Experts Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Your Fertile Days, And How To Boost Your Fertility

Many American women don’t know about their fertile period. In fact, one study showed that approximately 40% of women had no knowledge of the ovulatory period.

A similar study also revealed that 51% of women didn’t know the fertile period.

Another study carried out among black women showed that nearly 91% of respondents couldn’t correctly identify the time of the fertile period.

Knowing your fertile period can help you plan when to have sex with your spouse if you want to have a baby.

To make it easier for you to identify your fertile days, when you ovulate, the best time to have sex if you want to get pregnant, and more, I consulted an obstetrician and a dietician on this matter. Read on to learn all you need to know about your fertile days.

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What Is Fertility?

“Fertility means that a woman is capable of getting pregnant,” says Alan Lindemann, MD, obstetrician and maternal mortality expert, who has nearly 40 years of experience.

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When Women Are Most Fertile

According to Dr. Lindemann, women are most fertile around the time of ovulation.

We will learn more about ovulation later on in this article.

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The Age At Which Women Are Most Fertile

Women are most fertile between the late teens and the late 20s, says Dr. Lindemann. “By age 30, fertility begins to decline and the decline occurs more rapidly by mid-30s. By age 45, pregnancy is not likely,” he says.

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The Fertile Phase

“The fertile phase of the female menstrual cycle includes only those days in which pregnancy can occur as a result of a mature egg being released from an ovary,” says Dr. Lindemann.

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The Fertility Window

The fertility window is those days on which pregnancy could possibly occur.

According to Dr. Lindemann, good mucus will usually occur a few days before ovulation.

“The window would include the day of ovulation, plus up to five days before, and possibly 12 to 24 hours after ovulation,” says Dr. Lindemann. “This creates a window of five or six days when pregnancy could occur.”

During this window, sperm are slowly released by the mucus, and they travel through the uterine cavity into the fallopian tubes, where they connect with a mature egg. Eggs can remain in the ovaries for 12 to 24 hours. Becoming pregnant is most likely when live sperm are present in the fallopian tubes during ovulation.

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When Does Ovulation Occur?

“It generally occurs about two weeks before the first day of your period. This is considered the second half of your cycle and usually remains constant no matter how many days there are in your cycle,” he says.

For example, if your cycle is the same duration every month, then you can guess the timing of ovulation based on the first day of your period, which is the first day of your cycle.

The duration of the first half of your cycle varies. For example, if your cycle is 28 days long, then ovulation will occur around day 14. On the other hand, if your cycle is 21 days long, then ovulation would occur on about day seven.

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Signs You Will See Before Ovulation

“Around the time preceding ovulation, your body temperature drops below normal,” says Dr. Lindemann.

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The Symptoms Of Ovulation

According to Dr. Lindemann, the signs of ovulation and fertility include:

·???????Clear, stretchy, ample, mucus

·???????Breast?tenderness

·???????Pelvic or lower abdominal pain (often called mittelschmerz)

·???????Spotting

·???????Discharge

·???????Increased libido

·???????Softening of the cervix

·???????Nausea

·???????Headaches

·???????Heightened senses

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Signs You Will See After Ovulation

“After ovulation, your body temperature will increase to about half a degree Fahrenheit above normal until your next cycle,” says Dr. Lindemann.

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How Cervical Mucus Looks On Fertile Days

The nature of your cervical mucus is one thing that can help you know that you are in your fertile period.

“The mucus is copious, thin, stretchy, and clear—like raw egg whites,” says Dr. Lindemann. “Most often cervical mucus is so ample that it can be seen on the vulva. Often there is so much mucus that there is no need to look for it.”

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Ovulation Kits

Over-the-counter ovulation kits have been available for many years. These kits can help you identify when you're most likely to ovulate. The kits work by identifying the surge in hormones, which occurs approximately 36 hours before ovulation. They are very useful for timing intercourse to help you get pregnant.

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If My Period Last Three Days, When Do I Ovulate?

“Ovulation does not depend on the length of your period, but rather the onset of your period (menses), about 14 days before the first day of your next period,” says Dr. Lindemann.

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How To Determine Your Fertile Days

There are four ways you can determine your fertile days:

·???????If you are actively attempting to get pregnant the ovulation kit, which tests urine for a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH), will give you an approximately 36-hour lead time for ovulation.

·???????You will see clear, copious, and stretchy cervical mucus.

·???????There's also the basal body temperature graph. You will see a basal body temperature dip followed by about a one-half-degree Fahrenheit increase in body temperature indicating ovulation. This rise should occur when you ovulate and remain slightly elevated for the next two weeks.

