Apologies if i sound like an idiot, but ...

[DetentionGrrrl]

When are the 'fertile' days in a cycle?

I've been trying to find a clear answer and can't. I've found sources saying there are 5 of them, other saying 2 or 3, and nothing saying when it bloody well is.

Can anyone offer any info here?!

Hi There

Fertile days in the cycle are the days when you are most likely to conceive. All women have different stages to their cycle and at each stage they will be either infertile or fertile during that period.

The cycle normally works like this:

• Period

• Pre-Ovulation

• Approaching Ovulation

• Ovulation

• Post Ovulation

• Period or pregnancy achieved

When you are approaching ovulation you produce an LH surge. This is a hormone that prompts ovulation. You also produce Cervical Mucus to help the sperm to reach the egg. When you are approaching ovulation this mucus will change to make you more fertile. Sperm can last for up to 5 days, but the egg lasts between 12-24 hours. So although a women is technically only fertile for that 12-24hrs, if you had sex 5 days prior to the egg dropping and produced fertile CM, then you are also fertile for those 5 days.

I would also say that it is very much dependent on what your menstrual cycle is like as well.

Generally speaking if your periods are regular you are more likely than not to be ovulating regularly. However, even normally fertile women will have the occasional anovulatory cycle.

If periods on the other hand are irregular you are generally speaking less likely to be ovulating regularly.

Although temp charting and such methods can be to some extent helpful because you then feel you are doing something such methods are not at all helpful if periods are irregular.
Such methods can also bring with them their own set of problems and stress.

Ovulation is not an exact science and you can ovulate earlier later or not at all in ANY given cycle. A "28 day cycle" does not mean at all that you automatically ovulate on the 14th day.

Women also can have more than one LH surge every month; it is not correct to assume that women only have one such surge. Also a rise in the level of LH does not mean as well that ovulation will automatically follow.

D, people vary enormously and then each cycle can be different too, eg I ovulated on day 12 this month but it's normally around day 16. The very best advice, imo, is to have sex about 3 times a week and start just after your period stops. Definitely concentrate on getting those 3 times a week during the first 2 weeks after your period (I have assumed you have an average length, say 28-30 days) as it is unlikely you would ovulate much later than day 18 of your cycle (day one being the first day your period arrives). HTH

Do a google search for "ovulation calender" and you will get sites where you enter the date of your last period and the length of your cycle and they will tell you your fertile period for each month...