Knowing your menstrual cycle can help you increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
On average, a woman’s menstrual cycle is 28 days long. This can vary though, from 17 to 36 days. Cycle steps include:
Sperm will fertilize the egg in the fallopian tube. The fertilized egg will then travel toward the uterus where it will implant. If this happens and the egg attaches to the lining of the uterus, pregnancy occurs.
When trying to get pregnant, it is helpful to know when the egg is released. That is the best time to become pregnant. The table below describes 4 of the most common methods that can be used to track when you are most fertile each month.
Method | Description |
Basal body temperature | This method is best used to track your ovulation pattern over the course of a few months. It can help you begin to learn how to predict when you will ovulate. Your body temperature is lower (96-98ºF or 35.5-36.6°C) until ovulation (egg release). On the day of ovulation, your temperature will rise between 0.4 and 0.8ºF. It will stay at that level until your period starts. Take your basal body temperature (BBT) each morning at the same time before you get out of bed. Ovulation is likely when temperature stays at this higher level (97-99ºF or 36.1-37.2°C) for 3 days. Record it on a chart. This will help to show ovulation. Your most fertile days are the 2 to 3 days before your temperature hits its highest point, and the 12 to 24 hours after you have ovulated. You will need to purchase a BBT thermometer at a drug store. The thermometer must be accurate enough to detect temperature changes of at least 1/10 of a degree. |
Calendar |
You will use a calendar to track your menstrual cycle for 8 to 12 months. Circle the first day of your period on the calendar each month. Write down the length of each cycle, day 1 through the day before your next period.
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Cervical mucus | You will track changes in the fluid at the opening of your cervix during your cycle. Right after your period, there will be a few days of little or no mucus, known as dry days. As the egg starts to mature, the quantity of mucus increases. It is usually white or yellow and cloudy and sticky. Just before ovulation, the greatest amount of mucus appears. It will be clear, slippery, and sometimes stretchy, similar to raw egg whites. Your most fertile days are just before and just after ovulation. |
Ovulation predictor kit |
There are many ovulation prediction kits available in drug stores. These kits measure the amount of luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine. They use this information to determine when you ovulate. There are 2 types of kits:
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Office on Women's Health
https://www.womenshealth.gov
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
http://www.acog.org
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
https://sogc.org
Women's Health Matters
http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca
Trying to conceive. Office on Women's Health website. Available at: https://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-get-pregnant/trying-conceive. Accessed January 29, 2021.
Understanding ovulation. American Pregnancy Association website. Available at:
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Accessed January 29, 2021.
Last reviewed January 2021 by EBSCO Medical Review Board
Last Updated: 1/29/2021