because after your ovulation, your egg survives in your fallopian tube for about 12 to 24 hours and even though sperm stays for up to 5 days, fertilisation depends on sperm meeting an egg while the egg is still viable.

What if I have an irregular menstrual cycle?

For those with irregular menstrual cycles, it may be difficult to determine the most fertile period; in that case it is often simpler to have sex every two to three days throughout the cycle, if that suits you both. This can help cover a fertile window that is hard to predict.

Just ensuring the timing is right isn’t enough, you need to be sure that your partner’s semen contains healthy sperm. Go through this article which highlights some of the early signs of pregnancy you should look out for.

Hands beside an open blank journal and pencil on a sunlit timber desk.

What if my periods are regular but I am not falling pregnant?

Regular periods do not rule out a fertility problem. There can be several reasons why pregnancy has not happened, and assessment can involve both partners.

Speak with your GP if you have been trying for 12 months, or after 6 months if you are 35 or older. Seek advice sooner if your periods are irregular or absent, or you have a known fertility concern. Read Australian fertility guidance.

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