Which is your most fertile day?

[dullified]

Now baby no.1 is 18 months thinking about TTC a baby no. 2. As we no longer have the leisure time we use to and I?m getting on a bit I think I need to be more proactive in this. I've been reading up on ovulation signs which is all quite straight forward but still confused as to which is your most fertile day is it the actual day you ovulate or the day before you ovulate?

Thank you!

[charlottep]

I have found the following on the web:

Once the egg (or ovum) has been released, it moves along the Fallopian tube towards your womb. The egg can live for up to 24 hours. Sperm survival is more variable, but typically 3-5 days, so the days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation itself are your most fertile ? when you are most likely to get pregnant.

i used the clear blue ovulation predictor kits both times with great success. I was convinced i was ovulating on day 14, but the tests actually showed that i ovulate on day 19.

[Saila]

I found taking my temp each day and recording it worked a treat. There's lots of chats u can't print off online

Basically ur body temp goes up a whole degree on the day of ovulation (if my memory serves) and lots of ppl have diff ov days eg a day btw day 10- day 18?

Mine's day 14 but that means nothing as u are u

Buy a thermometer from boots (less than a tenner) that's all u need

Good luck!

Ps if u want a boy, then try on the day of ovulation, if u want a girl then try before / after

There's a theory (no more than a theory mind!) That means the above method may work...

[The Nappy Lady]

Yes - theory re the sex is that male sperm swim faster, so get there faster, but female sperm live longer, so if you have sex prior to ovulating male sperm will get there too soon and die, then when egg arrives female sperm will arrive just at the right moment.

But, hey who knows....pink or blue, it's all good!

Happy trying....:))

[Cora]

I'd recommend the sticks, takes all that guessing out of the equation.

[pebbles]

I'm a sticks lady too. I have however heard great things about temperature and it's a lot cheaper - sticks can cost one hell of a lot especially if you're trying for a while. Good luck and have fun

[Keef]

I feel a bit embarrassed sharing on here, being a bloke and all, but my wife swears by this.

[pebbles]

Keef - that really made me giggle - good on you for sharing - even i would have been embarrassed sharing that :)

[alieh]

I got a bumper supply of really cheap sticks from eBay and they worked a treat for us! They also came with a bunch of cheap pregnancy tests, which can come in handy if you're addicted to peeing on a stick. This is the kind of thing I bought: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/40-OVULATION-TEST-20-ULTRA-10-mIU-PREGNANCY-TESTS-PRIV-/370095944255?pt=UK_Health_HealthCare_RL&hash=item562b6ff23f

You can try the sticks for a few months, along with noticing the other signs and after a couple of cycles you will probably be aware enough of the other signs that you can stop bothering with the sticks.

[Ann]

I agree with Keef, there's no mistaking with that method. It's free and your body can't lie. Women who choose 'safe method ' contreception haved used this for years.

[Helen GV]

have just had a read. who knew that cervical mucus could be hostile!

[Smiler]

Classic post Keef!

There are whole websites devoted to this stuff and it can get graphic!

If you go for the ovulation testing sticks "internet cheapies" from Amazon are a bargain, not as good as the branded ones but so much cheaper can use them on most days then the branded ones to confirm the results from the cheapies.

[Saila]

this opens up a whole debate - my lecturer at uni researched into this area (Robin Baker)

he wrote a book called 'sperm wars' and studied sperms which had limited or zero DNA inside and appeared to recognize, surround and attack 'foreign' sperm.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sperm-Wars-Robin-Baker/dp/0330390775

also, woman subconsciously thinned the mucus lining of the cervix when they were being unfaithful!

so they were much more likely to get pregnant if sleeping with an irregular partner than with their husband...

all fascinating stuff and they did a double horizon on it in the 90s

oh - and men with large testicles are statistically more likely to be unfaithful than small ones

and woman subconsciously wear more revealing clothes during ovulation and cover up during their period....

all hypotheses of his

edit to say - men are also many fold times more fertile if their partner has been away, say on business trip or away with friends for the w/e. So perhaps go away and say you're staying with a male friend - maybe that'll help?

and the other fact i was amazed to hear but is pretty well known is that a third of all infertility is down to the man, another third is woman and the final third is 'unknown cause'. I always thought it was much more reltated to woman... but it's not

[dullified]

Thank you for all the info. I had previously read about 3 methods which don't involve weeing on sticks/purchasing kits to help predict ovulation (cervical mucus, cervix position and basal temperature) but was just too prudish to mention them by name in my OP (thanks Keef for mentioning the mucus I'll stop being so prudish now:)).

It is truely amazing how we can be governed by innate reproductive impulses we don't even realise we have! Will make sure I don't get too drunk at the office Christmas party in case the body thinks wahey quick fling best chance of conceiving (Robin Baker's book)!!!

[The Nappy Lady]

Dullifield, you just made me laugh out loud, nearly sprayed my tea over the desk......images of hormones taking over at office party......:-$

[Keef]

thanks Keef for mentioning the mucus

Ahem, it was a, erm, pleasure? :-S

Your office parties sound a lot more fun than mine by the way!

[budur]

well, since mucus already came out..., this is a good place to go http://www.fertilitycarecentre.co.uk. was recommended by friends and they teach you how to prevent or achieve pregnancy, very educational, you learn a lot about the whole reproductive cycle and it's all natural, just observing the signs (the methodology is different than described on the site that Keef sent, no fingers involved...). i went just to learn more after the wedding and got pregnant straight away. just after a couple of appointments, it's central london, easy to get to. they also offer treatments for those who have difficulties. and yes, it's all different for every woman and it can change every month and when you are stressed you don't ovulate at all!

on the sex of the babies, the girl was "made" after the ovulation (they say 3 days afterwards are still fertile), and baby no. 2 was on the ovulation day, now just remains to be seen if it's a boy and if the theory is actually true?