Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Ovulation is part of a woman's reproductive cycle. Ovulation is the process in which an ovary releases an egg cell and then enters the fallopian tube. This egg is ready for fertilization within 12-24 hours. A fertilized egg implants in the uterus and secrete a hormone that prevents menstruation from occurring. If an egg is not fertilized in a 12-24 hour period, it will no longer be fertilized and will be released along the uterine lining during menstruation. Knowing when you are ovulating will help you plan to become pregnant or prevent pregnancy.

Steps

Method 1 of 5: Basic Body Temperature Monitoring

1. 

   Buy a basic thermometer. Basal body temperature is the lowest body temperature within 24 hours. To measure and monitor basal body temperature (BBT), you need a basal thermometer.
   • Basic thermometers are available in pharmacies, plus a chart to help you keep track of your BBT for months.

2. 

   
   
   Measure body temperature and record baseline body temperature every day for several months. To accurately track your BBT, you need to take your temperature at the same time every day: when you wake up, even before you get out of bed.
   • Keep a BBT thermometer by your bed. Try to get up and take your temperature at the same time every morning.
   • Basal body temperature can be taken by mouth, anus, or vagina. Use the same measurement every day to ensure error is avoided. The temperature taken in the anus or vagina is more accurate.
   • Record the temperature each morning on a piece of paper or on a BBT chart.
   • You need to monitor your BBT every day for months to determine your body temperature pattern.

3. 

   
   
   Find the time when the temperature rises and lasts. Most women's BBT increases by half a degree for at least 3 days during ovulation. Thus, you monitor your BBT to determine the time of temperature rise in each month, as it helps you predict when to ovulate.

4. 

   
   
   Try to predict when to ovulate. After months of recording your BBT each morning, you look at your chart and try to determine when you ovulate. Once you have identified your monthly increase in temperature, you can predict when you will ovulate by the following:
   • Find out when the temperature is steadily rising each month.
   • Mark two or three days before the temperature rises. It is likely that you ovulate these days.
   • This note can also be helpful to give to your doctor if you suspect you have infertility.

5. 

   Understand the limitations of this approach. While it can be a useful tool, the BBT has limitations that you should be aware of as well.
   • You may not be able to define the pattern. If you cannot identify a pattern after several months, you will need to use additional methods in conjunction with tracking BBT. Consider doing one of the other methods discussed in this article.
   • Basal body temperature can fluctuate due to changes in daily life rhythm such as night shift work, too much or too little sleep, movement or drinking.
   • Basal body temperature can also change when stress is increased, including during holidays or when sick, while on medication or due to a gynecological condition.
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Method 2 of 5: Examination of Cervical Mucus

1. 

   Check for cervical mucus. Immediately after the end of your period, start checking your cervical mucus in the morning before doing other things.
   • Wipe with a clean toilet paper and check for mucus by taking a small amount of fluid onto your finger.
   • Note the form and viscosity of exudate, and note the absence of exudate.

2. 

   Distinguish different types of mucus. A woman's body produces different types of cervical mucus every month when hormone levels change, and some types of mucus may be more conducive to pregnancy. Vaginal discharge in a month changes as follows:
   • During menstruation, the body releases menstrual blood, which consists of the lining of the uterus that is released along with an unfertilized egg.
   • Most women do not have a discharge within three to five days after menstruation has stopped. While not impossible, women are less likely to get pregnant at this stage.
   • After the dry period, you will begin to notice cloudy mucus in your cervix. This type of mucus forms a barrier on the cervical canal to prevent bacteria from entering the uterus, which also makes it difficult for sperm to enter. It is also difficult for the woman to become pregnant at this stage.
   • After the sticky discharge period, you will begin to see a white, cream, or yellow thick discharge that looks like cream or lotion. During this period, the woman has a higher fertility rate, but it is not the highest.
   • Then you begin to see thin, thin, and chewy mucus like egg whites. It's thin enough that you can stretch a few centimeters across your fingertips. On the last day or the next day of the "egg white" mucus phase, you will begin to ovulate. This "egg white" mucus is very conducive to conception and provides nutrients to the sperm, making this stage the most fertile.
   • After this period and after ovulation, the exudate will return to the consistency, cloudy color as before.

