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When trying to get pregnant the most important information you will need to learn and understand is how to calculate your fertile days. You need to figure out approximately when your ovulation occurs to chart your fertility and increase the chances to get pregnant.

Calculating your fertile day is not an exact science and while you can calculate with the days of your menstrual cycle, your body will also give you sings to watch out for.

The menstrual cycle

Figure out the average length of your menstrual cycle is, from the first day of your period to the day before the next, which normally ranges between 28-33 days. You will most likely have to do this over a couple of months or guess an approximate length.

You ovulate approximately between 12 to 14 days before the first day of your period. An irregular cycle will of course make your calculations more inaccurate. An easier way would be to use ovulation testers, which measure your hormonal levels in your urine and indicating when your body is fertile.

There is a 24 hour window for your egg to be fertilised, which happens once a month when you ovulate. Your egg is matured in your ovaries and moves onto the fallopian tubes, where hopefully it will be fertilised by sperm. There is a 25% chance of getting pregnant each menstrual cycle.

While the fertility window is quite small, your chances increase if you have sex regularly. Sperm can survive up to seven days in your uterus or fallopian tubes. Timing is important, so make sure to have sex from five days before ovulation, to increase your chances of hitting the elusive window of opportunity, even if you miscalculate by a day or two.

Symptoms of fertile days

You have probably never taken much notice of the different stages your body goes through in a month. It could take a few months before you understand and recognise the changes that indicate your fertile days. The best way is to start charting your changes each month.

Keep your eye on your cervical mucus discharge and changes that happed during the month. During your fertile period your cervical mucus will have an egg white consistency and be very wet.

You can test your cervical mucus on toilet paper when you go for a pee. If it is watery and slightly stretchy you are close to ovulating and if it is very wet and really stretchy you are ovulating or about to.

Basal body temperature

After you have ovulated, the heightened progesterone hormonal levels will increase your body temperature slightly. The increase of your temperature is so slight; it is unlikely you will notice it without a specialised thermometer.

Keeping a check on the changes of your Basal Body Temperature (BBT) requires that you log changes over a couple of months to give you a clearer understanding of your fertility cycle. When your BBT increases, you can assume that your ovulation was 2-3 days previous.