What is the right time to get pregnant?

When you are trying to get pregnant, timing is the key. You can do everything right in the bed to maximise your chances of conceiving, but if your timing is not in sync with your ovulation cycle then all efforts will go in vain. Each month you get a brief window to conceive and if you miss the opportunity you will have to wait until the next one. While nobody can assure when you can really get pregnant, you can increase your odds of success by making some changes in the timing and frequency of your lovemaking sessions.

Women are most likely to get pregnant at the most fertile point of their monthly menstrual cycle. The fertile window is normally six days- five days before ovulation and the day of ovulation. The phase is referred to as most fertile on the basis of the fact that sperm can survive in a woman's reproductive tract for 5 days and egg can be fertilised only between 12 to 24 hours after it is released from one of the ovaries. During ovulation, your ovary releases a mature egg, which travels way down the fallopian tube to the uterus. On its way to the fallopian tube, the sperm may meet it and fertilize the egg.

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a majority of pregnancies result from having sex in this period. The likelihood of conceiving is 10 per cent five days before the ovulation and 33 per cent on the day of ovulation. Surprisingly, the chances of conceiving drop to zero a day after the ovulation as the egg can only be fertilised between 12 to 24 hours after being released from the ovaries. After this one has to wait for the next ovulation cycle to try to get pregnant. In most cases, lack of knowledge about the ovulation cycle and signs of ovulation creates an obstacle in conceiving.

When you are planning to get pregnant, it is crucial to know about the ovulation cycle. If your period is regular it is easy to track when you are ovulating. Ovulation usually occurs about 14 days before your next period. In the case of irregular periods, it may differ from one or two days. You can easily calculate the timing based on your period or can look for physical signs of ovulation. Watery vaginal secretions and pain on one side of the pelvis are two common signs of ovulation. Several apps are also available that can help to track the ovulation cycle based on your last periods. Another way to detect if you are ovulating is by keeping a track of the basal body temperature. Women have to measure temperature first thing in the morning and then look for any fluctuation in it. A slight increase in body temperature can be a sign of ovulation.

Each time men ejaculate they release nearly 100 million sperm and unprotected sex before and on the day of ovulation could result in a pregnancy. As far as the position is concerned no particular sex position has been proven to increase the chances of women to conceive. But missionary (man on top) and doggie-style positions (the man behind) allow for deeper penetration.