Ovulation Calendar

How do you find those magical days when conception is easiest? Every month, hormones from your pituitary gland stimulate one of your ovaries to ovulate, or release a mature egg. The egg then travels down your fallopian tube, where it waits to meet your partner’s sperm. The time to conceive is NOW, since your egg can only survive for 24-hours after it’s released. But because his sperm can survive in your reproductive tract for up to three days, have sex daily in the several days leading UP TO, the day OF, and the day AFTER ovulation. If the egg is successfully fertilized during this time, it will then move to your uterus, where it will implant and begin to grow. If the egg does NOT meet with sperm, it will be released during your period several weeks later. Although the process sounds pretty simple, every woman’s ovulation cycle varies, and can change each month. To find YOUR fertile window, track when your period begins and ends for several months. Then, count backwards 12 to 16 days from the day your next period is due. For example, if your period is due on the 28th of the month, you’ll ovulate around day 14. That means you’ll want to have sex on the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th day of the month. However, if your period is less than predictable, you can try another method-like testing your cervical mucus-to find your fertile time. Cervical mucus is a fluid released by the cervix to help sperm travel more easily to your egg. Because your body releases thicker cervical mucus several days before ovulation, you can use your fingers or toilet paper to check for it. While normal vaginal discharge may be slightly sticky, cervical mucus has the consistency of raw egg white-clear and slippery. You can also chart your fertile window by consistently taking your temperature immediately upon waking. This measurement, known as basal body temperature, or BBT, remains steady before ovulation. When your body releases an egg, however, hormonal changes cause BBT to rise slightly, between .5 and 1.6 degrees fahrenheit. Although you may notice your temperature spiking on other days, unless it stays that way, you’re probably not ovulating.  An ovulation prediction kit, which you can buy at the pharmacy, is an even EASIER way of determining when you’re ovulating. These kits test your urine for the presence of an ovulation hormone called lutenizing hormone, or LH. While many kits can accurately predict ovulation mere hours before it happens, they may provide false LH results. Because each method of fertility tracking has its pros and cons, follow your doctor’s advice and use the best combination that works for you.