Updated by the Progyny Clinical Team \u2014 June 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The time when you’re most likely to get pregnant is around ovulation. This is when your ovaries release an egg. The timing can be different for everyone, depending on how long and regular your cycle is. If your cycle is 28 days long, ovulation usually happens between Day 13 and Day 15. Day 1 is the first day of full menstrual bleeding \u2014 not just light spotting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best time to have sex to achieve a pregnancy is a few days before ovulation occurs. This is because an egg survives for about 12 to 24 hours after ovulation. However, sperm can stay alive in the body for three to five days. That means you\u2019re fertile for about a six-day window. Couples should have sex at least every two days starting five days before ovulation until the day after ovulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make the most out of each session of sexual intercourse, you need to know when you are ovulating. There are several methods to detect the start of ovulation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Changes in cervical mucus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cervical mucus can be an indicator of ovulation. Before ovulation, cervical mucus is dry and sticky. As ovulation comes closer, it may take on a creamier consistency. Right before ovulation, cervical mucus tends to take on the consistency of a raw egg white and may become more slippery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For some, charting cervical mucus<\/a> can help identify cycle patterns. Others may find it difficult to reliably detect changes from month to month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n