Guide

Trying to conceive

You can get pregnant on about six days per cycle: the five days before ovulation and the day of ovulation itself. Having sex every two to three days covers that window without tracking anything. About 8 in 10 couples conceive within a year, and most within the first six months.

Your fertile window

An egg lives for about a day after ovulation, but sperm can survive up to five days. That makes the two to three days before ovulation the best moment. In a 28 day cycle ovulation is often around day 14, but in real cycles it moves, so a calculator gives a starting point, not a promise.

How to spot ovulation

Signs include clear, stretchy discharge like raw egg white, a small rise in basal body temperature after ovulation, and sometimes a twinge on one side of your belly. Ovulation tests detect the LH surge one to two days before ovulation. Combining two signs gives the clearest picture.

How often to have sex

Every two to three days through the whole cycle is enough, and it takes the pressure off timing. If you know your fertile days, having sex daily or every other day in that window works too. Lying down afterwards or certain positions make no proven difference.

Before you start

Start taking 400 micrograms of folic acid a day, ideally three months before you try, and keep going until week 12 of pregnancy. Stop smoking, cut out alcohol and talk to your doctor about any medication you take. A healthy weight helps fertility for both partners.

When to see a doctor

See your GP if you have not conceived after a year of regular sex, or after six months if you are 36 or older. Go sooner if your periods are very irregular or absent, or if you or your partner know of a fertility problem.

Know your fertile days every cycle

PERIOD. learns from your own cycles and shows your fertile days, ovulation tests and symptoms in one place, then moves with you into pregnancy. The #1 period tracker that doesn't sell your data, rated 4.8 by 100,000+ women.

4.8on the App Store

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Calculators that help

Questions

How long does it take to get pregnant?

About 1 in 3 couples conceive in the first month, 8 in 10 within a year and 9 in 10 within two years. Age matters: fertility slowly drops from the early thirties and faster after 35.

When is the best time to have sex to get pregnant?

In the two to three days before ovulation and on the day itself. If you do not know when you ovulate, sex every two to three days covers it.

Can I get pregnant right after my period?

It is possible, especially with a short cycle. Sperm can live up to five days, so sex at the end of your period can lead to pregnancy if you ovulate early.

When should I take a pregnancy test?

From the first day of your missed period most tests are reliable. Testing earlier can give a negative result even if you are pregnant, because there is not enough hCG yet.

Do ovulation tests work?

They detect the LH surge that comes one to two days before ovulation, which helps you time sex. They work less well if your cycles are very irregular or with conditions like PCOS.

Which app helps when trying to conceive?

PERIOD. predicts your fertile days from your own cycles, lets you log ovulation tests, temperature and symptoms, and moves with you into pregnancy week by week. Your data is stored in the EU and never sold.

Also on PERIOD.

Perimenopause and menopause

Sources: NHS: Trying to get pregnant; NICE guideline CG156 Fertility problems; Wilcox et al., New England Journal of Medicine (1995), timing of sexual intercourse in relation to ovulation.

This page is general information, not medical advice. Questions about your own body go to your GP, midwife or gynaecologist.