4 Ways to Track Your Menstrual Cycle When Trying to Conceive
By Dr. Kristina Vaillancourt
When you visit us for fertility acupuncture, chances are you will be asked to track your menstrual cycle. When it comes to fertility and trying to conceive it helps to know how to track ovulation. By monitoring when you ovulate, we may be able to pinpoint whether or not you and your partner are trying to conceive at the right time. Tracking ovulation can also provide helpful insights into other fertility issues.
The best time to conceive is during your fertile window. Sperm can only live for up to five days in your body after intercourse, whereas the egg only lives for up to 24 hours. Your fertile window includes both the lifetime of the sperm, and the egg – six days. Peak fertility occurs the day before and the day of ovulation.
Here are four ways to track your menstrual cycle when trying to conceive.
Calendar Method
The calendar method is the most widely used method since it is found in many different apps on your phone. It typically works by using the length of your menstrual cycle and the date of your last period to predict when you are most likely to ovulate. This method assumes your cycle is 21-35 days long and that your average luteal phase (the phase following ovulation) is 14 days long. This method heavily relies on averages, therefore it’s not always 100% accurate. Ovulation dates can vary between cycles, and some women ovulate at various times within their cycles. This method alone can be very inaccurate, but used in conjunction with another method, can be useful.
2. Basal Body Temperature Method
Your basal body temperature or BBT is your internal temperature when you first wake up in the morning. Your BBT changes throughout your menstrual cycle and is typically lower before ovulation (96-98F) and spikes at ovulation (97-99F). This increase in temperature is caused by increased progesterone levels that are associated with ovulation.
Your BBT will remain high for the two weeks following ovulation and then drop again before your next period. When a rise in temperature is sustained for at least three days, it is a good indication that ovulation has occurred.
To accurately track your BBT:
Take your temperature as soon as you wake up in the morning. Your temperature does not need to be taken at exactly the same time every day, but it does need to be taken after a solid sleep of at least 3-4 hours.
Record your temperature in a menstrual tracking app or notebook.
Repeat every day of your cycle – make sure to also track the days of your menstrual phase and and your cervical mucus.
Its recommended you track your BBT for 3 months to get an accurate prediction of your fertile window.
3. Cervical Mucus Method
Cervical mucus is secreted by the glands in and around your cervix.
Cervical mucus nourishes and transports sperm through the cervix so it can fertilize an egg during ovulation. Cervical mucus changes throughout the menstrual cycle and is a good indicator of when the ovulatory window may be approaching:
Not ovulating - mucus is dry or sticky
Ovulation is approaching - mucus is creamy
Ovulation is very close - mucus is wet and watery
Ovulation has occurred - mucus is very wet, stretchy and resembles raw egg whites
This method is the most accurate combined with the BBT method, however on its own it’s estimated cervical mucus is 97% accurate for tracking ovulation. Often many women choose to combine both these methods as it tends to be very reliable, inexpensive and allows women to be in harmony with their cycle.
4. Ovulation Predictor Kits
Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPK) measure your luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine and show when these levels surge. LH is responsible for causing your ovaries to release an egg during ovulation, and a LH surge typically indicates that you will ovulate within 12 to 36 hours.
With OPK strips it is best to start testing after your menstrual cycle ends, usually for 10 days to accurately catch your ovulation window. The drawback is that the monitor and test sticks tend to be pricey, and you need to be consistent with testing in order to catch your fertile window.
Fertility success depends on understanding your body’s rhythm and fertile window. If you want to chat more about acupuncture for fertility, menstrual cycle tracking and what will work best for you, book a complimentary consult with me and we can discuss your individual situation in more detail.
Dr. Kristina Vaillancourt is a Registered Acupuncturist in Calgary, Alberta. She has a passion for treating women’s health and fertility (both male and female) pregnancy, birth, post-partum care and stress reduction. When not in the clinic, you can find Dr. Kristina with her family and one year old daughter, usually in the mountains, camping, hiking, or reading a book with some tea.