Ready to start a family? Understanding and tracking your ovulation is the first and most important step when you are ready to conceive. Ovulation refers to the timing of when the egg is ready to be fertilized after it has been released from the ovary and passed across the fallopian tube.
The majority of women have regular periods, meaning that they come very 24 to 36 days. So, even if the period is not super consistent to the exact day, women with normal cycles usually experience it within a week of when it’s supposed to arrive. Additionally, it’s worth noting, while the length and flow may vary from month-to-month, regular refers to the frequency in which it occurs. Once you establish if your menstruation is regular, you can begin tracking your ovulation to pinpoint a more exact time.
Women with regular periods will have an ovulation cycle that lasts 28 to 32 days. According to American Pregnancy Association, most women ovulate between day 11 and 21 of their cycle.
The following tactics can help you track your ovulation at home with minimal effort.
- Chart your cycle: Whether you prefer to make notes on paper, on your phone’s calendar, or through an app, charting refers to keeping track of the first and last day of each period. It’s helpful to document because it can help you pinpoint the most fertile days with regularity from month to month. Additionally, online menstruation tracking resources and phone apps can suggest your most fertile days once you’ve charted a couple of months.
- Cervical mucus: As your body begins to ovulate the egg, it produces a cervical mucus. For many women, the clear and slippery mucus will be plentiful by the time your body ovulates. The best time to try to conceive is during this window where you are experiencing the release of cervical mucus. One thing to point out, women on the pill typically do not ovulate, so this mucus will seem unusual for women who have recently gone off the pill.
- Basal body temperature: The basal body temperature will rise before a women’s fertile window. To track it, take your body’s temperature around bedtime—when the body is closest to a deep rest. Women are generally most fertile two to three days before their temperature rises, so women with regular periods can chart the rise on a monthly basis to help assess the best window to conceive.
While these simple steps will often work for women with normal periods, a host of outside factors, including stress and anxiety, can lead to irregular menstruation. If you want confirmation beyond your own tracking, ovulation home kit can help pinpoint the best time to conceive.
- Ovulation home kits: In addition to the changes mentioned above, your body releases a hormone called the Luteinizing hormone, which typically surges a couple of days before ovulation. By testing urine, the kit can detect this hormone and therefore pinpoint the most fertile window to conceive.
Trying to conceive can be a stressful time for many couples, but the best way to handle it is to stay healthy by drinking plenty of water, eating lots of fresh fruits, veggies and lean meats, and by performing moderate exercise 150 minutes per week. While scheduling a pre-conception doctor appointment is good, it’s best to try for six months before enlisting a specialist.
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You’ve read the baby books, you’ve talked to your friends, and you’ve started picking out names. The only thing that you need to do now is to conceive. Preparing for pregnancy is an emotional, mental, and physical responsibility. Follow these 8 tips to best position your body to bring a healthy and happy baby into the world:
- Begin taking folic acid supplements. Taking 400 micrograms of folic acid a day for at least one month prior to conception and during your first trimester can decrease the chances of your baby being born with a neural-tube defect by 50 to 70 percent.
- Eliminate alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. Smoking and drug use can increase the risk of having a miscarriage, a premature birth, or a baby with low birth weight. Tobacco use can also affect your fertility, and may impact your ability to conceive. Read these tips to help quit smoking.
- Increase your consumption of healthy foods. Even before you conceive, make sure that your body has the nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy. Increase your daily intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as foods that are high in calcium. Be sure to eat a variety of sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, poultry and meats. In addition to increasing your consumption of healthy foods, eliminate foods that may increase your risk of acquiring a food-borne illness. Reduce your intake of unpasteurized soft cheese, unpasteurized juices, cold deli meats, and raw and undercooked fish and poultry. These foods can have high rates of bacteria that can cause illness, and in the most serious cases lead to a miscarriage or stillbirth.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Women with a health body mass index (BMI) may be more readily able to conceive. A pregnant woman whose body weight is too high may experience delivery complications, while a woman whose weight is too low may give birth to an underweight infant.
- Begin, or stick to, an exercise routine. A healthy exercise program includes 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least three times per week. If you are not currently exercising on a regular basis, slowly increase the length and intensity of your workout routines. Once you become pregnant, continue your fitness routine, unless you experience complications or are advised to stop by your doctor. A consistent exercise routine can help you to maintain a healthy weight, improve your cardiovascular and pulmonary health, and can increase your flexibility, all of which will benefit you during your pregnancy.
- Reduce your caffeine intake. Women who are pregnant or are trying to conceive should not consume a large amount of caffeine. An overconsumption of caffeine has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage.
- Be aware of your mental health. Women who suffer from depression are twice as likely to have problems with fertility. Women who are looking to get pregnant should obtain a mental health screening, especially if they have a family history of depression.
- Make an appointment with your OB-GYN. Last but certainly not least, you should make an appointment to see your doctor. He/she can assess your overall health and make sure everything is normal in order to give you and your baby the best start.
Preparing your body to carry a baby is an important aspect of pregnancy that should not be overlooked. A healthy body will be best able to carry a baby to full-term, enabling you to deliver a healthy baby without complications. Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello MD is accepting new patients. Give us a call today.
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