Ovulation is part of the female reproductive cycle. Ovulation is the process that occurs when the ovary releases an egg, which then enters the fallopian tube (the tube that connects the ovary to the uterus). This egg is then ready to be fertilized for the next 12-24 hours. If fertilization occurs, the egg will implant in the uterus and secrete hormones that will prevent menstruation. If fertilization does not occur within 12-24 hours, the egg cannot be fertilized again and will be shed along with the uterine lining during menstruation. Knowing when you ovulate can help you plan or prevent pregnancy.
Step
Method 1 of 5: Monitoring Basal Body Temperature
Step 1. Purchase a basal body temperature thermometer
Basal body temperature is the lowest body temperature during a 24-hour period. To regularly measure and monitor your basal body temperature (BBM), you will need a thermometer that measures your basal body temperature.
You can buy a basal body thermometer at most drug stores and there is a chart in the package that is used to help monitor your SBT for several months
Step 2. Measure and record your basal body temperature every day for several months
In order for your SBT monitoring to be accurate, you must take your temperature at the same time every day: as soon as you wake up, before you even get out of bed.
- Place the SBT thermometer by the bed. Try to get up and take your temperature at roughly the same time each morning.
- Basal body temperature can be measured by mouth, rectally (anus), or vaginally. Whichever way you choose to take your temperature, continue to take it with that method to ensure consistent records every day. Rectal and vaginal measurements usually give more accurate results.
- Record your temperature each morning on a piece of graph paper or an SBT chart, which is a sketch chart to monitor your body temperature.
- You will have to monitor your SBT every day for several months to see the pattern.
Step 3. Look for a prolonged increase in body temperature
Most women's SBT increases by about half a degree for at least 3 days during ovulation. Thus, monitoring your SBT is done to identify when this temperature rise occurs every month, as this will allow you to anticipate when you will ovulate.
Step 4. Try to anticipate ovulation
After a few months of monitoring your SBT every morning, look at the chart to try to determine when you are ovulating. Once you can identify a pattern of increasing your SBT each month, you will be able to anticipate when you will ovulate by doing the following:
- Look for when a regular increase in temperature occurs each month.
- Mark two to three days before this rise in body temperature, which are most likely the days you ovulate.
- These notes will also be very useful to show your doctor if you think there may be infertility problems.
Step 5. Understand the limitations of this method
While your SBT can be a useful tool, it also has limitations that you should be aware of.
- Chances are you can't identify the pattern. If you can't identify the pattern after a few months, you may need to use another method along with SBT monitoring. Consider adding one of the other methods discussed in this article to your routine.
- Your basal body temperature can be disturbed by changes in your circadian rhythm (a 24-hour cycle of physiological processes in living things), which can be caused by working the night shift, sleeping for long or too long, traveling, or drinking alcohol.
- Basal body temperature can also be disturbed due to periods of increased stress, such as holidays or times when suffering from an illness, as well as certain medications and gynecological conditions.
Method 2 of 5: Checking Cervical Mucus
Step 1. Begin examining and testing your cervical mucus
Starting as soon as your period ends, the first thing you should do in the morning is check for cervical mucus.
- Wipe off the mucus with a clean piece of toilet paper and check for any mucus you get by picking up a small amount with your finger.
- Note the type and consistency of the mucus or note the absence of mucus.
Step 2. Distinguish between different types of cervical mucus
A woman's body produces different types of cervical mucus each month due to changing hormone levels, and some types of mucus are more conducive to pregnancy. Changes in vaginal discharge throughout the month are:
- During menstruation, the body will release menstrual blood, which consists of the shed lining of the uterus and unfertilized eggs.
- For 3-5 days after menstruation, most women will not experience discharge from the vagina. While it is not impossible, it is highly unlikely that a woman will become pregnant during this stage.
- After this dry period, you will start to see cloudy cervical mucus. This type of cervical mucus will form a barrier in the cervical canal that will prevent bacteria from entering the uterus, and will also make it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus. A woman is unlikely to get pregnant during this time.
- After this period of sticky mucus discharge, you will begin to notice a white, cream, or yellow discharge of mucus that is similar in consistency to cream or lotion. During this stage a woman is in a more fertile period, although not at the peak of fertility.