3. 

   Graph and record vaginal mucus over a few months. It takes months to follow up to find the pattern.
   • Continue to take notes for months. Examine the chart and try to find the pattern. Just before the end of the "egg white" mucus phase is the time of ovulation.
   • Tracking cervical mucus combined with basal body temperature (BBT) can help you more accurately determine when to ovulate thanks to the support of two forms of data.
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Method 3 of 5: Use a Ovulation Day Tester

1. 

   Buy an ovulation test kit (OPK). OPKs are available in most pharmacies and use a urine test that measures luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. The level of LH in the urine is usually low, but will rise dramatically about 24-48 hours just before ovulation.
   • OPK can help you more accurately determine when you ovulate with basal body temperature or uterine mucus, especially if you have irregular periods.

2. 

   Pay attention to your menstrual cycle. Ovulation usually occurs in the middle of a period (an average of 12-14 days before the period). You will know that it is a few days before ovulation when you notice a thin discharge like egg whites.
   • When you start to see this discharge, use OPK. Since the test kit does not have many test strips, it is important that you wait until this time to start testing. If not, you can use up the test strips before the actual ovulation starts.

3. 

   Start testing your urine every day. Carefully read the instructions that come with the test kit. You should carefully test your urine every day at about the same time.
   • Avoid getting dehydrated or drinking too much water as this can cause artificially high or low LH levels.

4. 

   Know how to read the results. Many OPKs use a urine test strip or tape to measure LH levels and display the results in colored bars.
   • A line that is nearly the same color as the reference line will show an elevated LH level, which means that this is a time with a high probability of ovulation.
   • A lighter color than the reference line indicates that you are not ovulating yet.
   • If you have tried several times with an OPK kit and never found a positive result, consider consulting a fertility specialist for advice to prevent infertility.

5. 

   Know the limitations of using OPK. Although often accurate results, you can still miss ovulation if you do not set the right time.
   • Therefore, it is best to use OPK in combination with another method such as basal temperature monitoring or cervical mucus, so you will be more sure when determining the time of the urine test.
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Method 4 of 5: Monitoring Symptoms and Body Temperature

1. 

   Basic body temperature monitoring (BBT). Symptom and temperature monitoring uses a combination of monitoring for body changes and BBT to determine the time of ovulation. BBT monitoring is the “body temperature” part of symptom and temperature monitoring, as it requires basic daily body temperature monitoring.
   • Since your BBT stays high for two or three days after ovulation, monitoring your BBT can help you calculate how often you ovulate during the cycle. (See Basic Body Temperature Measurement method for details.)
   • It will take months of daily follow-up to establish a rule about the ovulation process.

2. 

   Keep track of your body's symptoms. This is the “symptoms” part of symptom and temperature monitoring, which involves closely monitoring your body's symptoms to determine when you ovulate.
   • Carefully monitor and record cervical mucus (see cervical mucus check for more) and any other symptoms that occur monthly, such as breast tenderness, cramps, change of character, etc ...
   • You can print a template for symptom tracking available online or do it yourself.
   • It will take months of daily monitoring to find the pattern.

3. 

   Combine data to determine the time of ovulation. Using BBT data and symptom monitoring table to determine the time of ovulation.
   • Ideally, when the data matches, you should be able to determine the time of ovulation
   • When the data do not match, you must continue to monitor every day by both methods until a match occurs.

4. 

