If you are trying to avoid getting pregnant or are trying to conceive, it is common to wonder what the fertile days after period are.This won't be that hard if you know your menstruation cycle well and also get some basic knowledge about your body changes during this time. Just keep reading on to figure out your fertile days.

The Timing of the Most Fertile Days After Period

The day the woman is most fertile is on the day she ovulates. Ovulation occurs about 14 days after the first day of the menstrual period, so the most fertile day is about 8-10 days after your period (if your period lasts 4-6 days), but if you have long menstrual cycles, the day you ovulate will be later. So you need to understand what your cycle length is and plan your most fertile day accordingly. The following is a guide as to the fertile days after period in a normal cycle that is 28 days in length.

NOTE

The actual window of ovulation is when the egg is ready to be fertilized. This is only about 12-24-hours. Because sperm can survive in the female body for three to five days after having sex and the egg is available for an additional day, you have about a 5-7-day period of time in which you are fertile.

More Ways to Predict the Most Fertile Days After Period

Because a woman’s cycle is not always exactly 28 days and many women have irregular menstrual cycles, there are other things you can pay attention to in order to identify when you are ovulating. Things like the cervical mucus and your basal body temperature can help you tell exactly when you are ovulating, so you can get pregnant or avoid getting pregnant, whichever you are looking for.

1.   Watch Cervical Mucus Changes

The consistency of the cervical mucus changes throughout the menstrual cycle. After having your period for five days, you will have about 3-4 days in which you have little cervical mucus. The moistness of the mucus increases every day so that the wettest day is about day 9 of your cycle. The mucus at this stage is easily recognizable. It should be clear, stretchy, slippery and should have the appearance of egg whites. You need this type of cervical mucus in order for the sperm to travel up into the uterus. Ovulation generally happens when you've had the stretchy type of mucus for about 1 to 2 days.

2.   Record Your Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

Before you ovulate, the temperature of your body stays about the same when you check it every morning before getting out of bed. As you near the ovulation time, there may be a dip in the basal body temperature followed by a spike in temperature after you ovulate. This spike in temperature indicates that you have just ovulated.

You need to use a specific basal body temperature thermometer because this type of thermometer is going to be very accurate. To make sure you know your most fertile days after period, this is how you should use the BBT thermometer:

• Don’t get out of bed before taking your temperature each morning.
• Use a special BBT thermometer which can tell subtle differences in temperature. The body temperature rises only about 0.4-1 degree at the time of ovulation.
• Write down your temperature each day on a fertility calendar so that you can detect changes over time.

Note:

The basal body temperature method only really works well if you have the time and motivation to take your temperature every day for at least a few months at a time to make sure you know what your body is doing every month. You need to know that things like traveling, being ill, and alcohol or drug use can affect your body temperature, making it hard to get a good reading. If you have insomnia, this can throw off the reading as well. It is, therefore, extremely important to get at least three days in a row of restful sleep before using the BBT thermometer for accurate reading.

3.   Use Ovulation Predictor Kits

This method can be expensive, but it is usually pretty accurate. It is available in most pharmacies. The test kit indicates the level of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine. By doing this method, you can tell when the luteinizing hormone peaks, which is the time of ovulation. The test kit is similar to a pregnancy test but measures ovulation instead.

4.   Notice Abdominal Pain or Spotting

Some women will know they are ovulating because they have an aching pain in the pelvic area during the time of ovulation. It may be a brief pain or one that lasts a couple of hours. Other women will experience spotting at the time of ovulation, making it easier to recognize when they are the most fertile.

5.   Feel Breast Tenderness

Progesterone level has risen at the time of ovulation. The progesterone increase can cause your breasts to become tender during the time of ovulation and in the days after that. It can occur beginning at the time of ovulation or after you have already ovulated. If you are experiencing breast tenderness, you have probably already ovulated or are ovulating at the time.

6.   Check the Cervix

You can actually examine the cervix to see if it is open or not, which can also help to figure out the most fertile days after period. During ovulation, the cervix will be a little bit more open than when you are not fertile. Right after the period, the cervix will hang low and will feel closed and hard. As you begin to be more fertile, the cervix will rise up and will feel much softer than when you are infertile.

You can check your cervix yourself by making sure your hands are clean and dry. You should put one foot on the toilet or on the bath tub. You can also squat down to feel the cervix. It feels like a mound or lump that is a bit opened. It is easiest to check your cervix right after your menstrual bleeding has stopped, and harder when the cervix rises around the time of ovulation.

7.   Have Increased Libido

If you feel especially like having sex, it might be because you are about to ovulate. There is an increase in the libido in women during the time of ovulation. In one study, women tracked their luteinizing hormone level and their libido level. And it showed that women were more likely to engage in sex during the time of ovulation, probably because of the LH surge.