How To Track Your Cycle To Get Pregnant

Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle

If youre trying to get pregnant and want to track ovulation, you need to understand your menstrual cycle. Your menstrual cycle is your bodys way of preparing for pregnancy. It begins on the first day of your period and starts over when your next period begins. A typical menstrual cycle is 28 days, but cycles ranging from 21 to 35 days are considered normal.

Lots of changes happen in your body during the cycle, including hormone fluctuations. About halfway through, one of your ovaries releases a mature egg. The egg goes to one of your fallopian tubes, where it waits to be fertilized by sperm. The lining of your uterus gets thicker, too. This prepares the uterus for implantation of the fertilized egg.

If you dont get pregnant, it could mean that the egg didnt fertilize, or that the embryo didnt implant into the uterus. In those cases, the uterine lining sheds and you get your period.

How Can You Track Your Ovulation

Maybe youre trying for a baby, or perhaps youre trying not to get pregnant. Or maybe you simply want a better understanding of your body and your health. Whatever your situation, its a good idea to track your ovulation.

If youre aiming to get pregnant, then ovulation tests can be incredibly handy. They work by testing your urine for a surge in LH, which, as you now know, occurs around 36 hours before ovulation. This can help you figure out when youre likely to be ovulating. Simply pee on the sticks in the days before youre expecting to ovulate once you see a positive result, youll know ovulation is soon expected to occur. It might also help to take the tests twice a day to ensure you dont miss out on your chance of maximizing that peak.

Of course, you can also use a tool such as Flos ovulation calculator. Not everyone ovulates on day 14, so its smart to keep tabs on what your pattern tends to be. In fact, Flos 2020 study that we mentioned earlier found that only 13% of menstrual cycles saw ovulation on day 14.

And because its possible to get pregnant five days before ovulation, you can build up a picture of your fertile window over time, which means maximizing your baby-making chances in the process if thats what youre aiming to do.

Your Menstrual Cycle And Ovulation

Your menstrual cycle lasts from the first day of your period until the day before your next period starts. This is 28 days on average but longer or shorter cycles, from 21 to 40 days, are normal.

During your cycle, an egg is released from one of your ovaries and travels down the fallopian tube. It is usually released 10-16 days before your next period. Occasionally, a second egg is released, within 24 hours of the first egg.

The egg only lives for a maximum of 24 hours after ovulation, and a sperm must meet the egg within that period for pregnancy to happen.

You can get pregnant up to 2 days after you ovulate. But if you’ve had sex in the 7 days before ovulation, it’s possible to get pregnant because sperm can live inside a woman’s body for up to 7 days and fertilise the egg when it’s released.

The length of a menstrual cycle can vary over time, so to make sure your calculations are as precise as possible, measure your menstrual cycle over the course of 12 months.

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How Many Days After Your Period Do You Ovulate

If youre wondering how you know when you’re ovulating after your period, the answer lies with a tiny bit of math. To figure out how many days after the onset of your period youll ovulate, you need to know the length of your typical menstrual cycle. For some women, the timing of periods is a bit of a mystery, which means you may have to do a little more detective work to discover when you’re fertile.

But if your periods are as regular as clockwork, you’re in luck. Figure out when the first day of your period might be and count backward 14 days. The two to three days before that day in your cycle will be your most fertile window.

Keep track of your periods to see if you can detect a pattern. Maybe you think you’re often late, for example, but you really just have a long cycle . You can also try to watch for some ovulation symptoms, such as a change in the consistency of your cervical mucus or a slight dip and then uptick in your basal body temperature .

How To Calculate Your Period Accurately

The best way to track your period really means the best way for you. This partly depends on what you want the information for and on your personal preference for an apps function and design.

Tracking your monthly cycle to try to get pregnant, for example, requires different features than if you want to assess your PMS. And whether you love or hate designs that go all feminine with pink colors and lots of curlicues is a matter of taste.

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How Can I Keep Track Of My Menstrual Cycle

You can keep track of your menstrual cycle by marking the day you start your period on a calendar. After a few months, you can begin to see if your periods are regular or if your cycles are different each month.

