There is no limit to the joy that comes with starting a family. The period can be both exciting and agonizing – but it depends on what you make out of it. Throughout life, one of the highly ranked rewarding yet life-changing decisions is making babies.
And if you are feeling anxious as you read this text, there is no need to panic. In the United States alone, the annual birth rate is about 4.2 million (1) while the worldwide figure is about 34 times more than that of the United States.
While some lucky couples experience a smooth passage into parenthood, others are not as lucky as they encounter stress and anxiety in the course of conceiving a child. Hence, everyone has different timings for getting pregnant.
Keep calm, it takes time.
To succeed in the quest of getting pregnant, you have to nurse a lot of patience. Conception takes time. Contrary to the ease of flipping a switch, you will discover that conception follows nature’s course.
Every month, an average couple’s chance of conceiving is about 25% as long as there are no complications or mishandling during the stated period. That statistic shows that a typical couple may conceive a child after about three to four months.
Therefore, you must understand that conception is not magical and repeated trials are normal.
From a practical perspective, try to flip a coin until you get tails in the outcomes. As you repeat this experiment, you should be able to answer a few questions such as:
- How long did it take to ‘nail the tail’?
- How many tries led to a tail?
The probability of getting either a head or a tail after each flip is 50%. Thus, the probability of getting pregnant every month (25%) is half of the probability of tossing the coin. According to simple mathematics, a four-time trial to get heads is equal to the probability to try to conceive within 8 months.
Hence, do not lose hope even if you have been trying all you can to conceive in a span of 4 months. Across the globe, there are thousands of couples who are trying similar methods of conception at certain periods with the same result. In any case, luck is an important element.
The Mystery Of Ovulation
A key factor in the mystery of conception is ovulation – and you must understand the principles. The underlying truth is that couples must know the best times to copulate which could lead to conception.
Basically, the ovulation period is a great determinant of the perfect timing for sex between couples. Looking at the egg, a woman may only conceive between a 12 to 24 hour periods. So, how best can you determine your window of conception? The most credible answer is found in the term ‘ovulation’.
The ovulation cycle gives you a broader perspective of the appropriate time frame for getting pregnant. The American Pregnancy Association highlights the most frequent questions from troubled couples as:
- The periods during which ovulation occurs – before or after the menstrual cycle?
- The best time to have sex – before or during ovulation?
- The days of the month which present the greatest probability for conception (2)
These forms of questions show that there is a lot to learn from the basics of ovulation.
As mentioned in earlier articles, ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary. Upon release, the egg is transferred to the Fallopian tube where it awaits the sperm for fertilization.(3) To prepare for pregnancy, the thickness of the uterine wall lining thickens during ovulation for implantation of the fertilized egg.
Basics of ovulation
- During each ovulation cycle, one egg is released
- Fertilization of an egg may take place within 12 to 24 hours while it is still available
- Ovulation rotates from one ovary to another
- One of the signals for ovulation is light bleeding – but it doesn’t occur in every woman
- Ovulation is possible even without the occurrence of a menstrual cycle
The Fertile Window
Choosing the best time for conception revolves around the fertile window. For a moment, pretend that you can track your ovulation cycle. A few statistical data show that there are about 6 days during which a woman has a high chance of conception (the eggs only expire after a period between 12 and 24 hours).
The six days include the five days before ovulation and the first day of ovulation itself. Outside the confines of this box (window), pregnancy chances are relatively low. Meanwhile, the best periods during the six-day interval (in order of high probability) are:
- Two days before the ovulation cycle begins
- The day before ovulation
- The day of ovulation (4)
The fertile window refers to the critical six-days period during which ovulation occurs.(5)To boost your chances of birthing a child, you must track your fertile window. But how do you know your fertile period if it has been said that it is difficult to predict your ovulation cycle?
Even though it is true that you can predict neither the day that your ovulation will begin nor your fertile window, there are a few guesses to determine the average timing.
On average, traditional clinical guidelines show that a woman with 28 days’ cycle has her fertile window between days 10 and 17 of the menstrual cycle (here, we take day 1 to be the first day of the most recent period). There are several things that are wrong with this information, so we will help you get a better perspective.
1.The assumption of these clinical guidelines is that the fertile window comprises the five days before the ovulation cycle begins, the day the ovulation cycle begins, and two days after the completion of the ovulation cycle. From statistical data, the probability of conceptions to below 5% after the day of ovulation.
2.By day 7 of the menstrual cycle, about 10% of women experience their fertile window.
Thus, the fertile window varies as much as the ovulation day varies from one month to another and this makes predictions almost impossible. A better approach will be to examine all the days in a particular month understudy and try to figure out the being within the fertile window for every day of the month.
In simpler terms, try to figure out the days you can get pregnant by ticking the days during which you may be in your fertile window.
The Fertile Phase
Surprisingly, a study by Wilcox in 2000 gave suitable answers by making similar findings.(6) For a directional answer, we shall call refer to the new term understudy as ‘the fertile phase’.
