Ovulation - When am I most fertile?

Ovulation & your period are part of the same cycle. For 'mums to be' the opportunity to conceive comes around roughly once a month for a few days, this is when ovulation occurs. Your body releases an egg and the cycle begins.

When are you Fertile?

For you to conceive and fall pregnant, two things have to happen:

Ovulation: Your ovary releases an egg mid cycle – around day 15 of a 28-day menstrual cycle. (The day is counted from the day your period starts.)
Fertilisation: For 12 to 48 hours after its release, the egg can be fertilised by sperm. This is when you are at your most fertile.
You are most likely to conceive mid cycle. Timing depends on your cycle length, which varies from woman to woman. A normal cycle can be anything from 23 to 35 days.

Try our easy to use ovulation calculator to help keep track.
Your diet & lifestyle can help too.

When is Ovulation?

If you have a 28-day cycle, it works like this.

Day 1: Your period starts day 1
Mid cycle: You ovulate around day 15
Top tip: You’re most likely to conceive if you have sex in the two or three days leading up to ovulation and the day following ovulation.
Days 12-16: An Ovulation test from your pharmacy can help you work out whether or not you have ovulated. This may give you a better understanding of your cycle & identify fertile days.

Ovulation symptoms

The main things to consider:

• Know your regular menstrual cycle length - so you can count the days
• Mucus changes, when ovulating you may notice changes in the consistency, for example it may be thicker
• You may experience premenstrual symptoms such as abdominal pain, breast tenderness, bloating, mood changes, or tenderness

Remember if you're using body temperature as a sign of ovulation, this means ovulation has already taken place so get moving!!

Learn more about Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms"