Pregnancy - when is the best time to conceive?
Pregnancy is all about timing so let’s get some facts straight about ovulation, fertilization and finally the importance of timing when using a sperm donor.
When you’re trying to get pregnant, timing is everything – whether you are doing it the traditional way or having fertility treatment. For some women, pregnancy happens quickly while it takes longer for others. No one can say exactly how long it takes to get pregnant, but of all women trying to conceive, most get pregnant within three months of trying. However, it is quite normal for the waiting period to be longer.
The best time to conceive
The best time to conceive is during your ovulation, because in this period you reach the peak of your fertility. Som may refer to this as your “fertile window”. The fertile window is, in fact, the only time during a woman’s menstrual cycle when pregnancy is possible. It occurs two days before your ovulation and the day of your ovulation where the egg is released from your ovary.
The lifetime of a woman’s egg is only about 12-24 hours. During this period of time, it needs to be fertilized by the sperm. We recommend taking an ovulation test which can help you to identify your fertile window. Artificial insemination with donor sperm should take place 24-36 hours after a positive ovulation test.
If you want to read more about the menstrual cycle and how it might affect your chances of conceiving, then follow the link to our blog post The female reproductive system.
Fertilization – what happens?
Just a quick brush up: Pregnancy occurs when one sperm cell reaches the egg and fertilizes the egg. The sperm cell needs to make its way into the fallopian tube and burrow into the egg for the egg to be fertilized.
When the sperm cell is safe inside the egg, the egg changes so that no other sperm cells can get in. In the moment of the fertilization, the baby’s genes and sex are already set. It is the sperm cell and not the egg that decides the baby's sex. If the sperm cell has an X chromosome you will be expecting a girl, and if the sperm cell has a Y chromosome your baby will be a little boy.
When is the best time to conceive with donor sperm?
When using donor sperm to become pregnant, it is still the time of ovulation, that is recommended as a time to conceive. When using donor sperm, there are a few extra things to consider. You have to think about the time of delivery and whether you have made an reservation on donor sperm for later use. No matter what, it is important that you place the order at least 2 days prior to the desired shipping date.
Remember to make sure that the delivery date takes places on the day before you need the sperm for fertility treatment at a clinic at the latest. This is to make sure that you receive the sperm when your fertile window occurs.
Good timing is the key when trying to conceive, and knowing your ovulation date is very important. But a piece of good advice is to try to be patient and never give up hope. Even if your ovulation date comes and goes without conception. One day, the right egg and the right sperm cell will meet and magic will happen.