Ovulation typically occurs about 12 to 14 days after the first day of your period if you have a regular 28-day menstrual cycle. More broadly, ovulation usually happens around the middle of the menstrual cycle, roughly between 11 and 20 days after the period starts. Since each woman's cycle length varies, ovulation can fall anywhere from around day 11 to day 21 of the cycle. For women with shorter cycles, ovulation may occur closer to day 11, and for longer cycles, it may happen closer to day 20. Ovulation usually occurs about two weeks before the next period begins and lasts about 12 to 24 hours. The fertile window, when conception is most likely, includes the days leading up to ovulation because sperm can survive in the female reproductive tract for up to 5 days. In summary:
- Ovulation occurs about 12 to 14 days after the first day of your period in a 28-day cycle.
- Ovulation can vary between day 11 and day 21 depending on cycle length.
- Ovulation lasts about 12 to 24 hours.
- The fertile window spans about 5 to 6 days including the day of ovulation and days before it.
