Are you trying to get pregnant? Use our ovulation calendar to figure out when you are most fertile and know the optimal time to try for a child.
Myths about ovulation
FALSE: Ovulation always occurs on the 14th day of the cycle.
Your menstrual cycle can range from 24 to 36 days, with ovulation occurring 12-14 days before your next period (you need to start counting on the first day of your period from the last day of the previous one).
If you have a 28 day cycle, you will ovulate halfway between your periods, around day 14.
However, if your cycle is consistently 30 days, ovulation will normally occur between the 16th and 18th. That’s why we recommend using our ovulation calculator!
FALSE: You can only get pregnant if you have intercourse on the day you ovulate
While it’s true that your egg stays alive for 12 to 24 hours, you can actually get pregnant if you have sex anytime during the five days before ovulation and during the day it occurs.
This is because sperm can survive in the vagina, uterus or fallopian tubes for up to five days.
FALSE: To be able to conceive you need to have an orgasm.
The female orgasm has no effect on this process – it is not required for conception.
FALSE: You need to have sex daily during your fertile window to get pregnant.
There is a fertility window of approximately six days: intercourse at any time during this period could lead to conception. Some doctors suggest intercourse every two days: during the fertile window, this rate will increase the chances of pregnancy.
FALSE: It takes longer to get pregnant if you’re on the pill.
It’s perfectly possible to be fertile within a month of stopping the pill.
However, after a period of being on the pill it can happen that your hormones take a few months to stabilize.
FALSE: An increase in your basal temperature indicates when you are most fertile.
Keeping your basal body temperature under control can help you recognize your most fertile days.
However, rather than relying on a rise in temperature just after ovulation, it’s easier to use an ovulation kit that indicates your fertility window by detecting the rise in luteinizing hormone that occurs just before you ovulate.
And it’s much easier if you use the ovulation calculator.
FALSE: Ovulation is painful.
For most women, ovulation is a painless experience.
However, around 20% of women feel some pain in their back or belly right before ovulation.
Known as ‘ mittelschmerz ‘ this phenomenon can last anywhere from an hour to a couple of days.
FALSE: An irregular cycle means you are less fertile.
Having an irregular menstrual cycle makes it harder to pin down your fertility window, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re less fertile.
Having intercourse every few days throughout the month could increase your chances of getting pregnant.
However, irregular periods can sometimes be caused by medical conditions that can affect your fertility, so it’s worth seeking advice from your GP.
FALSE: Certain positions during or after sex can increase the likelihood of pregnancy.
There is no evidence that standing with your legs in the air or adopting any other position after sex increases the chance of pregnancy.
FALSE: Being overweight or underweight does not affect conception.
To have the best chance of getting pregnant, it is preferable to be of normal weight, rather than obese, overweight or underweight.
If your BMI (body mass index) is 29 or more, the estrogen stored in the body’s fat cells can cause a hormonal imbalance which can reduce ovulation.
Being underweight can cause irregular periods, which can also make it more difficult to conceive.
Katherine Johnson, M.D., is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with clinical expertise in general obstetrics and gynecology, family planning, women’s health, and gynecology.
She is affiliated with the Obstetrics and Gynecology division at an undisclosed healthcare institution and the online platform, Maternicity.com.