If you have a regular cycle, and don’t have any medical conditions that affect your ability to get pregnant, calculating your most fertile days is not as difficult as you would assume. Counting days can be an effective way of figuring out when you ovulate.

The first thing you need to do is figure out how long your cycle is. The length of your menstrual cycle is the number of days from the first day of menstruation to the day before the following menstrual period starts. The majority women have cycles that are, on average, 28 to 30 days long. If you your cycle varies widely, you may have to use other methods, in addition to counting days, to pinpoint when you are going to ovulate.

Once you figure out how long your cycle is, you can count backwards 14 days from when your next period is supposed to start, and that is when you should be ovulating. You will want to plan to have intercourse about 3 days in advance of this day including 2 days before, 1 day before and day of ovulation. Keep in mind that sperm can survive up to 5 days after ejaculation if conditions are optimal so having sex all those days is not necessary, but it will increase your odds of getting pregnant.

Our free ovulation calendar shows you most fertile days for getting pregnant but you will have to know how long your cycle is in order to use it effectively.