The Big O - Ovulation

When you're trying to conceive, ovulation is where it is at. Seemingly normal lives are disrupted becoming slaves to basal body temperatures, ovulation predictors, and even cervical mucus. The things we'll do for our kids...even the ones that haven't been conceived yet. Here are a couple of methods that should help you get in touch with your body's cycle and help you best predict your most fertile days.

Charting

If it is taking you a little longer than anticipated to conceive, charting a few key things each day can increase your odds each month. Keeping track of your monthly cycle may seem like a pain but compared to the more expensive and invasive treatments that could follow, this is one of the best ways to start trying to conceive.

There are several ovulation calendars (free and otherwise) sprinkled all over the internet. Find one that appeals to you and is intuitive. On your calendar you should track four basic things:

1. Basal Body Temperature. By checking your body temperature first thing in the morning, you will start to see some patterns emerge. Before ovulation, an average BBT is 97.0 to 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit. During ovulation, your body releases progesterone and your temperature will see a minor spike of .1 or .2 degrees. The spike happens a day or two after ovulation so tracking your temperature doesn't become a good resource until after you've charted for a month or two and you can start to see a pattern. These charts are an excellent resource to have on hand if in the future when you see your doctor. For me, my doctor was able to intuit, and later diagnose my Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).

2. Cervical Mucus. Okay. Before you write this off, checking your cervical mucus is even more effective that tracking your BBT. As you near ovulation, your cervix produces more mucus than normal. When you are most fertile its consistency is like egg whites, stretchy and clear. The purpose of this change is to help protect the sperm and guide it towards the egg.

You can check your cervical mucus by rubbing your hand or a small piece of toilet paper over the opening of your vagina. Take a note of the color and consistency. You should be able to notice a pattern and tell the difference throughout your cycle.

3. When you menstrual cycle began. You can start charting at any time but ideally you should start charting at the beginning of your menstrual cycle and go from there.

4. When you've had intercourse. It is hard not to treat intercourse like a chore when you're dealing with fertility issues and trying to conceive but this is one more thing you should be keeping track of to better increase your chances of conception. It is the one thing you MUST be doing if you have any chance of becoming pregnant without technological intervention.

My favorite resource for charting is the book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health. This book by Toni Weschler is the definitive resource for the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM).

Ovulation Predictors

Ovulation predictor kits are now found in any drugstore or mega mart. They can get a little pricey so before you invest, I'd take the time to chart for a few months. In my case, through charting, I was able to see that I wasn't ovulating and needed a little more help. For me, these predictors would have been a serious waste. With that said, I know that many others have found great success using these predictors and can wholeheartedly recommend them.

These kits can predict ovulation within six hours which makes it easier to time intercourse. Used with charting, you'll be able to recognize the signs and should be able to use fewer predictor sticks. One thing to note, fertility drugs can alter the results so these are not accurate enough to use once you've taken the step to fertility medication.

Don't Give Up

In my experience, the most difficult part in trying to conceive was the waiting. Waiting for cycles to start, waiting for cycles to end, hoping for the best, etc... More women are waiting until later in life to start families and sometimes it seems that you don't have even a spare month or two to "waste" charting or using predictor kits. As always, work in conjunction with your doctor and work out what is best for your personal situation. Wishing you all the best!