Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Preparing and setting up your calendar
• Method 2 of 2: Using the calendar
• Tips
• Warnings

The fertility calendar (or the ovulation and conception calendar, as well as the menstrual calendar) helps you keep track of which days you are most likely to get pregnant. Such a calendar can be helpful if you are trying to get pregnant, and if you, on the contrary, are trying to avoid pregnancy. To use your fertility calendar, you'll need to set it up first.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Preparing and setting up your calendar

1. 1 Take your calendar. You can buy a wall calendar and hang it on the wall, or you can use an online calendar. Whichever calendar you choose, you should be able to take notes on it to keep track of things like:
   • The beginning of the menstrual cycle.
   • Days of ovulation.
   • Days for the most likely conception.
2. 2 Note that the calendar is based on your menstrual cycle. In order to create an accurate fertility calendar, you will have to keep track of your menstrual cycle. The typical menstrual cycle is 28 days, but it can vary from woman to woman.
   • Keep in mind that the menstrual cycle can change due to genetic factors, disease, or stress.
3. 3 Mark the days when your period starts. Try tracking your menstrual cycle for three months in a row, noting when your period starts. Count the number of days between the start dates of your period and calculate the length of your normal cycle.
   • Use a three-month average to rule out potential bias.
4. 4 Be aware that some women with too short or too long menstrual periods have a harder time getting pregnant. Since most ovulation calendars are based on a standard 28-day menstrual cycle, women with cycles more than seven days different from the standard (up or down) may have some difficulty using the fertility calendar. This is also true for women with irregular cycles.
   • If you have an irregular cycle, you can ask your doctor to prescribe certain drugs to regulate your menstrual cycle.
5. 5 Track your ovulation. Determining the cycle length is only part of the calendar setup. It is also important to know when you are ovulating. Ovulation occurs about two weeks before the start of the next cycle, which usually occurs in the middle of the current menstrual cycle, depending on how long it is. Since ovulation occurs inside the body, some women find it difficult to recognize when it occurs. There are various physical signs, including changes in vaginal discharge, but they can be difficult to interpret.
   • The most common and easiest way to determine when ovulation is occurring is to track your basal body temperature. This is easy to do by measuring and recording your temperature every morning. Just before ovulation, you will notice a slight decrease in basal body temperature. This decrease in basal body temperature is followed by a slight increase in comparison with normal levels.

Method 2 of 2: Using the calendar

1. 1 Highlight the days with the highest probability of conception. The egg is only viable for 24 hours after ovulation, but male sperm are able to survive under suitable conditions for five days. This gives you a window of about six days to conceive.
   • Mark these six days on your calendar because these are the days that you are most likely to get pregnant.
2. 2 Count the days you are most fertile. If you are trying to get pregnant, try to have unprotected sex during these six days of maximum fertility. If, on the contrary, you do not want to get pregnant, try not to have sex, especially unprotected sex, during these six days.
   • If you want additional insurance against pregnancy, then do not have additional sex a few days before and after the period of maximum fertility, in order to avoid any miscalculations or changes in the cycle.
3. 3 Keep in mind that keeping a fertility calendar will not help you get pregnant right away. And although the calendar allows you to determine the most favorable days for conception, it does not guarantee that you will get pregnant right away. This may take several months or more.
   • There are other factors that can affect fertility. These include your health and that of your partner.
4. 4 See your doctor if you cannot get pregnant for a year, even using the fertility calendar. If you have not been able to conceive within a year using the fertility calendar, you will need to see your doctor to make sure you and your partner are capable of having children.

Tips

• Decorate your calendar, color it, add stickers or other fun decorations.
• Try using the online calendar on the website or download the app for your smartphone.

Warnings

• Do not use the fertility calendar as your only form of contraception, as your calculations may be wrong, and sperm can live for three to five days after intercourse.