what is the best time to try for a baby?

Answer 1

Most women DO NOT have textbook cycles. That is, most women simply do not ovulate on Day 14 of their cycle (14 days after the start of their last period) and then have another period (if no conception) 14 days later. There is considerable variation among women. And some women experience considerable variation within their own cycles.

In order to conceive, it's necessary to have (besides the obvious) fertile cervical fluid, ovulation and a long enough luteal phase (the days after ovulation and before the next period.

Cervical fluid: the most fertile cervical fluid has the consistency of egg white. It's slippery, clear and stretchy. Creamy CF is also considered fertile (lotion consistency). Sticky CF can be fertile too, but is generally not very good for conception. Sperm, to my knowledge survive longest and best in EWCF, and not at all w/o CF. Therefore, a woman could ovulate every cycle and have intercourse at the "right time" but not conceive due to lack of fertile quality CF. Somtimes, there is CF around the cervix, but none shows up in the underwear or on the toilet tissue when the woman goes to the bathroom. That doesn't mean it isn't there. Usually, a feeling of wetness will accompany fertile CF at the cervix regardless if the woman actually sees any. Poor quality or lack of CF can be treated naturally. I've heard there are even products that can be used to replace EWCF.

Ovulation: Usually, the fertile CF begins a few days before ovulaton and stops almos immediately after ovulation. The egg survives 12-24 hours after release. So, the best time to conceive is usually before ovulation when there is fertile CF present. Some conditions including PCOS and weight issues can make ovulation difficult or make a woman not ovulate at all.

After ovulation, the luteal phase begins. A normal LP is considered to be 12-14 days. An LP of at least 10 days is generally necessary for a conceived baby to implant. Therefore, if the LP is short (I have dealt w/ LPs of 6-7 days...though treated them successfully!), a woman may conceive but the baby may not have a chance to implant before the next period. In my experience, a short LP is fairly easy to rememdy.

I personally recommend charting to every woman. It's a fantastic way to get to know our bodies, to empower us really. At the same time, it helps us to know when we may conceive, when we may even avoid conception, and when there may be a problem either minor or serious. I've found the books Taking Charge of Your Fertility and Garden of Fertility to be very helpful for those wanting to chart. TCOYF also has an associated website which has a lot of great info and forums w/ many, many women charting (to conceive, avoid, or just to know themselves). Mothering.com has good discussion boards as does the Couple to COuple league.

In my opinion, charting is invaluable when trying to conceive. There are couples who manage to get pregnant the month they choose or shortly after. The average couple takes something like 6-12 months, I think. Charting can dramatically shorten the time to conception or alert you to the reason you haven't conceived. If you just take the "textbook" data and try for conception around Day 14 when you really ovulate on Day 18 and don't even have fertile CF until Day 16....conception is just not going to happen.

Good luck.

Answer 2

The best time to try for a baby is during ovulation. Every woman's cycle is different, so it's best to determine your ovulation days and try then.

Answer 3

after your period