Menstrual Cycle

Understand your Menstrual Cycle & Fertile Window

Every month, from puberty to menopause, an egg is released from a follicle within one of your ovaries. A menstrual cycle usually takes around 28 days to complete, but can take anywhere between 26 and 32 days.

It is important to understand your menstrual cycle to work out when your most fertile time of the month is. This is your pregnancy window – the days leading up to ovulation, when you should be having regular intercourse if you are trying to conceive. Once the egg is released at ovulation, it will only survive for 24 hours. Therefore, the sperm should be waiting for the egg in order to increase your chance of conception

Your Fertile Window

Day 1 of your menstrual cycle is the first day of bleeding. In an average 28 day cycle, ovulation happens between day 12 and day 15. To work out when you ovulate, subtract 14 days from the number of days in your cycle or use our Ovulation calculator.

When is the Best Time to Try for a Baby?

The window of opportunity to conceive typically lasts for five to six days and will begin two to three days before ovulation. Hence, if ovulation occurs on day 12 of your cycle, you should start having regular intercourse on day 9 of your cycle.

So Why Are We Not Pregnant?

At Virtus Fertility Centre Singapore, we can carry out fertility tests to determine what is happening during your menstrual cycle, and discuss some ways in which we can help increase your chances of conceiving through our selection of fertility services.