The importance of timing intercourse

When is the best time to have intercourse if we're trying to conceive?
Timing is everything. Sperm can live for two to three days, but the egg is around for only 12 to 24 hours. To increase the likelihood of conception, schedule intercourse for one to two days before ovulation. That way, there's more likely to be a healthy supply of sperm waiting in the Fallopian tube when an egg is released.

Of course, exactly when a woman ovulates isn't altogether clear. It all depends on the length of your menstrual cycle. A woman typically ovulates 14 days before her next period — not mid-cycle as is commonly held. If you have a 28-day cycle, which is the average, then you would ovulate halfway through your cycle. But if you have a 35-day cycle, you would ovulate around day 21 not day 17.

To determine the time when you're most likely to be fertile, try our ovulation calculator.

How do I know when I'm ovulating?
Some women are very aware of when they ovulate. Other women don't notice any changes at all. If you're thinking about getting pregnant, try to track your cycle for a couple of months. Some subtle signs of ovulation include:
• Breast tenderness

• Slight feelings of discomfort in your middle abdomen

• Increased vaginal discharge that takes on a wetter, egg white-type quality

• A slight increase in basal body temperature, or BBT (which you can detect only by taking your temperature each morning before you get out of bed), two days after you ovulate. You can get a good sense of your cycle if you chart your BBT for a few months.

(For more information, see our articles on detecting ovulation and basal body temperature and cervical mucus. The book Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control and Pregnancy Achievement, by Toni Weschler, can also teach you to read your body's signals.)

If you still have trouble pinpointing the exact date of ovulation, you might consider trying an ovulation predictor test.

If my periods are irregular, will it be harder for me to get pregnant?
The more irregular your period is, the more difficult it is to predict ovulation. You can figure out the days you're most likely to be fertile by tracking when you ovulate each month. Say your cycle is 28 days one month, 21 days the next month, and 32 days the following month. Keep a record of your menstrual cycles for several months. Then subtract 17 from your shortest cycle and 11 from your longest cycle. The days in between the two are the ones you're most likely to be fertile.

Can't we just try and see what happens?
Of course, you don't have to plot basal body temperature or keep complicated logs if you don't want to. You don't even need to have an orgasm to get pregnant. Try having sex at least twice a week and the law of averages will most likely prevail