   
   
   Know the limitations of this approach. This method is most effective when it comes to fertility, and does have certain limitations.
   • Some couples use this method as a natural contraceptive by avoiding intercourse during a woman's ovulation (a few days before and during ovulation). However, this method is not recommended for contraception, as it requires careful, meticulous and regular recording.
   • People who take this method to prevent pregnancy still have a 10% chance of having an unplanned pregnancy.
   • This method is also problematic if you experience periods of stress due to stress, travel, illness, or sleep disturbances that cause your base temperature to change. Working at night or drinking alcohol can also lead to similar results.
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Method 5 of 5: Using a Calendar (or Biorhythmia)

1. 

   
   
   Keep track of your menstrual cycle. This method uses a calendar to count the number of days between cycles and calculate the time of ovulation.
   • Most women have a menstrual cycle between 26 and 32 days, but your cycle may be shorter, about 23 days or longer, by about 35 days. A much different cycle length is also normal. The first day is the start date of a cycle; the last day is the start date of the next cycle.
   • However, keep in mind that your menstrual cycle may vary slightly from month to month. Maybe your cycle is 28 days this month, but next month your cycle will vary slightly. This is normal.

2. 

   
   
   Track the chart over at least 8 cycles. Using a normal calendar, mark the first day of each cycle (the first day of your period).
   • Count the number of days between cycles (including the first).
   • Continue counting the days in each cycle. If you find that all of your periods are shorter than 27 days, don't use this method as it may give inaccurate results.

3. 

   Calculate the first day of high fertility. Find the shortest period of any tracked cycle, and subtract 18 from the number of days in that cycle.
   • Record that number.
   • Then find the first date of the current cycle on the calendar.
   • Starting from the first day of the current cycle, count the days with the number you just wrote down. Mark the date you just found with an X.
   • The day you mark the X is the first day of high fertility (not the day of ovulation).

4. 

   Calculate the last day of high fertility. Find the longest of all followed cycles, subtract 11 from those days.
   • Record that number.
   • Finds the first date of the current cycle on the calendar.
   • Starting from the first day of the current cycle, count the days with the number you just wrote down. Mark the date you just found with an X.
   • The day you mark the X is the last day of fertility and possibly the day of ovulation.

5. 

   Know the limitations of this approach. This method requires careful and regular note-taking, and as such, human errors can occur.
   • Since your monthly cycle is variable, it will be difficult to use this method to accurately determine when to ovulate.
   • This method works best when used in conjunction with other methods of ovulation monitoring.
   • This is difficult to give accurate results if your menstrual cycle is erratic.
   • This method is also problematic if you experience periods of stress due to stress, travel, illness, or sleep disturbances that cause your base temperature to change. Working at night or drinking alcohol can also lead to similar results.
   • Using this method to prevent pregnancy requires careful, meticulous and regular monitoring. Even so, there is an 18% (or higher) chance of having an unplanned pregnancy. Therefore, this method is generally not recommended as a contraceptive.
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Advice

• If you have had sex during ovulation for at least 6 months and are still not pregnant, you should see an obstetrician or gynecologist or a reproductive endocrinologist for a closer examination (especially if you are over 35 year old). There are a number of causes that make it difficult to get pregnant, including problems with the fallopian tubes, sperm, uterus, or egg quality, all of which must be determined by a doctor.
• Watch for any pain or discomfort 5 - 7 days after the last day of your period. Many women often experience pain in one side of their abdomen during ovulation, so this pain may be a sign that ovulation has begun.
• If you experience unusual bleeding between the two menstrual cycles, you should see an obstetrician and gynecologist.
• Many women may not ovulate at some point in their reproductive cycle, but prolonged failure to ovulate can be a sign of polycystic ovarian syndrome, anorexia, and no ovulation after taking the drug. , pituitary condition, poor circulation, stress, kidney disease, liver disease and others. If you are concerned about not ovulating, see an obstetrician or gynecologist or an endocrinologist.

Warning

• These methods are recommended for fertility dates, not contraception. Using this method for birth control may lead to unplanned pregnancy.
• These methods do not prevent sexually transmitted or infectious diseases.