How do you know when your fertile window is open?

How do you know when your fertile window is open?

Determining your fertile window and understanding your cycle is very important as it’ll guide you to know when your ovulation and fertile window occurs. If you’re trying to get pregnant, the fertile window is the best time to have sex for fertilisation and conception.

This guide will help you know how to establish your fertile window and increase the odds of conceiving.

What is a fertile window?

The fertile window is the period within the day an egg is released from ovary (ovulation) and five days beforehand when pregnancy is possible. The fertile window depends on the length of your menstruation cycle which varies from one woman to the other and from one month to the other.

The reason why the fertile window period is important as eggs and sperm only live for a short while. The egg can only be fertilised within 24 hours after release from the ovary and sperm can only survive for about five days. Sperm and egg have to come into contact at the right time for fertilisation to form an embryo.

Ovulation and conception

Ovulation is the process where a mature egg is released from ovary. The egg moves to the fallopian tube to be fertilised. If there’s a sperm available when the egg is released, fertilisation takes place leading to creation of an embryo that grows into a baby.

Pregnancy is thus possible only if you have sex during ovulation or five days before ovulation, (three days before ovulation has been found more affective). Having sex after ovulation means there are no chances of getting pregnant.

How to calculate fertile window

The first thing is to establish the length of your menstruation cycle and on average a woman cycle’s is 28-30 days. In this case, we will use 28 days as we try to establish the theoretical time of ovulation and fertile window.

Menstrual cycle phases…

Different things usually go on in your uterus and ovaries during various menstrual cycle phases.

Menses phase…

This is the first phase of menstruation cycle and it starts on the first day of menstruation (this phase typically lasts for 5 days).

This process starts with the release of the egg from the previous cycle when fertilisation and pregnancy didn’t take place. It involves elimination of the thickened lining of the uterus (endometrium) from the body through the vagina. The menstrual fluid consists of mucus, cells from the lining of uterus and blood.

Symptoms experienced during this period include:

• Low back pain
• Cramps
• Bloating
• Mood swings
• Irritability
• Breast tenderness
• Headache
• Tiredness

Follicular phase…

This phase overlaps with the menses cycle as it starts on the first day of menstruation and ends during ovulation (day 13).

Basically, hypothalamus signals the pituitary glands to release follicle-stimulating hormone. This hormone stimulates ovaries to produce 2 -5 follicles and each follicle contains several immature eggs.

Only the healthiest egg in the follicle matures and in rare circumstances, two of them might mature which leads to twins. The rest of the follicles are reabsorbed into the body.

During this period, estrogen levels increases and this prompts the uterine wall to thicken, creating a nutrient-rich environment for embryo growth. This is done in preparation for a possible pregnancy.

Ovulation phase…

Ovulation occurs in the mid of the cycle, that is usually the 14th day of the menstruation cycle and about two weeks to the next cycle.

Developing follicles causes a rise in the levels of estrogen. This triggers the pituitary glands to release luteinizing hormone which induces the ovulation process.

The mature egg released by one ovary during ovulation travels through the fallopian tube towards the uterus to be fertilised by a sperm. This is the theoretical fertile window and it’s only the time during menstruation cycle when pregnancy can occur.

To cover the fertile window, five days before ovulation are included since sperm can survive for five days awaiting an egg for fertilisation. The fertile window can be extended past ovulation only for a day since this is the only duration the egg can survive after release.

Learning when ovulation theoretically occurs and the fertile window is important if you’re looking to conceive. It’s advisable to have sex one day before ovulation and one day after to increase chances of conception. With this, the egg is likely to meet with the sperm in the fallopian tube for fertilisation and work its way into the thick endometrium for implantation.

Luteal phase…

This occurs immediately after ovulation and typically lasts from day 15 to day 28. After the follicle releases its egg, it converts into corpus luteum which releases progesterone and little estrogen. The rise in hormones causes the uterine lining to continue thickening and ready for implantation.

In case you’re pregnant, your body will produce human chorionic gonadotropin. This is the hormone that is usually detected by pregnancy tests. It helps to keep the uterine wall thick and maintain the corpus luteum.

If you’re not pregnant, the corpus luteum shrinks and gets resorbed. This leads to a decrease in levels of progesterone and estrogen which causes the onset of menstruation. During menstruation, the uterine wall is also shed.

Tips for tracking ovulation

There are several methods used to determine when your ovulation takes place as well as the fertile window.

Monitoring cervical mucus

During ovulation, the cervical mucus increases in volume and it becomes more clear and slippery compared to other times of the cycle.

Ovulation predictor kits

Ovulation predictor kits use a urine test to establish your fertile window by monitoring the luteinising levels which increase roughly 36 hours before ovulation.

Fertility monitors

The estrogen and luteinizing hormone levels are monitored using ovulation calculators to determine when you’re most fertile.

Charting body basal temperatures

The woman’s basal temperature rises during ovulation by two-tenths of a degree. Taking your basal body temperature every day will help you establish the time you usually ovulate.

Visiting a doctor

Blood tests are done to determine progesterone levels thus confirming ovulation. Pelvic ultrasound can also be done to monitor ovulation.

Signs of ovulation

There are several signs you may encounter during ovulation. They include:

• Breast tenderness
• Bloating
• Light spotting
• Clear cervical mucus
• A rise in body basal temperature
• Cramping in your side

Overview…

Timing is everything if you’re looking to get pregnant. Track your cycle to establish when your fertile window is open. Knowing the various phases of your cycle: menstruation, follicle, ovulation and luteal phase and the symptoms associated with each phase helps you estimate your fertile window more accurately.