The fertile window is quite different from the fertile phase as the fertile phase may extend the fertile window to include more days in the menstrual cycle when you may likely be within your fertile window. In layman’s terms, the fertile phase is any day during the menstrual cycle where copulation may lead to conception.
A cutoff for predicting the chances of pregnancy is necessary before we can define the fertile phase. An impractical statement will refer to the fertile phase as being the number of days that have a ‘higher than 0%’ of conception.
Similarly, you don’t want to miss your lucky day by setting the cutoff at 15% or even more. A modest percentage is to set all days with a huge probability for conception at 5%.
From day 6 to day 21 of the menstrual cycle, there is a 5% chance that an average woman is within her fertile window – according to the Wilcox study.(7) Thus, the periods between day 6 and day 21 of the menstrual cycle signify the fertile phase for most women.
Although there are several articles that recycle the traditional fertile window to occur between days 10 to 17. However, you may miss a strong chance for conception by following such guidelines. Rather, do yourself some good by focusing concerted efforts on the fertile phase:
- Between days 7 and 20, or
- Between days 6 and 21 for extra insurance
For women with a rich history in irregular cycles, you can expect the fertile phase to be lengthier. As a woman, you must understand your body changes in preparation for ovulation so that you can affirm that the conception opportunities for a certain point are over in a particular month.
Ovulation signs
Depending on the woman and the menstrual cycle, ovulation may vary. Nonetheless, each person has consistent biological changes during their ovulation cycle.
| Primary symptoms of ovulation | Secondary symptoms of ovulation |
| Change in the consistency of cervical mucus – it becomes more slippery | Light spotting, pains on either side, heightened senses |
| Change in the firmness or position of the cervix | Cramping, tenderness of the breasts |
| Increase in basal body temperatures | Bloating, increased libido |
If you belong in the group of women that do not notice their ovulation symptoms, it is normal. But the lucky ones that take conscious note of their symptoms will be able to track their cycles better. If a woman can evaluate her symptoms in a good time, she may plan the sexual intercourse within the fertile window about 48 hours before her ovulation cycle begins.
An important note is that it is not impossible to track ovulation. Nevertheless, the most fool-proof method of getting pregnant is to copulate for as many times within a month enough to make up for miscalculations.
Family Planning And Conception Timing
Presently, you are mentally and financially to birth children, but you need the right indicators. As discussed earlier, the fertile window and fertile phase are about the best timers for conception. Every other factor is a plus. However, some further factors that may contribute to the timing of your conception include the following:
Age
If you are in your early 20’s and are planning conception, biology and time are your best friends. Research shows that these are premium years for pregnancy. According to experts, a woman has the highest degree of quality eggs in her early 20’s because her fertility is at a peak.
This statement further supports the fact that the fertility phase plays a huge role in conception. Biologically, the best decade for conception and childbirth is in your 20’s.
The eggs of a younger woman, when compared to those of older women, are less likely to be plagued with genetic abnormalities. More so, there is a lower probability for miscarriages to occur. In a Cleveland study between women in their 20’s and women at 40, the risk of miscarriages was a ratio of about 3:5 respectively.(8)
Lower risk of health complications, gestational diabetes, and blood pressure in younger women also makes it physically easier for them to carry a child. In addition, the occurrence of premature and low birth weight babies is not common among younger women.
A certain time in your life
Childbirth and nurturing children are somewhat linked to your financial status. Suffice it to say that it is reasonable to conceive a child when finances and career are stable for average family life.
For instance, a couple in their 20’s may be caught in a dilemma between establishing steady finances, paying off college loans, and having a child. While it may be easy to conceive at a young age, a rocky beginning may result in an unbalanced lifestyle – and a newborn doesn’t need any of that.
Generally, you must be ready to take on the tasks of parenthood whether emotionally, physically, financially, or psychologically.
As a matter of fact, conception is a tasking phase. If your emotions are raging at this point in your life, you may want to reconsider parenting.
Time in marriage
Young couples and newlyweds will agree that childbirth demands a lot from the marriage. It is not enough to be financially buoyant; you must have adequate experience to handle the good days and the bad days. The dad may feel abandoned as the wife spends more time with the baby while the wife may feel completely overwhelmed.
So, it is allowed to learn more and sort pending tasks before conception. Basic life treats such as touring the world, eating at the best restaurants, and seeing movies every weekend may fill in the blanks that you may experience when you start nurturing a family.
Basal body temperature
You can determine your ovulation periods by charting your basal body temperature. Basal body temperature simply refers to your body temperature when the body is at rest. The regular body temperature is between 35.5 to 37.20C (96 to 990F).(9) Throughout the cycle, the basal body temperature changes by as high as a half degree.
Purchase a special basal body temperature thermometer. The special thermometer must measure temperature in tenths of degrees. As soon as you are out of bed, take your temperature with the thermometer.
For a certain period, chart your temperature and lookout for a specific pattern. If your basal body temperature increases for three or more days, your ovulation cycle must fall within those periods. As soon as the basal body temperature has increased, there is little time left to conceive.
Therefore, you must plan a sexual encounter with your partner some days before the increase in temperature as soon as you have determined your temperature pattern.
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