Best day to have a baby
Brandi, her Jeter, her Riley, and her husband, Terrence, were ready to have a sister or brother to their eight-year-old daughter.
When Riley didn't get pregnant right away, she became worried about infertility, but before seeing her specialist, she tried things she'd never done before. . It's all about tracking her cycle and timing it properly.
It was a success. Less than two months later, Riley, who lives in Oakland, California, became pregnant. ''Nine months later, I gave birth to a boy,'' she says.
''If a couple is having trouble conceiving, the first step is to make sure the pregnancy is going right,'' says Kara Mangalani, a certified midwife and fertility expert in New York City. You need to know about a woman's menstrual cycle and ovulation. This is the monthly time when one of her ovaries releases an egg.
When is the best time to get pregnant?
''Most pregnancies are due to intercourse up to two days before her ovulation,'' Mangrani says. But you can get pregnant sooner or later. ''Sperm can survive in the fertile cervical mucus for up to five days,'' she says. Eggs can survive up to 24 hours after ovulation.
In general, the best chance of getting pregnant is between 12 and 16 days before her period, says Edward Maruto, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at the Illinois Fertility Center.
''The hard part is pinpointing when to ovulate,'' Mangrani says. All women's menstrual cycles different. Many women believe they ovulate on her 14th day of their cycle. But it's a myth.
Most do not.
Try one or more of these methods to find out when she is ovulating. track basal body temperature
This is your body temperature when you wake up in the morning. It increases slightly at ovulation and remains until the next period.
To track it, you need a basal thermometer that measures small changes. Available at most drugstores and supermarkets.
Take your temperature every morning before waking up. Notice the first day.
“Once you identify the date of ovulation, you can predict that ovulation will occur on or near that date in future cycles,” Mangrani says.
Try the Ovulation Prediction Kit (OPK).
OPK is an at-home test that detects a surge in Luteinizing Hormone (LH), which your body releases 24-48 hours before ovulation.
Midway through your menstrual cycle, do a urine test daily for 5 to 10 days. When LH is elevated, it's time to try to conceive. There are two types of OPKs:
Ovulation test strips. These are strips of paper that you dip into your urine cup. queue after a few minute appear. You can tell if ovulation is approaching by how dark it is.
Digital ovulation tests. Usually more expensive than test strips. A digital test holds a stick under the morning stream of urine. A digital monitor indicates whether ovulation is likely to begin.
OPK is available at many drug stores and supermarkets. Most have clear instructions and a toll-free number for questions.
OPK is useful if you want to have sex less frequently or if you want to time your sex more precisely, but it is not always accurate.
Use the periodic table app
A phone app can help you track your cycle. Record details like the first day of your period, OPK results, basal body temperature, and more. You will receive notifications when you are most likely to get pregnant.
The downside is that most women use her standard 28-day cycle, ovulating on her 14th day. This is not accurate for many women.
Fertility monitor
A fertility monitor uses urine dipsticks and a digital monitor to measure your LH and estrogen levels. Find the peak day and the day before it and save the information over multiple cycles. They are high tech but expensive, around 0 and up. Also, like tracking apps, many use a default cycle of 28 days.
Cervical mucus method
Hormones that control the menstrual cycle also affect cervical mucus. The first few days after your period are ''dry days'' when you don't produce phlegm. As the egg matures, mucus develops in the vagina and enters the vaginal opening. It can be white, yellow, cloudy, or sticky.
Just before ovulation there is a ''rainy day'' when the mucus is clear, slippery and looks like egg white.
When to have sex
''It's important to have sex as close to ovulation as possible,'' says Mangrani. Having sex often is best. Try every day from 5 days before ovulation. Continue 1 day after ovulation.
Mart's attitude is different. Get into the habit of having sex every other day and don't worry.
Other options:
Try the Sperm Meets Egg plan. Beginning on day 8 of your cycle, have sex every other day. Start with OPK on Day 10. ''Once you get a positive OPK result, have sex every day for three days,'' says Mangrani.
If you don't get pregnant within 6 months, talk to your doctor. “Most of the routine gynecological practice can start with a fertility test,” says Mangalani. Alternatively, consult a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist.
