Ovulation is the time during a woman's menstrual
cycle when an egg is released from an ovary and travels down the
fallopian tube. Once the egg is released, there is a 24 hour period
during which the egg is viable for fertilization. If sperm does not
fertilize the egg during that time, conception will not occur.
Ovulation is the time during a woman's menstrual
cycle when an egg is released from an ovary and travels down the
fallopian tube. Once the egg is released, there is a 24-hour period
during which the egg is viable for fertilization. If sperm does not
fertilize the egg during that time, conception will not occur.
Therefore, the most important task in timing a planned pregnancy is to
predict the dates you are going to ovulate. Because you do not have a
window into your uterus, you can't see when that egg has been released.
However, there are some pretty accurate methods to figuring out when
you will be ovulating.
Ovulation Predictor #1 - Count the Days Women with regular periods can predict their dates of ovulation
fairly accurately. Usually, ovulation occurs 10 to 14 days after a
woman begins the first day of her period. Marking down day one of the
start of your period and then counting 10 to 14 days after that is the
simplest way to predict when you are going to ovulate.
Ovulation Predictor #2 - Take a Home Test Your local pharmacies now carry ovulation predictor tests. They
work in much the same way as a pregnancy test does. You hold a stick in
your urine stream and the stick will then give you a positive or
negative ovulation result. These tests are useful if you have fairly
regular cycles and you want extra reassurance for scheduling
intercourse for conception. You take a test around the time that you
think you are ovulating, and the test can confirm your prediction.
However, the accuracy of these tests sometimes leaves something to be
desired, as they can provide false negatives. Additionally, the
ovulation predictor tests can be very costly if your cycles are
irregular and you have no idea approximately when you will ovulate.
Ovulation Predictor #3 - Check Your Basal Body Temperature Taking your basal body temperature with a basal thermometer is a
more accurate and less expensive way of predicting ovulation. Basal
thermometers are inexpensive and can be purchased at pharmacies.
Because basal temperatures rise ever so slightly, you cannot monitor
them with a regular thermometer. Take your temperature as soon as you
wake in the morning, and keep track of the daily recordings. When you
see the temperatures start to rise you'll know that you are getting
close to ovulating.
Ovulation Predictor #4 - Note Any Type of Body Discomfort Many women can feel a change in their bodies when they are getting
ready to ovulate. Some women can feel a slight swelling in their
ovaries when they gently press on that area. Other women feel a
slightly uncomfortable, bloating-type of feeling when they are getting
ready to ovulate. If you fall into this category, consider yourself
somewhat lucky because you can tell without a whole lot of effort when
you are ovulating.
Ovulation Predictor #5 - Evaluate Your Cervical Mucus While this may be the least desirable of the prediction methods,
many women are convinced this is the best way to predict ovulation.
When you are close to ovulation, the cervical mucus changes in
consistency. It will go from cloudy to clear and it will become
stretchy. If you check the mucus every day, you will become skilled at
noting the changes and you can tell when you are ovulating.
Predicting
ovulation cannot always be done with 100% accuracy, but you can get
close to determining the dates so that you can time your intercourse
and massively increase your chances of pregnancy faster!
For more excellent advice, lifestyle changes and strategies on getting pregnant during ovulation, take the time to visit our site for an inside look at our book "Becoming Pregnant Naturally".
We want you and your partner to have your best chance at getting
pregnant in a way that is natural, wholesome, healthy... and fast!