When is the Best Time to Conceive a Baby?
On average, the best time to conceive a baby is during the few days before and after ovulation. The reason why women can get pregnant before ovulation is because sperm can live inside the woman’s body for several days. After ovulation, the egg sticks around for 3 days or so, and if it is not fertilized, it is discarded. To estimate when ovulation will occur, a woman must have an idea of how many days she averages in a menstrual cycle. Twenty-eight days is average, but can easily fluctuate a few days either way. Generally speaking, the best time to conceive a baby is in the fertile week between the 10th and 17th day after the onset of menstruation.
A woman can more precisely determine when ovulation will begin by using a basal temperature charting system. This involves taking her temperature at around the same time every morning, using a basal thermometer. For the most part, her temperature should not fluctuate. However, right before ovulation, she will see a sharp increase (around .5 degrees.) Her temperature will remain elevated as long as the egg is intact. After the egg has been fertilized or destroyed, her temperature will go back to normal. By charting her temperature this way every day, she can see a pattern from month to month, helping to pinpoint the best time to conceive a baby.
The drawback of basal temperature charting is that is will not predict ovulation several days in advance. Instead, it will give you a strong indication that ovulation is imminent. However, by using both the counting and basal temperature methods, you can get a clear picture of your fertility window. Armed with this information, a couple needs to copulate as often as possible during this time.
Another way women determine the best time to conceive a baby is by checking the consistency of cervical mucus. Right before ovulation, the mucus will change, and you may see a dramatic increase in quantity. Furthermore, it will easily stretch between the fingertips, similar to egg whites. The reason for this is simple: cervical mucus carries the sperm through the uterus and to the fallopian tube, and this consistency functions to do just that. In summary, any of the above methods can help determine the best time to conceive, and when used in conjunction, can make conception very likely.
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