Are people more likely to get pregnant in the days just before, just after, or the days that are um, mid-cycle - 14 days before/after a period?

I shoulda listened more in Biology class. Thanks.

Ovulation, courtesy of the Australian Govt:

Ovulation is a phase of the female menstrual cycle that involves the release of an egg (ovum) from one of the ovaries. New life begins if the ovum meets with a sperm during its journey down the fallopian tube. Ovulation depends on a complex interplay of glands and their hormones, and generally occurs about two weeks before the onset of the menstrual period. Typical ovulation symptoms and signs include changes in cervical mucus and a small rise in basal temperature. For most women, ovulation occurs about once every month until menopause, apart from episodes of pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, some women experience irregular ovulation or no ovulation at all.

Signs of ovulation

The female body shows several signs of ovulation. You may experience some or all of these signs, including:

* Regular menstrual cycles - menstrual periods that arrive every 24-35 days are more likely to be ovulatory than periods that occur more or less often.

* Mucus changes - about two weeks before menstruation, an ovulating woman may notice slick and slippery mucus.

* Abdominal pain - some women experience pain during ovulation. The pain may be general or localised to one side of the abdomen.

* Premenstrual symptoms - ovulation may accompany premenstrual symptoms such as breast enlargement and tenderness, abdominal bloating and moodiness.

* Temperature rise - women who use a natural family planning method of contraception will notice a small rise in their basal temperature after ovulation has occurred. The temperature rise is about half a degree Celsius. This temperature rise does not predict ovulation - it suggests that ovulation has already taken place.

Ovulation generally occurs between 13-17 days after the start of the menstrual cycle. It really depends on the length of the woman's cycle, as well. If she has a slightly longer cycle then it will be more than 13 days.

check out this link

or u can count backwards: seven days after the last day of your mestrual cycle ...

Ta

Actually the number of days from the start of last period will vary by the length of the woman's menstrual cycle, but regardless of length of cycle ovulation will be about 14 days before each period.

If her cycle is regular, then just subtract 14 from the total cycle length. If cycle is irregular, you can't go by days, but many women will still know when ovulating by the physical signs.

BUT: sperm can live for a few days and so can fertilized eggs, so it is possible to become pregnant as a result of sex several days before or after ovulation. Basically you have to figure at least 3 days on either side (5 is safer) of the approximate date of ovulation if trying to avoid pregnancy. Even so it's not a very reliable method.

If on the other hand you are trying to conceive - rev it up about 3 days before expected ovulation until at least 3 days after either the expected date or time of physical signs, whichever comes later.