How to Figure Out Your Most Fertile Day for Conception
Motherhood is the best thing any woman can ever achieve. Nothing can equal the feel of having a baby inside you. Baby making is not difficult if you know the correct time to make it happen. The key is to look out for the natural signs given by your body which helps you identify the most fertile day for conception.
The Menstrual Cycle
Before we actually talk about the fertile period, it is important we learn about the menstrual cycle. When a girl baby is born, the number of eggs/ova that she will produce during her lifetime is already determined. After puberty, an egg matures every month and gets released.
The average length of a menstrual cycle is 28-29 days but differs from one woman to another and one month to another for the same woman. The menstrual cycle is controlled by different hormones in the body.
After menstruation or bleeding, the female system prepares itself, as always, to expect a baby. The hormones prepare the uterus to receive a baby while the ovary produces the egg. The process of release of egg is called ovulation. If fertilization occurs, that is, if the sperm fuses with the ovum, then all is well with the preparation for nurturing the baby. If fertilization does not happen, the linings of the walls of the uterus disintegrate and the next period starts.
The ideal time for conceiving is on the day of ovulation and a couple of days after ovulation.
The Fertility Window
The fertility Window is nothing but the time period during which you are most fertile. This is nothing but the days just before ovulation and the actual day of ovulation. The MAXIMUM window is five days before ovulation and the day of ovulation - 6 days but practically it is only 3 days. 2 days before ovulation and the day of ovulation.
Charting certain signs will help you identify the day of ovulation thus identifying the fertility window, maximizing the chances of conception.
Primary Fertility Signs
The primary fertility signs are
- Basal Body Temperature
- Cervical Mucus
BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE (BBT)
Basal body temperature can only be used as a sign to predict that ovulation has already happened and cannot be used as a sign to predict when ovulation will occur.
BBT is nothing but temperature at rest (just after a good night's sleep, early morning). BBT rises after ovulation due to hormonal changes. Measuring the BBT every day throughout a cycle will give you data of the day on which you ovulate in a cycle. Thus if you chart BBT consecutively for 2-3 cycles, you can clearly predict the day of ovulation in the next cycle.
Cervical Mucus (CM)
Cervical Mucus is a fluid produced by the cervix. At the beginning of the cycle, the CM is scant or dry. As you enter the fertility window, the CM becomes Egg White which provides nourishment to sperm and helps in fertilization.
You can check the CM internally or externally based on your comfort. The CM will clearly indicate the day of ovulation.
Additional Signs to look out for
There are other signs that you can look out for - ovulation pain, breast tenderness, sex drive changes, abdominal pain, lower back pain, intermenstrual bleeding or spotting, complexion changes etc.
These signs are not consistent and can vary from one woman to another. You can use these signs to identify your pattern and cross check with primary signs. These thus help you identify the days on which the chances to conceive are high.
