Best time in cycle to conceive?

The fertile window is the five days before ovulation plus the day of ovulation itself — so about six days per cycle. In a regular 28-day cycle that is roughly days 10 to 16, but this shifts with your own cycle length. The reason it works that way: sperm can survive in the reproductive tract for up to five days, while the egg survives only about 12 to 24 hours after release. So sperm already present when the egg arrives is what matters, which means the days *before* ovulation are more useful than the day after. Practically, sex every one to two days through that window covers it. You do not need to do it daily, and you do not need to time it to the hour. If your cycles are irregular, working out the window from dates alone is unreliable. Ovulation predictor kits detect the LH surge, which precedes ovulation by roughly 24 to 36 hours. Cervical mucus becoming clear and stretchy is another useful sign, and it appears before ovulation rather than after — which makes it more practically useful than basal body temperature, which only confirms ovulation once it has already happened. One caution: intensive timing can turn conception into a scheduling exercise and put real strain on a relationship. For most couples, regular sex across the fertile window is as effective as precise tracking and considerably easier to sustain.