For women who have a 28 to 32-day menstrual cycles, ovulation can take place between days 11 through 21, but it will only occur on ONE of these days. Remember, this is just an average of days that ovulation could take place, every woman’s cycle is different.
Ovulation itself only lasts for 12-24 hours; that is how long an egg is available for fertilisation.
When you are trying to conceive, it helps to track ovulation to make sure that you're targeting the most fertile window for your cycle.
Whether you are just starting to attempt to conceive, or you have been trying for a while without success, or you have recently suffered a miscarriage, you may turn to tracking ovulation to help improve your odds of conception.
Here are a few methods worth trying!
The Calendar Method
If your menstrual cycle tends to be the same number of days from month to month, it's a good bet that you ovulate around two weeks, or 14 days, before you expect your period. Of course, this can vary based on your individual cycle. If you have a 35-day cycle, for example, you will most likely be ovulating around the 21st day.
This method is less helpful if you have irregular periods that vary from one month to the next.
Checking basal body temperature
Basal body temperature charting involves taking your temperature first thing in the morning before you even rise from bed. By maintaining a chart over the duration of your cycle, you can detect when a sustained temperature increase indicates you have ovulated.
Record your basal body temperature on the first day of your period. Before you sit up in bed, drink, eat, or have sex, use a basal thermometer to record your basal body temperature (BBT). Turn on the thermometer. Take your temperature orally or vaginally.[5] Wait for the thermometer to beep.
Record your temperature, the time you took the temperature, and the day on a chart. However, there are some things to note beforehand.
- It’s important to take your temperature in the same part of your body each time for consistent readings.
- Keep your thermometer on your bedside table for easy access in the morning.
- Phone apps, such as Fertility Friend or Ovia, can be a good place to record and track your daily readings.
- You must have at least 3 to 4 hours of sleep to record your BBT.
- You can purchase basal thermometers from your local pharmacy.
Ovulation prediction kits
Ovulation predictor kits are urine tests, similar to home pregnancy tests, that show a particular color pattern when your luteinizing hormone (LH) levels surge. This surge usually indicates that you will ovulate within 12 to 36 hours. Once the test predicts ovulation, it is recommended that you have sex daily for the next several days.
Computerised fertility monitors work similarly to ovulation predictor kits but offer more precision and earlier detection however they can be very expensive. However, the accuracy of these next-generation devices is so great that some couples even use them as a means to avoid pregnancy.