Research-backed
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While some women are trying day in and day out to get pregnant, there are a few who want to steer away from it at any cost. No matter which category you fall into, it is essential to know when you are fertile in order to achieve your goal. Fortunately, there are lots of products available in the market which can help you with the same. However, each one is quite different from the other.
Fertility Calculator Websites
Many women have been using fertility websites and applications to find out the most-likely period when they can get pregnant. However, a recent study by New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College has suggested that these sites can be off base. The survey was conducted on 53 fertility calculators, which included 33 applications and 20 websites. These calculators use information such as the last period’s date and the average cycle length to help women determine their fertility window (1).
If a woman has a regular 28-day monthly cycle, then it is around the 15th day that she will ovulate. It will also be the last day of her six-day fertility window. As per the study, while most were able to calculate the day of ovulation pretty correctly, only four were able to predict the correct fertility window (2). One problem can be that most women don’t have a predictable monthly cycle. While it might be a 28-day cycle for a few months, it may be a 30-day cycle on other months. If the cycle is more predictable, it might be easier to determine the fertility window correctly. Alas, that is rarely the case!
Checking Your Cervical Mucus
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Yes, you can also know when you are fertile with the help of your cervical mucus. This might not be such a straightforward task and may require you to put your “detective” hat on. But, it is an effective method to predict your fertility window.
You can use a toilet paper or also check your underwear to examine the mucus. You have to keep a constant check on the cervical mucus throughout your monthly cycle. It is the quantity along with the difference in its texture that will help you determine your fertility window. The mucus will be more in terms of quantity and will also be clear, as well as stretchy, during your prime fertile stage. This is when the environment within will help the sperm make its journey safely toward the egg (3).
Ovulation Kit
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Many suggest that an over-the-counter kit to check your ovulation is pretty effective. And, simple too! All you will have to do is urinate on the strip each day. Just when you are about to start ovulating, the strip will indicate positive results. You might have to do this more than a single month to get a better hang of it. This test only helps you determine whether or not you ovulated in the given month. But, the good thing is that it is not really much of an effort. Isn’t it?
Once you want to have a baby, it is really hard to wait! Perhaps, that is why a few women take it up a notch higher. They seek the consult of a doctor who can help them check their progesterone levels with a blood test. Progesterone is a prominent reproductive hormone, whose levels can go up during the time of ovulation.
Once you know about your fertility window, you know what to do. It is the best time to make an effort to get pregnant. Once you are certain, try and indulge in love-making within 24 hours itself. You can continue to be physically intimate for the next two or three days as it will increase the chances of fertilization.
However, we know that it can become really crazy to keep a constant tab on your fertility. It might even end up worrying you too much. If that’s the case, keep doing your thing. Don’t worry so much. And, things will soon fall into place. All the best!
