How to track your menstrual cycle for pregnancy planning
When you’ve decided you want a baby, it’s an exciting time when you might expect to see a home pregnancy test pop positive very quickly. However, it doesn’t always happen right away. Our San Antonio OBGYNs are here to help you with pregnancy planning, providing valuable information about how to track your menstrual cycle to maximize your odds of pregnancy.
The chances of getting pregnant in any single cycle can vary, but generally speaking, a healthy couple has about a 15% to 20% chance of success in a given month. It’s perfectly normal for it to take a few months. For younger couples, it may happen faster, and for older women in their 30s or beyond, the odds of success each month are lower.
Learning how to predict ovulation can help you better understand your menstrual cycle while increasing your chances of getting pregnant each month.
How to track your menstrual cycle
Ovulation typically occurs around 14 days before a woman’s next period starts, but women’s cycles can vary. Predicting exactly when it’s the right time for you to try can take a little bit of effort, but it’s easy to do once you know how.
There are several methods to predict when you are going to ovulate. It’s wise to try several at once to better pinpoint your fertile window for conception. Here are our recommended methods for how to track your menstrual cycle when you’re ready to start pregnancy planning.
- Keep notes on a calendar. Note the dates when your period begins and ends, and write down notes about any symptoms you’re experiencing, such as cramping, pinching feelings around the ovaries, vaginal discharge or unusual bleeding.
- Check your cervical mucus every day. Insert a clean finger into your vagina every day, and you’ll quickly learn to recognize that the fluid inside changes throughout your cycle. When your cervical mucus is abundant, and looks feels like a clear, stretchy egg white, it means that ovulation is near and you’re at peak fertility. It’s smart to mark this day on your calendar for future reference.
- Monitor your basal body temperature (BBT). Keep a basal body temperature thermometer by your bedside, and each morning, the moment you wake up, reach for it and take your temperature. You’re looking for slight temperature rise, which indicates that ovulation has occurred. Note your daily temperatures on your calendar.
- Use ovulation predictor kits (OPKs). Available at any drugstore, these are home urine tests that can identify surges of luteinizing hormone (LH), which indicate that ovulation is about to happen, typically the next day. By noting your test results on your calendar month after month, you should be able to predict which day of your cycle you can expect to ovulate.
When is the best time to have sex to get pregnant?
To achieve pregnancy, it’s ideal for sperm to already be present in the female reproductive tract at the time of ovulation. This is why carefully tracking your cycle over several months can be an important part of pregnancy planning. By determining your personal day of ovulation, you can time intercourse to maximize the chances that sperm and egg will meet for fertilization.
It’s wise to have sex the day before as well as the day of ovulation, but sperm can live inside the reproductive tract for up to five days, so trying every other day during the window before ovulation is ideal.
Contact our San Antonio OBGYNs for advice and support for pregnancy planning
Our experienced team is happy to help you prepare for motherhood, providing help with pregnancy planning as well as tips for how to track your menstrual cycle to increase your chances of conception. Whether you’re ready to get started or have been trying to conceive without success, we are here for you. Contact us today to schedule an appointment