How to identify your fertile days

If you want to know which are your fertile or your infertile days in your menstrual cycle, either because you are trying to get pregnant or because you want to avoid getting pregnant, check this.

Every woman is different and therefore the exact ovulation date for each one will vary, being different even between distinct menstrual cycles of the same person. This means that, for example, this month you could ovulate on day 13 of your menstrual cycle, while the next month you could ovulate on day 14 or 15 of the cycle. To calculate when your fertile days will occur, you need to know in depth how your body behaves throughout the menstrual cycle.

How do I count the days of my cycle to know when I am ovulating?

Your first day of menstruation counts as day 1 of your menstrual cycle: the follicular phase begins, and an egg will mature over the next two weeks. The last day of your menstrual cycle is the day before your next menstruation so, to know how long your menstrual cycle is, you must count how many days pass between the first day of your period and the first day of your next period. The most fertile day of a woman is the ovulation day, which occurs around the middle of the menstrual cycle. In addition to this, the fertility days of a woman are the four days prior to the ovulation day. For example, if you have a 28-day menstrual cycle, your ovulation day will occur on day 14 approximately and you could be fertile from about day 10. If your cycle lasts 22 days, you could ovulate around day 11 of the cycle and you would enter your fertility window on day 7.

But… is counting the days enough to know if I am ovulating or in my fertile days?

The simple answer is no. Calculating ovulation day as “the middle of your menstrual cycle” is only a reference, but it will not help you know exactly when you ovulated. This is due to two factors:

1. Your cycles are not always the same. Some cycles are longer than others, so the ovulation date can change from month to month.
2. Your follicular phase (the time it takes for the follicles in your ovaries to mature) may be shorter or longer than other women´s follicular phases, therefore you will not necessarily ovulate exactly in the middle of your menstrual cycle.

Some questions and answers about a woman's fertility days

Question: In which days can I get pregnant?

Answer: Considering that sperm can survive up to five days inside the female reproductive system, you can get pregnant not only on the day of your ovulation, but also by having sex on the four days before it.

Question: Is it true that a woman's infertile days are 7 days before and 7 days after menstruation?

Answer: No. As we said previously in this article, the ovulation date and the length of the menstrual cycle vary from woman to woman, so it cannot be taken as a rule that your fertile period begins 7 days after menstruation.

Question: Can I get pregnant while I have my period?

Answer: It is unlikely to happen, but it is possible. If your menstrual cycle is short, your ovulation occurs early in the cycle, and your periods are long, you could be already on your fertile days during the last days of your period.