Time and again I have been in a consult with a new patient or couple, trying to get to the bottom of why they haven’t been able to successfully conceive. And then I hear this:
“Yup, I’m ovulating about cycle day 14, I know because I’m using an Ovulation Predictor Kit. And as soon as we get the positive we make sure to have sex that night.”
This always saddens me, because if a couple is waiting until they get a positive on their OPK, then they are missing half, or maybe even 2/3rds of their fertility window. Ouch.
Studies have shown that a woman’s fertility window, meaning the time during which sex can result in pregnancy, begins 4 days before ovulation and goes until the day after ovulation. Other sources (ASRM) say it begins 5 days before ovulation and ends the day of ovulation. Either way – it’s 6 days long – not 1 day long! So waiting until the day of ovulation to have intercourse can greatly diminish your chances of conception.
This means that a woman with a 28 day cycle is probably ovulating about Cycle Day 14. However, sometimes a woman’s cycle can vary from month to month, so it’s generally a good idea to keep track of your cycles for a few months and estimate if ovulation is occurring the same day every cycle, or if it’s varying a little. Let’s use the following example, which I personally see a lot in the clinic:
- 27-29 day cycle
- Ovulation is occurring CD13-15
- Fertile Window is possibly CD 8-16
You can see in this example that if you have a month where you ovulated “early” on CD 13, if you wait until CD 14 to have sex, then you may have completely missed your chances of conceiving.
Bottom line – track your cycle and become more familiar with it. For starters track:
- Length of cycle
- Cycle days you get a + with your OPK
- Cycle days you see good cervical mucus (clear, stretchy, and hopefully profuse). Remember, we usually begin to see cervical mucus at the beginning of our fertile window. So when you see that nice stretchy, clear mucus, it’s time to get busy!
- Begin tracking your basal body temperatures for more information
Part of the fertility journey includes becoming more familiar with your body. So begin to take control and look for these clues during your next cycle. Your body is trying to talk to you, you just need to listen.
If you found this blog helpful, please share it with others through social media or email. Until next time, keep dreaming!
– Misty M. Reed