·???????Finally, your libido will increase at the time of ovulation.

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The Best Time To Try To Get Pregnant When You Ovulate

“The best time to try to get pregnant is four or five days before you ovulate when your cervical mucus is copious, clear, and stretchy,” says Dr. Lindemann. “The sperm can live in this mucus for up to four or five days.”

The mucus is a better environment for the sperm than semen. In addition to serving as a home-away-from-home for the sperm, it allows the sperm to escape from the semen.

“The semen would cause anaphylaxis (an allergic reaction) if it gets into the uterus and bloodstream,” says Dr. Lindemann. “The mucus, at the time preceding ovulation, serves a police function, allowing the sperm into your uterine cavity and fallopian tubes and keeping the semen in your vagina.”

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The Fertile Days Of A Woman After Her Period

According to Dr. Lindemann, the first day of your period is the first day of your cycle.

·???????If you have a 28-day cycle, your fertile days would be day 10 to day 14 of your cycle.

·???????If your cycle is 21 days, your fertile days would most likely be days 3 through 7.

·???????If your period lasts five days and you have a 28-day cycle, you would have 9 days from the end of your period until you ovulate, and you would have 4 days from the end of your period until you could get pregnant, which could be as soon as day 9.

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Ten Tips To Help You Get Pregnant On Your Fertile Days

Here are some things you can do to help you get pregnant, according to Dr. Lindemann.

Have A Pre-Conception Check Up

Talk to your doctor about vitamins, and in particular folic acid, which protects against some birth defects such as anencephaly and spina bifida. Since folic acid works during the early stages of pregnancy, it's important to take it before you get pregnant.

????If you have a chronic health condition such as diabetes, ulcerative colitis, or lupus, treat, manage, or control them before you get pregnant.

“We often say that the way you enter your pregnancy is the way you will leave it,” says Dr. Lindemann. “So start with control and continue control of chronic health conditions throughout your pregnancy.”

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Manage Your Stress

“Since stress can interfere with regular ovulation, try to worry as little as possible and enjoy yourself,” says Dr. Lindemann.

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Sex Position

“Getting pregnant is not position-dependent,” says Dr. Lindemann. “That being said, standing, and sitting positions are not recommended. It is recommended that you lie in bed for 10 or 15 minutes after having intercourse,” he says.

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Don’t Have Sex Every Day

“Having sex every day is not recommended since sperm can live up to five days inside your body,” says Dr. Lindemann. “Daily sex will not improve your chances of getting pregnant.”

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Getting Pregnant When You Stop Taking Birth Control Pills

According to Dr. Lindemann, many women will get pregnant in a week or two after discontinuing the use of birth control pills. However, that may cause a problem.

“It will be difficult to determine precisely when the baby is due if you have not gone through a complete cycle before getting pregnant,” he says.

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Days Of Your Monthly Cycle That You Can’t Get Pregnant

There are certain days within your monthly cycle on which you can’t get pregnant.

“There are 2 times in the cycle when pregnancy would be unlikely,” says Dr. Lindemann. “One would be during menses. The other would be between ovulation and the onset of menses. So, on days one through five and days 15 through 28, pregnancy is not likely to occur.”

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How Many Days After My Period Can I Get Pregnant?

That depends on the length of your cycle, according to Dr. Lindemann.

·???????If you have a 28-day cycle and your period lasts for 7 days, you could get pregnant on days 10 through 14.?So you can get pregnant from 3 through 7 days after your period.

·???????On the other hand, if your cycle is 25 days and your period lasts 5 days, you could get pregnant 3 to 8 days after your period ends.

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Best Treatments To Help A Woman Become More Fertile

There are various treatments that can help you become more fertile.????

“Medications include clomiphene (Clomid) and letrozole,” says Dr. Lindemann. “Other treatments include intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization, (IVF), donor eggs, surrogacy, and egg freezing.”

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What Is The Treatment Cost?

The treatment cost depends on what kind of treatment you're getting.

“Clomid is relatively inexpensive, less than $100,” says Dr. Lindemann. “In vitro or donor eggs cost thousands of dollars and those treatments will most likely not be covered by your insurance. IVF can cost between $15,000 and $20,000. One intramuscular hormone cycle can cost $12,000 to $14,000 for medications alone.”

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Does Insurance Cover These Treatment?

“Treatment for Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)—metformin to lower blood sugar—is covered by insurance,” says Dr. Lindemann. “However, most insurance will not cover fertility hormones or treatments like IVF, and Clomid strictly for the treatment of infertility.”

