The female body is truly miraculous, as it can create new life; however, sometimes, creating a new life can be a challenging feat. Some women have no trouble conceiving, while other women attempt to get pregnant for years without ever succeeding. Whether you’re thinking about starting a family for the first time and you want to increase your chances of conception or you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a while now but haven’t had any luck, figuring out when you’re most fertile – and therefore, when you’re most likely to conceive – can certainly be helpful.

When Are You Most Likely to Get Pregnant?

You’re most fertile and thus, the best chance of getting pregnant when you’re ovulating. During ovulation, an egg is released from your ovary, and if sperm meets up with the egg, it can become fertilized, and a baby can be conceived. In other words, if you’re trying to start a family, the best time to have sex is when you’re ovulating. This is because it is during the ovulation phase of your menstrual cycle that you are most likely to get pregnant.

But how do you know when you’re ovulating? Learning the signs and becoming familiar with your body will certainly help your chances of getting pregnant.

Get to Know Your Menstrual Cycle

Women are most likely to get pregnant when they are ovulating. As discussed, during ovulation, an egg is released from your ovary and if a male’s sperm meets up with the egg, it can become fertilized, and you will become pregnant.

Ovulation usually occurs roughly 12 to 16 days before you are due to start your period. Therefore, if you want to have a baby, charting your menstrual cycle and having sex during this period will increase the chances that you will conceive.

It should also be noted that sperm can remain active within your body for up to five days, which means that you can get pregnant for several days after you’ve had sex.

Understanding the Signs You’re Ovulating

If your period is irregular (a lot of women’s are, for various reasons), trying to pinpoint exactly when you’re ovulating can be tough, as you won’t know exactly when your next period should occur. The female body does show signs of ovulation, so if you’re irregular, familiarizing yourself with these signs can help you determine when you’re most fertile.

The following are some of the common physical signs of ovulation:

Tender breasts

Breast tenderness is a surefire sign that you’re ovulating. The hormones your body produces during this phase of your cycle can make your breasts feel tender to the touch.

Cramping

During ovulation, you may notice a sharp pain in the lower portion of your abdominal region. This pain, known as “mittelschmerz” (German for “middle pain”) can occur in the days before ovulation and feels like sharp cramps.

Increased basal body temperature (BBT)

Your BBT is your body temp when you’re at rest, and it usually increases a bit during ovulation.

Change in the position of your cervix

During ovulation, your cervix will move higher up into your vagina. It will become softer and it will open a bit, too. When you aren’t ovulating, your cervix will sit lower, it will be harder, and it will be more tightly sealed.

If you’re experiencing one or more of these physical signs of ovulation, it’s likely that you’re at the most fertile part of your cycle.

Ovulation Tests

You can also use an ovulation predictor kit to determine when you’re fertile. These kits can be purchased over-the-counter and they work similarly to home pregnancy tests.

Simply urinate into a cup and dip the stick or test strip into it or urinate directly onto the stick or test strip. If you’re fertile, one of the two lines on the test will appear darker than the other line, meaning that you’re ovulating and fertile.

Increase Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

Becoming familiar with your body and using over-the-counter ovulation test kits can all be effective ways to determine when you’re most fertile – and when you’re most likely to get pregnant. If you have questions, seek advice from your gynecologist, who should be able to provide you with helpful information.

Learn more: How Can I Increase My Fertility Naturally?

Will Acupuncture Help Me Get Pregnant?

Southlake Natural Family Wellness

Our mission is to support the health and well-being of our patients by offering individualized, comprehensive holistic care including acupuncture, herbal recommendations, customized nutritional counseling, allergy elimination (NAET), whole food supplements, lifestyle suggestions, moxibustion, and cupping, as well as helping couples get pregnant and STAY pregnant by supporting all the paths to conception.

About Farrah Hamraie

Farrah Hamraie, L.Ac, MOM, Dipl.OM (NCCAOM), is licensed and board-certified in Acupuncture and Herbal medicine in the State of Texas with a Masters of Oriental Medicine from the Dallas College of Oriental Medicine. She is also a Diplomat of NCCAOM (the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), a Board Certified Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist, and a member of the American Association of Oriental Medicine.