A question that doesn’t go away, especially among women trying to conceive or planning for pregnancy: What is the best day to get pregnant? In fact, it’s not such a simple topic to understand, but it’s not that complicated either. You just need to understand how YOUR cycle works, because based on that, we’ll discover the best time to get pregnant.
The best day to get pregnant is the one closest to ovulation. The day of ovulation is also a great day to conceive, but did you know the best chance is to have intercourse a few hours before ovulation? That’s because sperm can take from three to seven hours to reach the uterus1. So, the best day to get pregnant depends a lot on your partner’s body and yours as well, but generally, this is how it works.
So, let’s see: in regular cycles, theoretically it would be much easier to calculate the best day to get pregnant, because it would show us exactly the most fertile date. In a 30-day cycle, the most fertile day would be the 16th day of the cycle. In shorter cycles of 21 days, the most fertile day would be the 7th day of the cycle! That’s because, according to doctors, we must count 14 days before the next menstruation to find the day of ovulation. For example:
28-day cycles = 14th day of the cycle (most fertile day) 35-day cycles = 21st day of the cycle (most fertile day) 40-day cycles = 26th day of the cycle (most fertile day)
For irregular cycles the same math applies; the problem is that you never know exactly what day your period will come. Therefore, you should monitor your mucus, temperature, and also use methods to identify ovulation peaks2. Ovulation occurs after the LH hormone peak, about 12 to 24 hours later, so it’s a good idea to use ovulation tests to help find the most fertile day.
How to Find the Best Day to Get Pregnant in Irregular Cycles?
Basal temperature is also an ally for those with irregular cycles, as it can help you know exactly when the LH and estrogen peaks are, giving you time to have intercourse and let the sperm wait for the egg3. For those who don’t know, if the mucus is favorable and the gamete is healthy, sperm can survive for up to 72 hours in the fallopian tube waiting for the egg!
Of course, for this to happen, it’s necessary to be in good health and pay attention to both your partner’s diet and your mucus. Ovulation bleeding might appear after you’ve gone through the fertile window and that is normal. If it happens, you’ll know that your chances of getting pregnant are higher.
We can say that the best day to get pregnant is the day before ovulation (higher chance to conceive a girl) and on the day of ovulation itself (higher chance to conceive a boy). Some say the day after the most fertile day is also a good option to have intercourse—and it is! However, having intercourse after ovulation will give you lower chances of getting pregnant than having intercourse on or before the most fertile day. The ideal is to do the math properly, check your mucus, and go for it!
IMPORTANT TIPS: Let’s not forget that the fertile window lasts 7 days and during all of them pregnancy can happen, because you can ovulate at any moment, as long as the egg is mature, and according to some recent studies, the fertile window can vary from cycle to cycle in the same person and is not necessarily 14, 15, or 21 days before menstruation. Also, ideally, you should have intercourse every other day so you don’t miss your chance to get pregnant. Stay strong and keep up the effort, ladies!
See also: Female Fertile Window – How to Calculate the Right Day of Ovulation
