And Know The Best Time Each Month To Try and Get Pregnant

Did you know there are only a few per cycle that a woman has an opportunity to get pregnant?  Understanding your cycle and being able to effectively predict ovulation is a key ingredient to conceiving and giving you control of your fertility.  Once you are confident in your fertile window, you can significantly increase your chances of conceiving each month. 

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Before we talk about predicting our cycle, we need to understand the four stages of a woman’s fertile cycle.  The cycle days of each phase are an estimate as each woman’s cycle is unique and can change each month.  This is why it’s so important that we understand our personal cycle patterns to identify the window we are most likely to get pregnant. 

Now that we understand how the cycle works.  How do we track and predict the four stages?  Here are suggested methods you can adopt to anticipate your personal cycle and be confident of your best days of conceiving.

A Period Tracking App

A simple download of a period tracking app such as Flo, Ovia, or Clue will help you understand your cycle trends, be able to predict your period, and tell you the assumed time frame of ovulation.  It will take a cycle or two to accurately predict your period but once the app begins to understand your cycle length and your pre-menstrual symptoms, it will give you an approximate date of your next period and your ovulation dates.  It’s important to know that these predictions are based on general data so the ovulation dates may not be accurate. 

To increase accuracy, use an Ovulation Predictor Kit (OPK).  OPK’s work by detecting a surge in a woman’s luteinizing hormone (LH) which happens around 34-36 hours before ovulation.  Start testing for ovulation each morning around days 10 or 11 of your cycle.  Once you receive a positive test you are likely fertile for the next two or three days. 

Free Download: Guide to Fertility Acronyms

Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) – This method uses fertility signs including morning basal body temperature and examining cervical mucus to predict ovulation and identify the fertile window.  Charts are available online to jot down your symptoms and watch for patterns each month. 

Basal Body Temperature – a popular way of tracking a woman’s menstrual cycle is the daily charting of basal body temperature (BBT).  Before ovulation, our waking body temperature is around 97-97.5 degrees Fahrenheit.  After ovulation occurs, our body temperature will rise slightly to 97.6-98.6.  If charting your cycle with BBT you will want to use a digital thermometer and take your temperature immediately after waking (before sitting up, checking your phone, or peeing) to ensure accuracy.  After a couple of cycles, you will ideally see a pattern of the day your temperature rises signaling when you ovulate.  This helps you understand your most fertile days for future cycles.

Devices, such as TempDrop are available to test your temperature each morning and record the data in an app making the practice more convenient. Most recent versions of the Apple Watch can now record BBT while you are sleeping. 

Related Read: Five Ways To Take Back Control Of Your Fertility

Examine Cervical Mucus – Checking your cervical mucus around anticipated ovulation can also predict your fertile window.  The texture of the fluid offers clues to where we are in our cycle and if it’s an opportune time to conceive.  Prior to ovulation cervical fluid will be dry and sticky, then as you near ovulation, it becomes increasingly wet and eventually resembles the texture of egg yolk.  This is the best time to try and get pregnant.  

Read: Five Ways to Increase IVF Success

The benefit in learning to track your cycle is that it takes much of the guess work out of identifying your fertile window and puts you in control of your fertility.  If you are looking for the best chance to conceive before pursuing IVF and other reproductive medicine options, this is where you start. 

If you are looking for support or coaching while trying to get pregnant, naturally or with the help of reproductive medicine, reach out to chat about coaching options.  You can also find more tools and resources on the Positive Fertility Instagram Page and Blog. 

Let’s put you in control of your fertility and on a more positive path to motherhood.