Fertility Awareness Method
Getting pregnant may not be as easy as it is for some people. In fact, there are certain events that need to happen at exactly the right time in order for conception to happen.
It is said that in every menstrual cycle of a woman, there is only about 20% chance of becoming pregnant.
This is a very slim window of opportunity that should never be missed - so start taking charge of you fertility.
For men, the task is much easier because they do not have to rely on a cycle to determine their most fertile time.
Fortunately for women, the fertility awareness method has been identified that will help guide them through.
Fertility Awareness Method - Cervical Changes
This is an important part of the fertility awareness method. Every month, the female body’s reproductive organs undergo changes in response to the fluctuations of different hormones. In this regard, the cervix, as well as the uterine body, changes each month during the menstrual cycle. During the first half of the cycle, when hormone secretion from the ovary is low, cervical mucus is think and scant. At this time, sperm survival is low because of the thickness of the mucus which prevents sperm from freely swimming through the cervix.
At the time of ovulation, when the estrogen level is high, cervical mucus becomes thin and copious. Sperm penetration and survival at the time of ovulation in this thin mucus are excellent. This becomes the best time for you and your partner to time intercourse. As progesterone becomes the major influencing hormone during the second half of the cycle, cervical mucus again becomes thick and sperm survival is again poor.
You may notice the cervical mucus to be thin and watery at the time of ovulation. The mucus becomes thin and watery and you can easily stretch it into long strands. You can do this yourself by stretching a mucus sample between the thumb and forefinger. If it is able to stretch and does not break off easily, then it’s an indicator that you are or will be ovulating.
Yet another method to determine fertility, which involves assessment of cervical changes, is to palpate for changes in cervical consistency. Usually place high and being firm upon contact, the cervix may feel softer and be placed lower during the time of ovulation. This is again in response to the hormones governing the reproductive changes. If you are able to do this, the better, but many women find it hard and uncomfortable unless performed by an obstetrician.
Fertility Awareness Method - Fertility Calendar Method
This fertility awareness method works best for those with regular menstrual periods that typically last for 28 days. Ovulation occurs just roughly 14 days before the first day of the next menstrual period. This is your most fertile time.
For those with irregular menstrual periods, you can still use the calendar method by keeping track of the length of each monthly cycle for the past 6 months. Since menstruation is the only visible indicator that the uterus is undergoing several changes, then we can count the first day of menstruation as the start of another cycle, up until the next time you menstruate.
Once you have the list, take the shortest days in a cycle and subtract 18 from it. The result obtained is the your first fertile day. Next, take the longest days in a cycle and subtract 11 from it. This represents your last fertile day. For example, your first fertile day is on the 7th, and your last fertile day is on the 14th. Therefore, ovulation is likely to happen during the 7th-14th day of your next cycle.
Fertility Awareness Method - Basal Body Temperature Monitoring
Just before the day of ovulation, a woman’s basal body temperature or BBT rises a full degree because of the influence of the hormone progesterone. This higher level is then maintained for the rest of her menstrual cycle. This pattern is the basis of the BBT method.
To use this method, the woman takes her temperature each morning immediately after waking, before she undertakes any activity. This is her BBT. As soon as she notices a slight dip in temperature followed by an increase, she knows that she has ovulated.
The problem with this method is that many factors can affect BBT. A temperature rise caused by illness could be mistaken as the signal of ovulation. Changes in the woman’s daily schedule, such as starting an aerobic program can also influence the BBT. A woman who takes night shifts should take her temperature after awakening from her longer sleep period, no matter what the time of day.
Fertility Awareness Method - Ovulation Predictor Kits
This is a more modern approach towards ovulation determination. You can purchase any ovulation predictor kit from any pharmacy or grocery stores. This kit comes with a user’s manual with instructions you can easily follow.
Most ovulation predictor kits use urine for testing. What it does is that it measures the level of luteinizing hormone in the urine. Luteinizing hormone, or LH, is the signal that starts ovulation. Once an LH surge happens, ovulation will occur in the next 24 hours. However, the use of these kits is not without flaws. For example, if the LH has just been released from the woman’s body at the time she takes the test, it will produce a positive result. However, the egg could still be 40 hours away from being released. This same positive result could also mean that LH was released 24 hours ago and the egg will be released at any moment.
Using the ovulation predictor kit remains to be a popular choice among women because it is easy to perform. For more accuracy, there are kits that would advise women to do the sampling twice daily for a couple of days. This becomes rather time consuming and adds up the expenses to the already pricey nature of a single ovulation predictor kit.
Why Use The Fertility Awareness Method?
Knowing your most fertile time in a month is the best way to ensure yourself of pregnancy. Timing is everything and being so, it is the most crucial factor in trying to conceive. Once you have determined your most fertile period in a month, you can try to have intercourse two days before, during, and the day after ovulation.
Since a mature egg only lives up to 24 hours after ovulation, and the sperm 48-72 hours once inside the uterus, these are the best days for you to make sure that every possible moment is covered for pregnancy to happen.