- You will then begin to see a runny, water-like, stretchy mucus that resembles egg whites. The mucus will be thin enough to stretch a few inches between your fingers. On or after the last day of this "egg white" stage of cervical mucus, you will begin to ovulate. This "egg white"-like cervical mucus is highly fertile and provides nutrients for sperm, making it the most fertile stage a woman experiences.
- After this stage and ovulation, mucus discharge will return to its initial cloudy, sticky consistency.
Step 3. Make a chart and record your cervical mucus discharge for several months
This monitoring will take several months before you can distinguish a regular pattern.
- Keep taking notes for a few months. Examine your chart and try to distinguish the pattern. Just before the end of the "egg white" stage of cervical mucus is when you ovulate.
- Monitoring cervical mucus as well as basal body temperature (BBM) can help you pinpoint your ovulation time more accurately by combining the two records.
Method 3 of 5: Using an Ovulation Prediction Tool
Step 1. Purchase an Ovulation Predictor Kit (OPK)
You can get OPK in most drug stores and this tool uses a urine test to measure LH (Luteinising Hormone) levels. The level of LH in the urine is generally low but will rise sharply during the 24-48 hours before ovulation.
OPKs can help determine ovulation more precisely than monitoring your basal body temperature or cervical mucus, especially if you have an irregular menstrual cycle
Step 2. Watch your menstrual cycle
Ovulation usually occurs about halfway between your normal menstrual cycle (about 12-14 days before the average period). You'll find that it's only a few days before you ovulate when you start to see a runny discharge that resembles egg white.
When you start seeing this slime, start using the OPK. This tool only contains a limited number of test strips, so it's important to wait until this point before starting. If you don't, you may end up using all the strips before you actually ovulate
Step 3. Start testing your urine every day
Follow the instructions on the tool. Always remember to test your urine at the same time every day.
Avoid being under-hydrated or over-hydrated, as these can increase or decrease LH levels unnaturally
Step 4. Know the meaning of the test results
OPK generally uses a urine stick or strip to measure LH levels and will show the measurement results using colored lines.
- A line close to the color of the control line usually indicates high LH levels, which means you are most likely ovulating.
- A line that is lighter in color than the control line usually means that you haven't ovulated.
- If you have used OPK several times but have not had a positive result, consider consulting an infertility specialist to determine if there is any possibility of infertility related problems.
Step 5. Know the limitations of using OPK
While these test kits are usually accurate, you may have missed your ovulation period if you didn't choose the right test time.
For this reason, OPK is best used in conjunction with other ovulation monitoring methods, such as monitoring your basal body temperature or cervical mucus, so you can be more confident in choosing when to start doing a urine test
Method 4 of 5: Using the Symptothermal Method
Step 1. Monitor your basal body temperature (SBT)
The symptothermal method combines monitoring of physical changes and SBT to determine when you ovulated. Monitoring SBT is the "thermal" part of the symptothermal method, and it requires you to monitor your basal body temperature daily.
- Because SBT will rise steadily for two to three days after ovulation, SBT monitoring can help you predict when ovulation will occur in your cycle. (See the Using Basal Body Temperature method for more detailed instructions.)
- This daily monitoring will take several months to establish an ovulation pattern.
Step 2. Monitor your physical symptoms
This is the "sympto" part of the symptothermal method and requires that you monitor your physical symptoms closely to determine when to ovulate.
- Every day, closely monitor and record your cervical mucus (see the Cervical Mucus Check method for more detailed instructions) and any menstrual symptoms you experience, such as breast tenderness, cramps, mood swings, etc.
- Worksheets to monitor your symptoms can be obtained online for printing or you can make your own.
- This daily monitoring will take several months to see the pattern.
Step 3. Combine the data to determine the time of ovulation
Use information from your SBT monitoring and from your symptom monitoring to verify when you are ovulating.
- Ideally, the data will show the same results, so you can determine when ovulation occurs.
- If the two data conflict, continue to do daily monitoring of each data until a similar pattern emerges.
Step 4. Know the limitations of this method
This method is very well used for fertility assurance, and does not have certain limitations.
