Trying to become pregnant may seem like an exciting time, but the trying and the wait and the anticipation can become stressing and overwhelming to some. One way to help you get pregnant quicker or increase the chances of becoming pregnant is being able to tell which days of the month you are most fertile, i.e., the day or days of the month you are ovulating. We will discuss here which days of the cycle women are usually most fertile, and list a few signs that may indicate you are ovulating.

The average menstrual cycle lasts for 28 days, but it can actually range between 23 and 35 days; therefore, the first step to figuring out your ovulation time is to learn the duration of your cycle. This can be done easily by marking the calendar on the first day you get your period, which marks the first day of your cycle. Then wait for your next period and the mark the day before the day it started, which counts as the last day of your cycle. It is recommended you do this for a few months to ensure that you have a regular period.

Once you learned how long your cycle lasts, it is time to know when you ovulate. This can be a little tricky, but you can learn to calculate with ease. Ovulation usually occurs 14 days before the first day of a new menstrual cycle. So, if you are on a regular cycle of 30 days, ovulation will likely occur on day 16 of your cycle, but if your cycle lasts for 24 days, your ovulation time is day 10 of your cycle. Calculate when you ovulate by simply subtracting 14 for the total length of your regular period. In the examples above, 30-14= 16 and 24-14=10.

The following are some signs that you may be able to feel or see when you are ovulating to help you make sure your calculation is correct, or to help you know that you are ovulating if your menstrual cycle is irregular and cannot be calculated as we mentioned before.

Basal Body Temperature

Body temperature increase after ovulation by 0.4 to 1.0 C°. Measuring your temperature daily at the same time can help get a more clear picture of your ovulation window, but just as the calculation from before, you need to do this for a few months to ensure you get a more accurate conclusion.

Breast Tenderness

Some women may feel that their breasts are tender due to the increased hormone production during ovulation. Like the previous point, however, the tenderness happens after ovulation and not during.

Pain

Many women experience pain in the lower abdomen associated with ovulation, but this pain may occur during or after ovulation, and so it may not be accurate in your particular case.

It may not be necessary to try to pinpoint the exact day you ovulate. The best approach is to use the calculation above and give a two-day window before and after the day you calculated. This ensures that your most fertile days occur within this five-day window.