Brandi, her Jeter, her Riley, and her husband, Terrence, were ready to have a sister or brother to their eight-year-old daughter.
When Riley didn't get pregnant right away, she became worried about infertility, but before seeing her specialist, she tried things she'd never done before. . It's all about tracking her cycle and timing it properly.
It was a success. Less than two months later, Riley, who lives in Oakland, California, became pregnant. ''Nine months later, I gave birth to a boy,'' she says.
''If a couple is having trouble conceiving, the first step is to make sure the pregnancy is going right,'' says Kara Mangalani, a certified midwife and fertility expert in New York City. You need to know about a woman's menstrual cycle and ovulation. This is the monthly time when one of her ovaries releases an egg.
When is the best time to get pregnant?
''Most pregnancies are due to intercourse up to two days before her ovulation,'' Mangrani says. But you can get pregnant sooner or later. ''Sperm can survive in the fertile cervical mucus for up to five days,'' she says. Eggs can survive up to 24 hours after ovulation.
In general, the best chance of getting pregnant is between 12 and 16 days before her period, says Edward Maruto, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at the Illinois Fertility Center.
''The hard part is pinpointing when to ovulate,'' Mangrani says. All women's menstrual cycles different. Many women believe they ovulate on her 14th day of their cycle. But it's a myth.
Most do not.
Try one or more of these methods to find out when she is ovulating. track basal body temperature
This is your body temperature when you wake up in the morning. It increases slightly at ovulation and remains until the next period.
To track it, you need a basal thermometer that measures small changes. Available at most drugstores and supermarkets.
Take your temperature every morning before waking up. Notice the first day.
“Once you identify the date of ovulation, you can predict that ovulation will occur on or near that date in future cycles,” Mangrani says.
Try the Ovulation Prediction Kit (OPK).
OPK is an at-home test that detects a surge in Luteinizing Hormone (LH), which your body releases 24-48 hours before ovulation.
Midway through your menstrual cycle, do a urine test daily for 5 to 10 days. When LH is elevated, it's time to try to conceive. There are two types of OPKs:
Ovulation test strips. These are strips of paper that you dip into your urine cup. queue after a few minute appear. You can tell if ovulation is approaching by how dark it is.
Digital ovulation tests. Usually more expensive than test strips. A digital test holds a stick under the morning stream of urine. A digital monitor indicates whether ovulation is likely to begin.
OPK is available at many drug stores and supermarkets. Most have clear instructions and a toll-free number for questions.
OPK is useful if you want to have sex less frequently or if you want to time your sex more precisely, but it is not always accurate.
Use the periodic table app
A phone app can help you track your cycle. Record details like the first day of your period, OPK results, basal body temperature, and more. You will receive notifications when you are most likely to get pregnant.
The downside is that most women use her standard 28-day cycle, ovulating on her 14th day. This is not accurate for many women.
Fertility monitor
A fertility monitor uses urine dipsticks and a digital monitor to measure your LH and estrogen levels. Find the peak day and the day before it and save the information over multiple cycles. They are high tech but expensive, around 0 and up. Also, like tracking apps, many use a default cycle of 28 days.
Cervical mucus method
Hormones that control the menstrual cycle also affect cervical mucus. The first few days after your period are ''dry days'' when you don't produce phlegm. As the egg matures, mucus develops in the vagina and enters the vaginal opening. It can be white, yellow, cloudy, or sticky.
Just before ovulation there is a ''rainy day'' when the mucus is clear, slippery and looks like egg white.
When to have sex
''It's important to have sex as close to ovulation as possible,'' says Mangrani. Having sex often is best. Try every day from 5 days before ovulation. Continue 1 day after ovulation.
Mart's attitude is different. Get into the habit of having sex every other day and don't worry.
Other options:
Try the Sperm Meets Egg plan. Beginning on day 8 of your cycle, have sex every other day. Start with OPK on Day 10. ''Once you get a positive OPK result, have sex every day for three days,'' says Mangrani.
If you don't get pregnant within 6 months, talk to your doctor. “Most of the routine gynecological practice can start with a fertility test,” says Mangalani. Alternatively, consult a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist.
