Ovulation and Conception

Trying to conceive is not only a matter of what you do, it?s also a question of “when you do it” and during 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 she starts her period.

A period occurs when the body sheds the lining of the womb that was prepared to accommodate a fertilised ovum (egg). If pregnancy does not occur, this lining is shed in the form of the bleeding that occurs during a period. Once that lining has been shed, the body builds itself up for the next possible pregnancy.

About fourteen days before the next period begins, which is about mid-way during the average cycle, ovulation occurs when an egg is released by the ovaries. If this egg is fertilised through sexual intercourse during this time, it will become embedded in the lining of the womb (which will have regrown by then) and will develop into a pregnancy. Therefore, if you are trying to get pregnant, you should schedule most of your lovemaking to occur during this most fertile time.

Ovulation Calendar

It is not always easy to work out when you are ovulating. Although some women?s periods work like clockwork, that is not true for most people. Therefore, you might need some help. To be more accurate, you use an ovulation calendar.

To use an ovulation calender correctly you need to be familiar with your own body, and many young women, for a variety of reasons, are not, or their periods are so irregular so you need to understand the symptoms of ovulation.

Ovulation Signs

To discover when your ovulation days fall, there are certain physical signs that you can look for:

• Raised basal temperature. When you ovulate, your temperature rises 0.4 degrees or more, and this stays 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 chart your ovulation period.
• Changes in the shape of your cervix. If you have never had a baby before, this might not be so easy to find, but by inserting a finger carefully into the 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 actually feel a slight pain at ovulation. In time, you may feel it too as you get to know your body. Others, though rare, even experience slight breakthrough bleeding.

Sex is not a Chore for Conception

Remember: when you are trying to conceive, don?t only schedule sex on ovulation days. This could turn it into a dull chore with only one objective in mind. Although it is obviously better to be together as much as possible at the most fertile times, just think of it as a time to show each other extra love, and continue to 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 that you have with your partner.