
There is no "best time" or "best day" per se. Understanding your menstrual cycle is key because the right time to conceive is when you are ovulating. Research shows that you can increase your chances of having sex:
Do you want to know when you can get pregnant and how you can schedule your sexual intercourse? MomJunction is here to explain you about ovulation and the various factors that could affect your chances of pregnancy. We also share some tips to improve your fertility.
Having sex during the six-day fertile window, the five days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation, is very effective in getting pregnant (1).
Now, let's understand how sex during ovulation would work to help you conceive:
Fertile window: Sperm can live within a woman's reproductive tract for three to five days, but an egg can live for only 12 to 24 hours. That is why the egg must be fertilized within this period of time. Also, newly ejaculated sperm cannot fertilize the egg until it undergoes capacitation (a series of changes that occur within a woman's reproductive tract to make the sperm more mobile and penetrate through the egg) (2) . This process generally takes about 10 hours. The five days before ovulation are therefore important for the sperm to fertilize the egg.
There is a belief that the day of ovulation is the best day to conceive. Researchers have studied the relationship between the timing of intercourse and ovulation to find which days would be the most fertile for a woman to conceive. Research findings in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine say that the day of ovulation is not the best day to conceive. So when am I fertile?
1. Sex one day before ovulation
The day before ovulation is one of the best days to conceive compared to the day of ovulation. This is mainly because the sperm has enough time to undergo the training process and is therefore mature enough to reach and fertilize the egg.
2. Sex two days before ovulation
Two days before ovulation is also a good time for conception. In fact, you are more likely to get pregnant if you have sex two days before ovulation than the day before.
3. Sex three to four days before ovulation
By having sex three to four days before ovulation, you will have a greater chance of getting pregnant compared to having sex on the day of ovulation.
4. Sex five days before ovulation
The first day of the fertile window is also ideal, but it is less effective than the remaining four days before ovulation.
In short, two days before ovulation and the day of ovulation are the most fertile days of your menstrual cycle.
To determine your ovulation period, you need to try the ovulation calculator.
Thanks for these knowledge...I thought it was a day or two days before ovulation...I know that it can be five days before ovulation