How Can I Track My Fertility?

Most hopeful parents want to do all that they can to ensure that they do what is best to ensure they conceive the child they’ve been dreaming of. Some couples are able to conceive quickly, while others tend to struggle, and perhaps require fertility treatments to help nature along. Whatever the case, a key step in conception is tracking your fertility.

Women are not always fertile. In fact, there is a rather small window of time during which a woman’s body is ready to conceive a child. So, if you are serious about becoming a parent, it is important that you understand the science of fertility, and discover which methods can be used to track it.

About Female Fertility

When a woman is fertile, it means her body is ready to conceive. There are several signs that indicate female fertility, and many of those signs can be measured at home. A woman’s fertility is largely dependent on her menstrual cycle. Most women’s menstrual cycles last 28 days, and women are only fertile for roughly 6 of those days. So, for women hoping to become pregnant, it all boils down to identifying those 6 fertile days. Women are fertile after their ovaries have released an egg, and a few days afterward.

Fertility can be identified through several factors, including:

• Menstrual cycle schedule
• Basal body temperature
• Cervical mucus

Fertility Tracking Methods

In order to identify your most fertile days, the first thing you can do is keep track of your menstrual cycle. You can log the days of your cycle in a notebook, on your calendar, or on a fertility app. You can keep track of how many days you are on your period and when you are most likely to release an egg, therefore identifying the days you are most likely to be fertile. In addition to tracking your menstrual cycle, you can also measure your basal body temperature. When you ovulate, your body releases the hormone progesterone, which can raise your basal body temperature by roughly .5 degrees. However, it is important to note that by the time your temperature spikes, you’ve likely missed your fertility window. But, by measuring your changes in basal body temperature the first month, you can better identify your fertile days the following month.

It is also possible to track fertility based on changes in the woman’s cervical mucus. Cervical mucus is easy to identify, and often serves as the quickest way for women to identify when they are most fertile. Throughout the menstrual cycle, a woman’s cervical mucus changes in consistency and may vary slightly in color. When a woman is ovulating, her cervical mucus will be clear and thick, usually similar to the consistency of egg whites. This consistency better supports sperm once they’ve entered the woman’s body, protecting them as they make their way to fertilize the egg. If you notice this change in cervical mucus, you are at your most fertile stage.

There are several apps and devices that can help women along as they track their fertility. Or, it is always possible to keep a notebook and track everything by hand. Either way, by identifying the most fertile days in a woman’s cycle, she and her partner can better prepare for conception.

Contact Palm Beach Fertility to discuss your fertility options with our team.