So you’re pretty sure you’ve ovulated, and you did your best to get pregnant – what now?

The waiting time after ovulation until you are able to either take a pregnancy test or experience menstruation can be agonising, particularly if you have been trying to get pregnant for a while. In the ‘average’ 28-day cycle, menstruation occurs on Day 1 and ovulation occurs after this at around Day 14.

It can be very helpful for women to know when they are likely to ovulate. As a means of building more awareness of how their body works or as a tool to help maximise the chances of conceiving, becoming ovulation aware is a good skill to have. After all, over the course of a woman’s reproductive lifetime, ovulation can occur as many as 460 times, so there is plenty of opportunity to practice

Once you start paying attention to your body, it’s amazing how many hints it delivers about the various stages in your cycle – and ovulation symptoms are often quite noticeable and easy to detect once you know what to look for.

If you’re starting to wonder ‘Am I pregnant?’, then the best way to be sure is by doing a pregnancy test at around the time that your period would normally be due. But if you’ve got a niggling suspicion you might be pregnant – but no way of getting hold of a test for a while (or perhaps it’s still a bit early to do a test), try our fun ‘Am I Pregnant’ quiz. You can check some of those common early signs that make you wonder and see how you stack up!

For many years, home pregnancy tests have been most women’s first choice to confirm their suspicion they might be pregnant. Home pregnancy tests are inexpensive, disposable kits available over-the-counter from most pharmacies and they can also be purchased online.

Congratulations, you think (or know) you’re pregnant! But it’s quite confusing when you try to work out how many weeks pregnant you are

The two weeks between ovulation and when a period is due can seem, for many women, to last an eternity. Especially for those who are trying to conceive and are desperate to have their pregnancy confirmed. But the two-week wait to either have a period or have a pregnancy confirmed can also generate feelings of anxiety and apprehension for women who are just as keen not to have a baby.

When you’re trying to conceive, it is worth giving anything a go that you think will boost your chances. But it pays to bear in mind that the human race has been around for over 200,000 years and most of us were probably conceived without our ancestors investing too much thought into the mechanics.

Getting pregnant is all about timing. Having sex as close as possible to the moment of ovulation (when an egg is released from your ovaries) is the best time to get pregnant and will give you the best chance of a successful conception.

All pregnant women are advised to take folic acid supplements for at least one month before conceiving and for the first three months of their pregnancy. This mineral is essential for the healthy development of the neural tube.

Today we know a lot more about the importance of pre-conception care, and are aware that careful planning can have a positive impact on the health of the couple and their baby, both while in the womb and throughout life.

Here is a guide to help you plan for your pregnancy physically, financially and emotionally.

For many couples who are having difficulty conceiving, fertility assistance through a specialised clinic becomes their only chance of having a baby. This is rarely a simple option and, for some, the cost can make this an unrealistic choice.