Ovulation: When Can I Get Pregnant?

Pregnancy can happen if you have unprotected sex during ovulation - or a few days before.

What is ovulation?

Ovulation is when an egg matures in the ovary. If it’s fertilized, it implants in the uterus.

This usually happens once per cycle - one time between period Day 1 and your next period. Rarely, more than one egg is released. 

If two eggs are released and fertilized, you can have fraternal twins. This happens more often in women over 40. 

When do I ovulate?

On average, ovulation happens 12–16 days before your next period. That’s just an average - yours can be earlier or later.

How do I know I’m ovulating?

Your period is hard to miss. Ovulation can be trickier - but not impossible - to identify.

Signs of ovulation include:

• Cervical mucus changes. On non‑fertile days it’s cloudy, sticky, and thick. Around ovulation it becomes clearer, stretchier, and more abundant.
• Higher body temperature. After ovulation, your basal body temperature rises by about 0.3–1°C.
• Some feel a sharp pain near the ovaries when ovulating.
• Increased libido.
• The cervix sits higher and feels softer.
• Tender breasts.

How long does ovulation last?

Ovulation lasts about 24 hours. Once released, an unfertilized egg survives up to a day in the uterus.  

Does that mean I can only get pregnant one day a cycle?!

You can conceive if you have unprotected sex up to 7 days beforeovulation. Sperm can live in the reproductive tract for 5–7 days.

That’s why you can get pregnant even if sex happens before the egg arrives. These are your fertile days.

What are fertile days?

Your fertile window is the time you can get pregnant if you have unprotected sex.

It’s roughly a week before ovulation.

Ovulation itself lasts those 24 hours when the egg is in the uterus.

So I can get pregnant if I have unprotected sex during my fertile window and ovulation - but not otherwise? 

Right. But if you don’t want to get pregnant, always use protection.

You can never be 100% sure when you ovulate.

If you have an irregular cycle, it’s impossible to time ovulation accurately. You can get pregnant on your period, too - especially if you ovulate soon after and didn’t know it.

So keep protection handy - always and everywhere.

Does ovulation happen every month?

In an ideal world, yes. In reality - not always.

Many factors influence it:

• Age
• Perimenopause
• Body weight
• Stress

Summary:

1. Your fertile window lasts about 7 days - that’s how long sperm can survive.
2. Fertilization happens during ovulation, which lasts up to 24 hours.
3. It’s hard to pinpoint ovulation - so use protection, unless you’re trying to conceive.

Fun fact:

Researchers at the University of Salzburg found that women are smarter during ovulation.

They have better spatial orientation and recognize faces, shapes, and landscapes more easily - possibly to help find an ideal partner during the fertile window.