Are you ready to get started on your conception journey? It can be fun and trying at the same time. But one thing that will most definitely help keep things on track is for you to determine the most fertile days of your cycle. This will help immensely, and it may even shorten the amount of time it takes for you to become pregnant.
So, without further ado, here is how you can determine when you are most fertile:
1. Chart Basal Body Temperature
Basal body temperature (BBT) is your temperature at rest, after at least three hours of uninterrupted sleep. Usually a women’s BBT rises by 0.4 to 0.8 degrees Fahrenheit after ovulation and will stay risen for at least three days in a row. To chart your basal body temperature, use a digital thermometer, which can read to 2 decimal places and take your temperature reading as soon as you awaken in the morning, before sitting up. Do this from the first day of your cycle until your last and record your temperature each day. After you ovulate, you will see a slight rise, and your temperature will remain elevated until your cycle ends. This rise is due to increased progesterone in your body. If you know anything about fertility, you may be thinking that it is too late to try to make a baby after you have ovulated. This is true, however, this method is most effective when used over time because it can help you predict ovulation for future cycles.
2. Track Cervical Mucus
Mucus is not exactly the most pleasant of conversation topics, but it is one we must discuss when talking about making babies. Your cervical mucus will change during your cycle, and it does so for a good reason. In the beginning of the cycle, its job is to protect your reproductive system from sperm and other foreign objects. It does this by “plugging” up the opening to your uterus. But when you ovulate, it is open season! This is when your cervical mucus becomes thinner, more slippery and stretchy. This is called Egg White Cervical Mucus, or EWCM, because it resembles the consistency of egg whites. EWCM is extremely friendly to sperm and will help them make the journey to your fallopian tubes. Fortunately, these changes take place before ovulation; so as soon as you notice EWCM, start having sex.
3. Use an Ovulation Prediction Kit (OPK)
OPKs are probably the most foolproof way of tracking ovulation, but the only downside is there is a cost attached. They are not necessarily pricey, but they are more expensive than the other free methods of determining when you are most fertile. The ovulation prediction kit is designed to identify when you are experiencing a surge in Luteinising Hormone (LH). It does this by testing for LH in your urine. To be clear, you should always have some LH in your urine, but it may increase by as much as fivefold when you are ovulating. Since an OPK can detect LH before ovulation, you may begin trying to conceive within the first cycle of testing.
Author: Dr Zeenobiyah McGowan Ph.D., an expert on women’s health and helping couples conceive naturally. Dr McGowan is a mother of one beautiful girl. She is editor-in-chief for Ovulationcalendar.com, also founded Impact Humanity, a charity which helps under privileged children get the basic necessities like food and education in Kenya.
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