The question of fertility occurs, most often, when a woman is trying to conceive. However, it is also a good idea to consider this question, if she wishes to avoid pregnancy and hence need to know safe days in her cycle. Everything about fertility relies on a woman's menstrual cycle even the sex of the baby! If she understands her cycle, she can take precautions against pregnancy or try to get pregnant, within the most fertile days. Therefore, understanding when a woman is most fertile is beneficial either way. This article will educate you on the menstrual cycle of a woman and what days in this cycle are most fertile.

Ovulation and Menstruation

Ovulation is the release of an egg from the fallopian tubes. Unlike men, who can release sperms any time and would have these sperms fertile for a few days within the woman's body, women are fertile only for 24 to 48 hours, from the time of ovulation. This is the time that the egg travels through the fallopian tubes. The egg begins to die, if it is not fertilized by sperm after this period. It is then expelled from the body via menstruation.

Menstruation or a period begins, for most women, every 28 days. However, not every woman's biological system is the same, and sometimes her period can start every 30 or 32 days. This poses a problem for many women as they are unable to guess their fertile days. Ovulation in some women can occur on the 8^th or 10^th day of her period or as in "normal" circumstances on the 14^th day. Those with irregular menstruation cycles will not have regular ovulation and will find it difficult to pinpoint their most fertile days without ovulation kits.

When Is a Woman Most Fertile? How to Pinpoint the Days?

Those women with a regular menstruation cycle can find out their fertile days by pinpointing the ovulation dates with the use of an ovulation calculator or fertility chart. The 1^st day of a woman's period is taken as the starting point of the cycle, and if the cycle is a 28 day cycle, then, the 14th day after a period is estimated to be the ovulation. In this case, days 12^th to 16^th are from the day of last period are the most fertile days of the woman. Having sex on days surrounding day 10 to day 16 will increase the chances of conception.

Women who are unsure about their fertile days, and are hoping to conceive can keep track of their fertility through added methods as discussed below:

• Tracking the BBT - by taking the basal body temperature (BBT) every day in the morning, a woman will be able to pinpoint their ovulation better. BBT decreases slightly, during ovulation, and spikes suddenly.  This indicates that she has ovulated.
• LH tracking - Another method of determining her fertile days is by testing the levels of luteinizing hormones (LH) in the urine which increase during ovulation.
• Checking the Cervical Mucus - Fertility is also indicated by a woman's cervical mucus. A fertile woman experiences an increased amount of cervical mucus that appears stretchy and watery in consistency. 
• Other signs - Some women may also experience abdominal pain either from the left or the ride side. This, too, is an indication that she has ovulated.

Sexual intercourse during the most fertile times is the best way to increase the chance of pregnancy. If aiming to avoid pregnancy, these same dates are the ones to abstain from sex.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee of pregnancy based on fertility dates. If the woman has a regular menstruation cycle, she has a better chance of identifying her most fertile dates with greater accuracy. Knowledge about fertile days can be combined with a proper track record of one's period, BBT and LH to have an accurate idea of one's most fertile dates.