It’s All In The Timing
Getting pregnant is about timing. Conditions need to be right for an egg and sperm to meet. Fertility awareness methods can help women recognize the fertile time during the menstrual cycle. Tracking ovulation provides clues to when the body is ready to start the process of trying to conceive.
Keeping track of your eggs
During ovulation, a mature egg is released from the ovary. Those 6 days are crucial for ovulation tracking. Why? Because the egg can be fertilized for about 12-24 hours after being released from the ovary. Missing that window could mean another month of waiting to get pregnant.
Don’t miss the window
In the average 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation happens around 14 days before the start of the next menstrual period. For many women, this fertile window is anywhere between 4 days before or after the midpoint of the menstrual cycle.
Menstrual calendars help track imperfect cycles
Many women do not have consistent 28-day menstrual cycles. Tracking ovulation with a menstrual calendar will increase fertility awareness and help determine the midpoint of a menstrual period. This will help with timing conception efforts.
Don’t forget about the sperm
If the conditions are right, sperm can live inside the female reproductive tract for up to 5 days after sexual intercourse. The chance of getting pregnant is highest when live sperm are present in the fallopian tubes during ovulation.
Is there an app for that?
Fertility-tracking apps can help with tracking ovulation. Doctors have noted that these apps can help women become more aware of the menstrual cycle. Some studies have shown fertility-tracking apps can increase the likelihood of conceiving.
Do you have a temperature?
During ovulation, a woman’s body increases in temperature. Daily use of a thermometer designed to track basal body temperature can help track fertility windows. Women are the most fertile 1-3 days before temperature increases.
What is the cervical mucus method?
Just before ovulation, the cervical mucus noticeably increases, and the mucus becomes thin and slippery. Mucus decreases and becomes thicker and less noticeable directly after ovulation. To promote pregnancy, have intercourse every day or every other day when the thin and slippery cervical mucus is present.
If you need help
Getting pregnant can takes months or longer. There are factors in both men and women that can cause infertility. See a fertility specialist if conception does not happen after 1 year of unprotected sex for women under age 35, and after 6 months of unprotected sex for women over age 35.
