If you’ve been trying to get pregnant with no success, this information may help you to know when to seek help.
Once a month, your pituitary gland triggers your ovaries to release an egg (ovulate). Most of the time this happens around the 14th day of the menstrual cycle. The egg travels to your fallopian tube and then has about 24 hours to get together with a sperm for the purpose of conception. Sperm can survive for two to three days in your reproductive tract, so if you want to get pregnant, have regular sex around the time you’re liable to conceive.
You’re Pregnant!
A fertilized egg will move to your uterus 2-4 days later, where it will attach itself to the lining of your uterus. Your periods will stop.
An egg that remains unfertilized will break down and your period will arrive as usual.
Use a calendar to mark the first day of your period every month. Track the number of days your period lasts. If your cycle is regular, occurring every 28 days, for instance, ovulation is liable to occur the 14th day after your last period began.
If you have longer cycles, subtract 18 days from the number of days in your shortest cycle. When your next period starts, count ahead this many days. The following week will be your most fertile time. Calendars are free, but it can be hard to track the time of ovulation in an irregular cycle.
When you are due to ovulate, you may notice an increase in clear, slippery vaginal mucus which will become cloudy and sticky or disappear when ovulation is past. Learn to tell the difference.
You’re Hot… Basal Body Temperature
The body’s temperature at rest is called basal body temperature. Ovulation can cause a rise or jump in basal temperature from between 0.5-1.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Two to three days prior to a rise in temperature is when your body is at its most fertile. When a higher temperature remains steady for 3 days or longer, you may assume that ovulation has occurred. Take your temperature before you get out of bed and enter the readings on graph paper. Watch for a pattern to emerge.
You can buy over the counter ovulation kits to test your urine for signs of ovulation. Follow the instructions on the package. Tests can be expensive, costing from $20-$50 a test. It’s important to note that such tests aren’t always accurate.
Get advice from other women on getting pregnant in our pregnancy forum.
