Look in your calendar to see
when your next period is due to begin and count back 12
to 16 days. This will give you a range of days when you
will probably be ovulating. To use this method, you must
know how long your cycle usually lasts. This method is
not as reliable as the others because it is only based on
a calculation of days. If your cycle varies a lot it is
difficult to get the calculation right since you may not
know the exact day your next period will begin.
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Charting
your Basal Body Temperature(BBT): |
| is considered to be the temperature of a healthy
person taken immediately upon awakening. There is a basal
body thermometer used to measure the basal body
temperature. A digital thermometer can also be
used, although it is not as accurate. These thermometers
are sold at superstores, pharmacies and grocery stores.
The temperature should be taken upon awakening before
getting out of the bed. Start taking your temperature the
first day of your period to get more accurate
chart.
By keeping a chart
of your basal body temperature you can keep tract of
your temperature changes and pinpoint the time for
ovulation. The Basal
Body Temperature (BBT) will fall
abruptly one to two days prior to ovulation. At that time
your BBT will be ranging from 97.0 to about 97.5 degrees.
When you ovulate, hormonal changes trigger a rise of
between 0.5 and 1.6 degrees. This rise will lasts until
your next period unless you get
pregnant. You may notice
your temperature spiking on other days too, but unless it
stays that way, you are probably not ovulating. You are
most fertile the day of, and the few days preceding, the
spike. Although some fertility experts say may still get
pregnant if you sexual intercourse within 12 to 24 hours
after the temperature shift. Your temperature will drop
right before starting your period if you are not
pregnant. If you become pregnant, your temperature will
stay elevated throughout the
pregnancy.
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Keeping
Track of Changes in your Mucus: |
| There are many different types of vaginal discharge,
one of which is cervical mucus. The changes in your mucus
are due to hormonal changes in your body. The type of
mucus your body produces will indicate the days when you
are most fertile and when not. You can check your
cervical mucus using either your fingers or toilet paper.
On days when you are not fertile, the mucus from your
cervix is either light or sticky (about the same texture
as sticky rice). During the few days leading up to
ovulation, when you're most fertile, you'll have more
discharge — clear and slippery with the consistency of
raw egg white. You are most fertile on the last day you
notice cervical mucus of this kind. It usually happens
either the day before, or the day of, ovulation.
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In-home ovulation
prediction kits
In-home ovulation prediction kits help determine the
fertile period by detecting the increase in the
concentration of the LH (Leutenizing Hormone) in the
urine prior to and during ovulation. The kit can be used
when you know the length of your cycle and a time frame
when you can expect to ovulate so that you will know the
days to take the test. You can use the Basal
Body Temperature Chart to find out your most fertile
days and then use the ovulation prediction kit to confirm
the days. These kits are sold at superstores, pharmacies
and grocery stores.
Picking
the right Obstetrician
If
you're pregnant, or thinking about getting pregnant, it's
extremely important that you have access to good medical
care and a primary care-giver with whom you feel
comfortable. As many studies have shown, early and
adequate medical care is crucial for your own health and
your baby's. If you choose to be treated by an
obstetrician/gynecologist (ob/gyn) and not a
nurse-midwife, and if you have an ob/gyn whom you trust
and feel comfortable talking to, then you're all set.
More...
Pregnancy
FAQ
How long will it take to get
pregnant? Do you Hips get wider after pregnancy? How do I know when I am
ovulating? More...
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