When trying to conceive, we all know that timing is everything. Getting that perfect egg and sperm to meet at the perfect moment is literally how conception occurs. So, how can you be sure of the timing in order to increase your chances at getting pregnant each month? By tracking your period and ovulation, you can better improve your chances at conceiving by timing intercourse correctly, as well as knowing the length of your luteal phase, which is a very important phase during conception.
When are my most fertile days each month?
Your fertile window, often referred to as your high fertility days, is the time period in which you are most likely to get pregnant and includes the 5 days leading up to ovulation, ovulation day, and the day after. Although the egg can only survive up to 24 hours after ovulation occurs, sperm can actually live for up to 5 days in the female reproductive tract which is why the fertile window spans those 5 days.
This time period during your cycle is the best time to be “Baby Dancing”, or timing intercourse in order to give the sperm plenty of time to travel to the fallopian tubes and wait for that egg so that the fertilization process can begin. Although it’s important to time sex during the fertile window, the two most important days to have intercourse are on your LH peak day and on ovulation day.
Ovulation tests are highly recommended to accurately find your fertile window, your most fertile days.
Identifying your fertile window takes practice! You’ll have to track your cycles for a few months to really learn when ovulation takes place in order to discover your predicted fertile window that is unique to your hormones and cycle. Tracking ovulation can be done by using LH testing kits which are a very simple, inexpensive but highly recommended method of tracking. When paired with the Premom app, your predicted fertile window, which are your most fertile days, becomes very easy to identify.
You can start testing after the end of your period once per day using your second-morning urine between the hours of 10 am-8 pm. About 24-36 hours before ovulation, your LH level will spike and become detectable in urine when using LH tests. Once you have found your peak reading, you can time sex the day of your peak and the next to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
Why do I need to use ovulation tests to track my cycle?
After ovulation comes the luteal phase, otherwise known as the two-week wait. This is the second half of your cycle where fertilization and implantation take place and should be a fixed length ranging from about 10-14 days long. The luteal phase is a very important phase since this is when tiny life begins! A short or irregular luteal phase can make it harder to conceive or maintain a healthy pregnancy.
Once you start your period, a new cycle begins, which means the prior cycle is complete. By tracking your ovulation and your period, you can identify the length of your luteal phase and possibly identify any issues that can be discussed with your medical provider.
Tracking your period also allows you to know when a new cycle starts and the length of your follicular phase, which is the first half of your cycle leading up to ovulation. Although this phase can vary a little each cycle, by tracking your period you can identify when to start LH testing.
The Premom app keeps track of your period in an easy-to-read format and goes hand in hand with the Easy@Home LH tests for ovulation tracking. The app was designed to read your LH test results and give you an accurate representation of where you are in your cycle and when to time sex for your best chances at conception. Be sure to download the Premom app and start tracking your cycles today!
References
Soumpasis I, Grace B, Johnson S. Real-life insights on menstrual cycles and ovulation using Big Data. Human reproduction open. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7164578/. Published April 16, 2020.
