Dr Anda Radan advises women wanting to conceive to be aware of their own cycle and be patient – even with optimal timing, immediate success is not guaranteed. There is no miracle drug for boosting fertility.
How does conception work?
Conception is a biological process that centres around ovulation, which occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle. A mature egg is released from the ovary and travels through the fallopian tube towards the uterus. If it is fertilised by a sperm within 24 hours, it can implant itself in the uterine mucosa and pregnancy begins.
When is a woman most fertile?
Although a released egg can only be fertilised for about 24 hours, sperm can survive in the female body for up to five days. This gives a fertile window of about five to six days per cycle in which conception could occur.
Why can it take time to fall pregnant?
Even if you time your fertile days correctly, it can take several months to fall pregnant. This may be due to hormonal fluctuations, irregularities in the cycle with variations in the time of ovulation, as well as general physical factors such as stress.
Combining multiple methods is the best way to successfully track your fertility.
Dr Anda Radan
How do I calculate the fertile days?
There are various different fertility tracking methods:
Calendar method: with this method, you estimate the fertile days based on the length of your menstrual cycle – it is simple, but inaccurate.
Temperature method: by measuring your basal temperature daily, you can work out when ovulation occurred. This method is often combined with cervical mucus monitoring. The consistency of cervical mucus changes over the cycle and is therefore a natural way of identifying when you are most fertile.
At-home ovulation tests, which are available from chemist’s and pharmacies, work by detecting the surge in luteinising hormone (LH) in the urine that typically occurs 36 to 24 hours prior to ovulation.
The reliability of the fertility tracking depends on the method used. While ovulation tests have a reliability of about 90%, natural methods such as the calendar method are less precise at about 70%. Combining multiple methods can increase the success rate.
Digital tools such as cycle apps and smart thermometers can also help to identify patterns in your menstrual cycle and thus track your fertility.
.jpg?width=1600)
