The big decision: “We want to have a baby” is here and everyone who’s trying for a baby needs to have a general knowledge of how things work. It brings better understanding of the entire process for both of you and it can definitely help you get pregnant faster.

Don’t fall for the myth.

Many people think that they need to know exactly when the ovulation happens in order to make sure the timing is right, when they “go for it.”

But that’s not how Mother Nature organized it for us.

If you wait for your ovulation day to have sex, you might never get pregnant.

First, I’ll tell you more about your cycle. Because the primary purpose of your cycle (which, in fact, affects your entire life) is to bear a baby. Yet, the over glorified ovulation happens only on 1, single day of your long, monthly cycle.

Woman’s cycle

Menstrual cycle has 4 phases: menstrual, follicular, ovulation and luteal.

Menstrual phase

There’s not much we can say about a menstrual phase other than every month, every woman has it. With some exceptions, of course.

Main purpose: To clean up the mess after another “unsuccessful” month when a pregnancy didn’t occur.

Our body is clearing off the unused soft lining of the uterus and flushes it down with some blood in order to get ready for a new beginning.

Follicular phase

This phase starts on the first day of our menstrual cycle. Technically, it starts along with the menstruation.

Main purpose: To get ready to have a baby.

Our hormones are in place to stimulate an egg to grow. It takes approximately 13 days for an egg to mature. The new uterus lining starts growing in this phase too.

Ovulation

The big day is here – the ovulation day. It should happen on the day 14 of the cycle.

Main purpose: To add the final ingrediente to our “How to make a baby” recipe.

The ripe egg is being released from the follicle and travels down the fallopian tube. This is the day for which the sperms should be waiting ALREADY INSIDE the fallopian tube – if you want to get pregnant.

Here’s the first catch:

If the freshly released egg won’t meet the sperm in a fallopian tube within 12-24 hours after the ovulation, egg’s gates close and pregnancy won’t happen. You’ll have to wait for the next month.

Example:

You’re tracking your ovulation by measuring your basal body temperature every morning. One morning, you realize, that the temperature is higher than a day before. It means, that the ovulation has happened.

When? Anytime within the last 24 hours, when you measured your temperature the last time.

Result: It’s probably too late to have sex this morning. Your chance of getting pregnant is very very low. Not to mention that most people leave it for the evening that night because they need to get ready for work in the morning. They add another 10-12 hours after the ovulation. By doing this, it’s almost certain they’ll miss the train.

Luteal phase

The last phase of your cycle. Luteal phase starts the day after your ovulation and lasts until the next menstrual bleeding begins.

Main purpose: To welcome the new baby in her intrauterine life.

Many people think that pregnancy begins on the day of conception, i.e. on the day when the sperm fertilizes the egg, this is not correct. Pregnancy begins when the fertilized egg (blastocyst) implants into the uterus lining.

The second catch is:

Your luteal phase must be long enough to allow fertilized egg to implant. This is why the length of your luteal phase is crucial.

In the luteal phase, follicle that has released the egg, transforms into temporary hormone factory (called corpus luteum) producing progesterone. It prevents you from getting another period until the fertilized egg isn’t well implanted into the uterus lining.

How does your body know you’re pregnant?

In case you get pregnant, the implanted blastocyst sends a message saying “I’m here!” and the big journey begins. But if you don’t get pregnant, after approximately 14 days the hormone factory closes and your next menstruation starts.

The fertilized egg – blastocyst needs time to implant into uterus, connect to your blood vessels and start producing hCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin). Hormone, that will let your body know that the pregnancy has begun. This is the hormone detected by a pregnancy test which tells you that you’re pregnant.

In case your luteal phase is too short, it could be the reason you cannot get pregnant. Your period starts before the fertilized egg gets a chance to implant.

So how do I get pregnant if it’s too late to have sex after the ovulation?

This might sound silly, but: Have sex BEFORE the ovulation.

Are you asking now how do you know when is your ovulation about to happen?

Well… The truth is…

You don’t.

But look at the average 28 day cycle:

Day 1-5: You have your menstrual bleeding.

Day 14: The ovulation happens.

Between your period and the day of your ovulation, there’s 8 days gap.

This is when you’re most fertile and you should have sex the most. It’s only 8 days out of the 28 days cycle. Closer you are to day 14, the bigger chances there are that you get pregnant. But if you wake up on day 15, realize that the ovulation has happened and start organizing your romantic night, it’ll be too late.

But my cycle is irregular and I don’t ovulate on day 14

Some women are great at tracking their cycle and they know exactly when they ovulate. In that case, it should be fairly easy for them to “arrange the dance” before the ovulation, so they have the highest possibility to get pregnant.

If you’re not one of the lucky women with the regular cycle, don’t worry. It’s always the time right after your period ends when you should start trying. Remember that your body is getting ready for a baby during your menstruation already. Do the same thing. Go for it as soon as you can and keep on trying until the middle of your cycle (or longer :)) and you can be sure you won’t miss the big day.

Photo in this article is from Pixabay.com