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How Long Does Ovulation Last?

Many people think that you can just have sex at any point in the month and get pregnant. While essentially that’s true, it’s really not. It’s dependent on how your body actually functions. Ovulation is the key component to getting pregnant. While most women, who have normal cycles and normal functions in their reproductive organs, there are some that don’t ovulate every month. This can hinder their ability to get pregnant. So when trying to get pregnant, it’s important to know your body and your ovulation schedule so that you can plan date nights accordingly. 

What is Ovulation?

Ovulation, the most important part of having a baby, is when mature eggs make their travel down the fallopian tube. At the end is where the magic happens and the sperm can interact with it and become the beginnings of a new bring. That is the best time in a woman’s cycle to have sex and essentially get pregnant (as long as there are no other underlying conditions that could prevent that). 

How Long is the Cycle and When Does it Happen?

The window for a viable egg is only between 12-24 hours, short. But the key is that everything plays it’s part. Sperm for example can survive, waiting for the moment of impact so to speak, for 3-5 days inside of a woman. A woman’s fertile period can last 5-7 days. So there is about a week-long window of opportunity to get pregnant. Generally, ovulation takes place about 12-16 days before you get your next period. If you are regular, it’s easier to calculate this (such as you get your period every 28 days for example). But consider that life stressors, being sick, and changing your routine (such as increasing workouts, gaining or losing weight, etc.) can change your cycle. 

How to Know you are Ovulating

Your body is great at giving you hints as to when you are ovulating. It’s generally creating an optimal environment for the sperm to move around in and for the egg to latch to the uterine wall should they make contact. While you may not notice them (some don’t) there are others that are very in tune to what is going on, and also their bodies make it more obvious. Some of the things you can look for is increased sexual drive, white sticky cervical mucus, abdominal bloating, and sometimes an increased awareness of smells or tastes, even vision. 

Tracking your Ovulation

If you are in tune with your body and you actually realize the signs of ovulation, then you can just do that. However you can also get an app to monitor and track your period and most fertile days. This can help tremendously. Plus you can put notes in them to keep a reminder of all things reproductively. You can also get a basal thermometer and a slight increase in temperature can determine ovulation. Check out more here. All in all, ovulation is a short window of time and if you could be pregnant there is a commonly known two week wait after ovulation before you will know for sure. Good luck and baby dust your way.