Ovulation & fertile window

Ovulation, when an ovary releases an egg, usually happens 10–16 days before your next period. You're most likely to get pregnant from sex in the few days before it and on the day itself. The exact date moves around from cycle to cycle, so a calendar can only give you a rough guess.

Which days can I get pregnant?

An egg lives for 12–24 hours after it's released. Sperm last longer: usually up to 5 days, sometimes up to 7. So the fertile window is usually about 6 days long, from 5 days before ovulation to the day after it.

Why isn't ovulation always on day 14?

Only 13% of cycles are exactly 28 days long, so “day 14” fits few people. In a 24-day cycle ovulation usually comes earlier, and in a 35-day cycle much later. Most of the difference builds up in the days before ovulation.

How can I tell ovulation is coming?

A few days before ovulation you'll usually notice more discharge. It's clear, slippery and stretchy, like raw egg white. Many people also feel a dull ache or sharp twinges on one side of the lower belly, lasting from a few minutes to 1–2 days.

A little light bleeding or pinkish discharge around ovulation can happen too. Some people feel nothing at all, and that's normal as well: you can't pin down ovulation by feel anyway.

How often should we have sex to get pregnant?

The most relaxed approach is sex every 2–3 days throughout the cycle, so the fertile days are covered anyway. If you're tracking tests or discharge, every day or every other day during those days works too.

More than half of healthy couples get pregnant within the first six months of trying. When the woman is under 40 and they have sex every 2–3 days, more than 8 in 10 couples conceive within a year.

Source: ACOG: Fertility awareness-based methods

Educational content; it does not replace professional medical advice.

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