You may want to track:

• Premenstrual syndrome symptoms: Did you have cramping, headaches, moodiness, forgetfulness, bloating, or breast tenderness?
• When your bleeding begins: Was it earlier or later than expected?
• How heavy the bleeding was on your heaviest days: Was the bleeding heavier or lighter than usual? How many pads or tampons did you use?
• Period symptoms: Did you have pain or bleeding on any days that caused you to miss work or school?
• How many days your period lasted: Was your period shorter or longer than the month before?

You can also download apps for your phone to track your periods. Some include features to track your PMS symptoms, energy and activity levels, and more.

The Best Way To Determine Ovulation

If a woman or couple is trying to optimize fertility, using an ovulation predictor kit is the best method, says Dr. Chan.

According to the World Health Organization, home-based use of ovulation predictor kits may improve fertility management when attempting to become pregnant. In some studies, evidence shows that ovulation predictor kits may increase pregnancy rates by about 40%.

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Potential Downsides To Using Period

Some privacy advocates have raised concerns about all the data you input in a period tracker and the potential for that data to be misused.

Consumer Reports notes that period-tracking apps gather a lot of intimate information about your sex life, whether you are trying to have a baby, if you engage in unprotected sex, have experienced a miscarriage, are approaching menopause that could potentially be sold to third parties for marketing or other purposes.

Having your personal health information out there may have serious repercussions, Consumer Reports cautions, such as whether and how much you pay for life insurance, or whether your employer discriminates against you.

If an app lets you opt out of sharing your data , always do so, Consumer Reports says.

How Do Ovulation Tests Work

Three Clearblue tests monitor both your estrogen and LH levels, identifying more days when you are fertile, compared with most other ovulation tests. Remember that your estrogen level rises first, followed by a surge in LH level. The detects your LH surge, identifying your two days of peak fertility.

Its important to know the day your last period started before using an ovulation test. From there, the type of test you choose will determine the right day to start testing. can help.

When testing, its important to use your first urine of the day. Just like with a pregnancy stick test, youll either pee on the tests absorbent tip, or dip the tip in urine collected in a clean, dry container. Your test instructions will tell you how long to hold the test in the urine sample and how long to wait for the results, as well as how to read the results. You will test daily to determine your peak fertility days. Once youve detected your LH surge, you can stop testing for that cycle and keep any remaining tests in case you need them for the following cycle.

Not sure which test to choose? Check out our comparison chart .

Predicting ovulation: A not-so-old history2For centuries, the timing of conception was mired in falsehoods, superstitions and misunderstandings. The study and understanding of ovulation is relatively new. Heres a quick look:

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First A Quick Health Lesson

Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of your period . Your body begins breaking down the lining of your uterus, and bleeding typically lasts three to seven days. During this stage of your cycle, your pituitary gland produces FSH , and fluid-filled follicles develop on your ovaries. Each follicle contains one egg.

The next phase of your cycle is called the follicular phase. This is the phase that leads up to ovulation. Typically, only one follicle keeps growing and starts to release increased levels of estrogen. Your uterine lining also becomes thick with nutrients and blood.

In a typical cycle, ovulation occurs next. High estrogen levels trigger an LH surge, forcing your follicle to rupture and release its egg, sending it through your Fallopian tube. Your egg will live 12 to 24 hours.

The time period after you ovulate is called the luteal phase. Your follicle begins making more progesterone, a hormone that helps the lining of the uterus store more blood and nutrients. The egg travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus. If the egg has been fertilized, it may embed in the uterine lining, marking the beginning of a pregnancy.

If the egg is not fertilized, the level of progesterone declines, the uterine lining breaks down and the egg is shed, along with your uterine lining, during your period.

How Do You Use Fertility Awareness

The first objective within fertility awareness is to become familiar with your menstrual cycle and to begin charting your fertility pattern. The average menstrual cycle is between 28 to 32 days.

Here is a glance at an average cycle to give you a gauge for examining your own cycle:

Day 1: The first day of your menstrual flow is the beginning of your cycle.

Day 7: By day seven your egg is preparing to be fertilized by sperm.

Days 11-21: Hormones in your body cause the egg to be released from the ovary, which is known as ovulation. The egg travels through the fallopian tube towards the uterus and is only available to be fertilized for 12-24 hours during this window. If the sperm penetrates the egg, the fertilized egg will attach to the lining of the uterus and begin to grow. If fertilization does not happen, the egg breaks apart.

Day 28: If the egg is not fertilized, hormone levels drop around this day, causing the lining of the uterus to be shed, which is known as menstruation.

