You can get pregnant on about six days a month: about five days before ovulation takes place and on the day of ovulation. To know when you can get pregnant, you need to know when you will ovulate next. That can be difficult to predict.

Ovulation occurs about 10 to 14 days before the next menstrual period (beginning of a new cycle). Cycles can always be different lengths. Determining ovulation only by calculating and counting is therefore very uncertain.

Example 1 - regular cycle of 28 days: the ovulation will take place around day 14 of your cycle. You can get pregnant about 5 days before ovulation took place and the day ovulation takes place.
Example 2 - regular cycle of 23 days: the ovulation will take place around day 9 of your cycle. You can get pregnant about 5 days before ovulation took place and the day ovulation takes place.
Example 3 - regular cycle of 34 days: the ovulation will take place around day 20 of your cycle. You can get pregnant about 5 days before ovulation took place and the day ovulation takes place..

Signs of ovulation

Pay attention to the signs of your body at the time of ovulation:

  • You have more vaginal discharge. The liquid looks a bit like egg white and is stretchy.
  • Your body temperature rises a bit.
  • The cervix is in a higher position and is more difficult to feel through the vagina. The cervix has widened a bit and feels softer.

Some women have slight abdominal pain (belly pain) during ovulation.

Contraception

If you do not currently want to have children you should you make sure you are using contraception.

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