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Choosing The Right Doctor To Treat You

If you intend to boost your fertility or treat an infertility problem, you’ll want the best doctor to treat you.

Dr. Lindemann suggests that you consider these things when choosing a doctor:

·???????Look for a doctor who has been trained in a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

·???????Interview several doctors to see which one you are most comfortable with. Integrity is hard to assess in one visit.

·???????If you are seeing a doctor for the first time, it is extremely important that she or he listens to you and, as much as possible, plans your treatment according to your needs, wants, and abilities. You have the final say in deciding what treatment you want and get.

·???????You should look for a doctor who will talk with you and explain the plan, the next level, and the anticipated outcome, as well as the risks of treatment and treatment failure. And remember, just because the doctor is charismatic doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get good results.

·???????Find a competent doctor who delivers good results.

·???????Find out about unfortunate outcomes or lack of results. If you have a friend who has had bad results with a physician or hospital, that's a reason to look elsewhere for your care.

·???????Look for a doctor who is thorough and does a complete job.

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Tips For Choosing The Best Hospital To Treat You

Fertility doctors need highly-skilled and experienced nurses and other healthcare professionals to help them do a good job. For this reason, you should consider the quality of care and commitment to patient safety at the hospital where you will be treated.

To help you find the best hospital that will give you the best treatment, Dr. Lindemann says here are important things you must do:?

·???????Ask your friends about their experiences and results. If friends share bad experiences with a hospital you are considering, choose a different hospital.

·???????If you know somebody who was injured in that hospital or someone who died in the operating room of that hospital, choose a different hospital.

·???????Find a hospital with low mortality and morbidity (illness) rate. You should be able to get this information from your state health department (they provide data on hospitals in the state).

·???????You will find several lists of hospitals on the web written by various consumer and news organizations. However, be sure data on maternal mortality is included in their rating data.

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What Can Women Do To Boost Their Fertility Naturally?

Here are some things Dr. Lindemann recommends:

·???????Exercise regularly.?Examples of safe exercises to do include jogging, running, aerobics, Pilates, and swimming.

“Women with ideal body mass index (BMI) have the least trouble conceiving,” says Dr. Lindemann. “But too much exercise can stop or decrease ovulation.”

·???????Keep your body weight as close to ideal as possible.?

·???????Do not smoke because that interferes with estrogen levels and ovulation.

·???????Don’t drink too much. Drinking too much alcohol when trying to get pregnant isn't a good idea, but a glass of wine won't hurt.

·???????Take time to relax.

·???????Decrease caffeine intake.

·???????Eat a healthy diet. Eat foods rich in antioxidants such as folate and zinc. And eat a lot of fiber.

·???????Add multiple vitamins to your food.

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Science-Backed Foods To Eat To Help Boost Your Fertility

There are some foods that you can eat to increase your chances of getting pregnant.

“Nutrient-dense foods like fatty-fish, full-fat dairy, whole grains, fruits, and veggies have been associated with better fertility in women,” says Sara Chatfield, Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist at NCHC. “Some micronutrients such as folic acid–critical in early pregnancy—iron, and vitamin D, have also been associated with improved fertility,” she says.

Conversely, higher intakes of red meat, unhealthy trans-fats, and simple sugars have been associated with lower fertility.

Below are five fertility-enhancing foods you should eat:

Fatty fish: The omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and anchovies may increase fertility in women due to a boost in ovulation and post-ovulation hormone levels. Fatty fish are also a good source of iron and vitamin D.

Whole milk yogurt: Including full-fat dairy products in the diet has been linked to improved fertility and a lower risk of anovulation in women. Make sure you check labels and avoid yogurt brands high in added sugars. Also, check labels for vitamin D; many dairy foods are fortified with vitamin D, but this only includes some brands of yogurt.

Oatmeal: Eating a lot of whole grains, like oats, has been associated with a thicker endometrial lining in women, which may improve fertility.

Beans: Eating a lot of protein from plant sources like beans has been associated with improved fertility. Beans also provide iron and many other essential nutrients.

Avocados: Consuming a lot of foods high in healthy monounsaturated fats, like avocados, has been associated with increased fertility in women. Avocados are also a good source of folate.

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Take Breakfast Seriously

According to Dr. Lindemann, eating breakfast can help boost your fertility.

“Breakfast can help, particularly if you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS),” says Dr. Lindemann. “Eating most of your calories at breakfast may decrease insulin levels and testosterone by as much as 50 percent. High levels of either in women can contribute to infertility.”

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Sources

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