It is important to realize that the first part of the menstrual cycle is different in every woman and can even change from month to month. The number of days before ovulation can typically range from 13 to 20 days. The last half of the cycle is usually more similar for every woman because there are about 12-16 days from the day of ovulation until the start of the next period.

Calendar tracking method: Tracking your menstrual cycles may help you estimate your fertile times.

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How To Track Ovulation With Irregular Periods

Many mothers-to-be often ask How can I track ovulation with irregular periods?. This question is very common and there are multiple solutions available.

Irregular periods create a challenge in tracking ovulation and knowing when the best time is to have sex in order to get pregnant. The good news is that tracking ovulation with irregular periods is pretty easy to pinpoint. You can even track your ovulation with a good amount of precision thanks to the advancement of modern medicine.

What Are The Common Signs Of Ovulation

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Where Can I View My Past Periods And Cycle History In The Clue App

To see an overview of your previous periods and cycles in the Clue app, tap on the Analysis tab and it will bring you to a screen that looks like this:

If you currently use Clue Plus, youâll be able to see an enhanced version of the Analysis screen. This will tell you your typical cycle length , your typical period length , and the typical cycle length variation .

Can You Get Pregnant During Your Period

For those with a shorter cycle the average is 28 to 30 days theres still a possibility pregnancy could occur if you have sex during your period. For example, if you have sex toward the end of your period and you ovulate early, you can conceive. Using birth control, condoms, or another barrier method is typically the best way to prevent pregnancy.

Read on to learn more about how to time sex and other ways to prevent pregnancy.

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Calculating Your Monthly Fertility Window

Your fertility window is the time during your menstrual cycle when youre most likely to get pregnant. For most people, its the five days leading up to ovulation, the day of ovulation and the day after ovulation. Calculating your monthly fertility window can help you target the optimal time to have sex if youre trying to conceive. However, natural family planning is a less reliable form of contraception and does not protect against sexually transmitted infections.

Tips And Tricks For Boosting Fertility

In addition to tracking your cycle, there are other things you can do to boost your fertility. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help improve your overall health and increase your chances of conceiving. Reducing stress through activities like yoga or meditation can also help. Taking supplements and vitamins, such as folic acid, can also be beneficial.

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Keep A Record Of Your Periods

Tracking your menstrual cycle simply means keeping a record of when youre menstruating and documenting other information related to your cycle. You used to have to do this with a calendar and pen, but now many great period-tracking apps make the job easy.

If you prefer to calculate your period the old-fashioned way, youll want to mark on a calendar the first day of bleeding with, for example, a slash or check mark, says , an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

The length of your cycle is measured from that day to the first day of your next period, Dr. Attaran explains. For most women, the average cycle is 28 days, although anything from 21 to 35 days is considered normal in adult women.

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What Is The Biological Fertile Window

Your biological fertile window consists of the five days leading up to and the day of ovulation . Unprotected sex during these days allows the possibility of conception .

Ovulation occurs when one of your ovaries releases an egg . The egg can be fertilized for up to 24 hours as it journeys through the fallopian tubes towards the uterus . Sperm can live inside the body for up to five days before ovulation this is affected by how well the sperm move and the amount and type of cervical fluid present .

Having sex or being inseminated during the fertile window, particularly the two days right before ovulation, increases your chances of pregnancy .

Your predicted day of ovulation will look like this in the Clue app:

Clue is not a diagnostic tool. It can help you pay attention to the predictability of your menstrual cycle and track your signs of ovulation to better understand your body. This may be helpful if your goal is to become pregnant.

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Exploring The Science Behind Ovulation

The primary factor in determining when you are most likely to get pregnant is ovulation. Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes. This typically happens once per menstrual cycle, usually about 14 days before the start of your next period. Hormones play a key role in the ovulation process. Estrogen and progesterone levels rise and fall throughout your cycle, leading up to the release of the egg.

Why Should I Keep Track Of My Menstrual Cycle

If your periods are regular, tracking them will help you know when you ovulate, when you are most likely to get pregnant, and when to expect your next period to start.

If your periods are not regular, tracking them can help you share any problems with your doctor or nurse.

If you have period pain or bleeding that causes you to miss school or work, tracking these period symptoms will help you and your doctor or nurse find treatments that work for you. Severe pain or bleeding that causes you to miss regular activities is not normal and can be treated.

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