- Some couples use this method as a natural contraceptive by avoiding sex during a woman's fertile period (before and during ovulation). However, using this method as a contraceptive is generally not recommended, because it requires very careful, thorough, and consistent recording.
- People who use this method as a method of contraception still have about a 10% chance of an unplanned pregnancy.
- This method can also be dubious if you are experiencing periods of high stress, travel, illness, or sleep disturbances, which will alter your basal body temperature, as happens when you work at night or drink alcohol.
Method 5 of 5: Using the Calendar (or Rhythm) Method
Step 1. Study your menstrual cycle
This method uses a calendar to count the days between menstrual cycles and anticipate when you will be most fertile.
- Most women with regular periods have cycles of 26-32 days, although menstrual cycles can be as short as 23 days, or as long as 35 days. Various possibilities for the length of the menstrual cycle is still a normal condition. The first day is the beginning of a menstrual period; The last day is the start of the next menstrual period.
- However, keep in mind that your period may vary slightly each month. You may be on a 28-day cycle for a month or two, and then change slightly the following month. This is also a normal condition.
Step 2. Graph your menstrual cycle for at least 8 cycles
Using a regular calendar, circle the first day of each cycle (the first day of your period).
- Count the number of days between each cycle (including the first day of your period).
- Keep counting the number of days in each cycle. If you find that all cycles are shorter than 27 days, do not use this method as it will give inaccurate results.
Step 3. Estimate your first fertile day
Find the shortest cycle among all the cycles you have monitored, and subtract the number of days by 18.
- Record the results of the calculations.
- Then mark the first day of your current menstrual cycle on the calendar.
- Starting on the first day of your current menstrual cycle, use the results of this calculation to add the days after the first day of your cycle. Mark the day of your calculation with the letter X.
- The day you marked with the letter X is the day you first became fertile (not the day you ovulated).
Step 4. Estimate the last day of your fertile window
Find the longest cycle of all the menstrual cycles you have monitored, and subtract the number of days by 11.
- Record the results of the calculations.
- Mark the first day of your current menstrual cycle on the calendar.
- Starting from the first day of your current menstrual cycle, use the calculation result to add the days after the first day of your cycle. Mark the day of your calculation with the letter X.
- The day marked with the letter X is the last day of your fertile period and is your ovulation period.
Step 5. Be aware of the limitations of this method
This method requires careful and consistent record keeping, therefore it is prone to human error.
- Because your menstrual cycle can change, it will be difficult for you to pinpoint your ovulation time using this method.
- This method works great in conjunction with other ovulation monitoring methods for more accurate results.
- This method will be quite difficult to use accurately if your menstrual cycle is irregular.
- This method can also be questionable if you are experiencing periods of high stress, travel, illness, or sleep disturbances, which will change your basal body temperature, as happens when you work at night or drink alcohol.
- Using this method as a contraceptive method requires very careful, thorough, and consistent recording in order to produce results. However, people who use this method as a method of contraception still have an 18% or more chance of an unplanned pregnancy. As such, this method is generally not recommended as a form of birth control.
Tips
- If you believe you have had intercourse around the time of ovulation for at least 6 months but are not yet pregnant, you should see an obstetrician and gynecologist or reproductive endocrinologist for further evaluation (especially if you are over 35 years of age). There are a number of causes that may prevent pregnancy from occurring, including fertility problems such as problems with the fallopian tubes, sperm, uterus, or egg quality, all of which should be treated by a doctor.
- Observe any pain or discomfort you experience about 5 to 7 days after the last day of your period. Often, women experience pain on one side of the abdomen during ovulation, so this pain can be a sign that ovulation has started.
- If you experience heavy bleeding between periods, you should see an obstetrician and gynecologist.
- Many women will be anovulatory -- not ovulating -- several times in their reproductive life cycle, but chronic anovulation can be a sign of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, anorexia, anovulation after birth control pills, pituitary gland problems, low blood circulation, high stress, disease. kidney, liver disease (lever), and other health problems. If you are concerned about the possibility of anovulation, see an obstetrician and gynecologist or a reproductive endocrinologist.
Warning
- These methods are recommended for fertility assurance, not as methods of contraception. Using these methods as a method of contraception can result in an unplanned pregnancy.
- These methods will not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases or infections.
