For many would-be parents, conception may seem out of reach. Fertile women ovulate at least once during the menstrual cycle, usually 14 days after the first day of your period. Ovulation is the only time you can become pregnant. There are many methods to keep track of your ovulation, and using a combination of them is the best at-home method for conception. If you have been trying to get pregnant for more than a year, however, see your doctor, as this may be a sign of fertility problems.

Calendar Method

If you have a fairly regular period, mark your calendar on the first day of your period. Between 10 and 18 days after the first day, you should be ovulating. It is best to have sex once a day during this time to become pregnant. For many women, stress, illness or poor nutrition can disrupt their menstrual cycle. It is important that you make healthy lifestyle choices while using this method to most accurately track when you are ovulating.

Cervical Mucus Inspection

Throughout the menstrual cycle, women usually secrete discharge of various colors, textures and consistencies. The consistency of this discharge can be a good indicator to whether you are ovulating. Right before ovulation begins, discharge may appear clear and slippery, resembling the texture of an egg white. During ovulation, discharge becomes cloudy and sticky. Do not inspect discharge after intercourse as you may simply be inspecting natural lubrication or semen.

Basal Body Temperature Method

During ovulation it is normal for your body temperature to rise about 0.5 to 1.6 degrees. Before ovulation temperature is usually around 96 to 98 degrees, and after ovulation it can rise up to 99 degrees. Plotting your daily body temperature can give some indication as to when you normally ovulate. However, this method may take months to perfect and can be complicated by other physical and emotional factors, so it is not the most reliable method on its own.

Digital Monitors

Digital monitors measure the hormone levels in your urine and can tell you whether you will ovulate within the next 24 to 36 hours.

Do's and Don'ts

Do have sex as frequently as possible. Even if you will not be ovulating for a few days, semen can stay in the reproductive tract for at least five days, so have sex as often as possible right before ovulation occurs. There are many myths about when to have sex and exactly how to have sex. There is no scientific evidence that suggests that having sex in a certain way will make you more likely to conceive. A common misconception is that a man must "save up" his semen to be the most fertile. This is wrong, according to the Mayo Clinic, and can hamper your chances of conceiving, by decreasing your frequency of sex.

Source:

MayoClinic.com: How to Get Pregnant

RedBookMag.com: How to Get Pregnant

SOC.UCSB.edu: UCSB SexInfoOnline---How to Get Pregnant