Let's Make It Your Year - Week 1

Did you know that women only have a 20% chance of conceiving each month? It’s a miracle any of us are here! 

But if you're here, then you are probably thinking about getting pregnant soon or already having lots of fun trying.

Let’s decode the female and male anatomy to help you improve your chances of getting pregnant naturally. The most obvious, but not always the simplest, is understanding your menstrual cycle and correctly timing intercourse.

When are you most fertile?

It is a common misconception that having sex when you are ovulating gives you the highest chance of conception. The reality is that your most fertile days are actually the days leading up to ovulation - before the egg is released from the ovary. This period is called the fertile window.

You can calculate your fertile window here >>>> 

If you have irregular periods or your cycle length varies from month to month, it may be difficult to calculate your ovulation date.

In this case, at-home ovulation tests can be purchased from your local pharmacy to help you determine your fertile window.

A recent study by the team at our sister clinic, Queensland Fertility Group, looked at the accuracy of over 400 fertility apps. The findings revealed that the top most accurate apps for tracking your cycle are Flo, Glow and Kindara. These apps can be useful in providing you with information on your fertile window. It is not recommended that you rely solely on an app, but they are a useful place to start to better understand your cycle.

Your fertility specialist can also help you track your ovulation by using a number of blood tests and ultrasounds to provide you with a more comprehensive overview.

Timing sex

We recommend having sex at least every two to three days during your fertile window to give you the best chance of conception.

This is because after ovulation, the egg survives for just 24 hours while sperm retain fertilising capabilities for two to three days in the fallopian tubes. This way the sperm are ready and waiting when you ovulate.

If you wait until you have ovulated before you have sex, you may have missed your opportunity for conception that month.

What about the guys?

There’s a myth that a man should not ejaculate frequently and store up his sperm, so that it becomes more ‘potent’. This is not the case. You need frequent ejaculation in order to continually have the best swimmers ready to fertilise the egg! We recommend ejaculating every two to three days so the sperm health and motility is maximised.