Timed intercourse

The time in which you have intercourse can have a huge bearing on getting pregnant or not, because your fertile window is made up of a few days each month when pregnancy is possible.

Sperm can survive for a maximum of five days inside a woman and your ovum or egg survives for one day. This means that your fertile period is six days long comprised from five days before you ovulate and one day after. Pregnancy is possible on any one of these six days but your chances will increase if you have intercourse on the three days immediately leading up to and including your ovulation day. This means you have a practical fertile window of just three days.

Although there are signs you body is ovulating, see signs I am ovulating, like having a raised body temperature or experiencing a stickier, thicker vaginal discharge, it is very hard for women to predict when their fertile days are. Some women feel a slight pain in one or the other of their ovaries and this can also indicate that an egg is being released and ovulation is about to occur. It can still be difficult for many women to tell the exact days they ovulate on.

With this in mind, why not let our Ovulation calculator lend a helping hand and do the maths for you. All you have to know is the date of the first day of your last monthly period and how long your cycle usually lasts for, (most women's cycles last for about 28 days). Our clever calculator will predict which days you are most likely to be fertile over the next year so you can book that weekend away!

See our feature Baby-making positions for more hints on upping your chances of falling pregnant and which positions are best to experiment with when you are trying to make a baby!

Trying for a baby can be very stressful and most couples feel the pressure in the bedroom. The trick is to NOT think too much about the fact that you may be making a baby, and concentrate on having a good time. It might help to go away for a weekend so that you are both relaxed and away from any other stresses and strains. The more relaxed and content you are the more likely you are to get pregnant.

Other hints that can help you when trying for a baby:

- Experts recomend that you have sex regularly. This translates as 2-3 times a week every week (no, not every day!). If you want to increase the amount of sex you have (for example once a day) when you know you ovulate this is fine too.

- It has been found that sperm can start to deteriorate after more then 10 days of abstinence so although it seems to make sense to wait until your fertile period and have as much sex as possible, it is actually better to have regular sex throughout your cycle and increase sexual activity during your fertile days.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.