Working out your ovulation cycle
If your lifestyle and diet is up to scratch, then it’s time to learn more about when your body releases your egg – otherwise known as your ovulation cycle. This helps you know the time when you’re most fertile.
When do you ovulate?
Most periods occur around every 23 to 35 days and you're most likely to ovulate roughly two weeks before you menstruate, although it varies from woman to woman. The average cycle is 28 days with ovulation around day 14. Day 1 is considered the first day of your period. If your cycle is shorter, longer or irregular then consult your doctor first.
Calculating your fertility
A simple way to estimate your ‘fertile window’ is by keeping a record of your cycles over a period of six months. Then you subtract 20 from the length of your shortest cycle to estimate the first day of your fertile window, and subtract 10 from your longest cycle to estimate the last day of your fertile window.
Example: over 6 cycles your shortest cycle was 28 days and your longest was 32:
28-20= 8 (shortest)
32-10=22 (longest)
This would suggest that your fertile window may be between day 8 and day 22 of your next cycle.
This method is not considered reliable but may be helpful for you and your partner to work out the best times to try making a baby (alongside other indicators of course.)
Signs of ovulation
Cervical mucous method
Vaginal mucous changes throughout your menstrual cycle in response to hormone changes. It can be a good marker of where you are in your cycle and checking it is quick and easy. Some women will produce more than others and be able to see the mucous in their underwear or on a liner. Others may need to check the entrance of their vagina which can be done any time of the day.
A few days following your period you won’t have much mucous, but after a few more days your vaginal mucous will slowly increase, appearing creamy, cloudy or milky. When your body is approaching ovulation, you might notice your vaginal mucous changes and becomes gluey, stringy, slippery, stretchy and clear or like raw egg white. This is the most fertile time in your cycle! Following ovulation until the start of your period, your mucous goes back to being more like the milky kind seen previously. Your fertile window is considered from the start of the milky mucous to around four days following the stretchy and clear mucous.
Recording your temperature (Basal body temperature method)
Important signs of ovulation also include clear changes in your body’s temperature, which means you can get a pretty good idea about your ovulation cycle just by taking your temperature.
For many women, temperature drops just before and rises after ovulation has taken place, however for it to be an accurate reading you’ll need to record it at the same time every morning, before you’ve gotten out of bed and had anything to eat or drink. You won’t be able to feel such a small change in temperature, so you’ll need a basal thermometer to detect it.
Before ovulation your temperature may vary from day to day by 0.1 degree Celsius. However, just after ovulation your temperature rises by at least 0.2 degrees Celsius and remains high until your next period. This increase in temperature is caused by hormone changes, so it is important to keep in mind that this method only tells you that you’ve ovulated after the fact. Women are most fertile for the few days before their peak temperature, and are least fertile once the temperature has remained high for 3-4 days.
It’s fair to say that this is probably the most demanding of methods for charting your ovulation cycle. Things such as medicines, illness, infection and alcohol can all affect its accuracy, so it’s a good idea not to rely on it solely, but talk to your health professional about what other indicators could help.
Ovulation predictor kits (OPKs):
You can buy ovulation predictor kits at pharmacies and most large supermarkets. They contain sticks that you use to test your urine, a bit like a pregnancy test. However, while they are good indicators, they are also not 100% accurate.
Have sex regularly during your fertile period:
When you think you’ve spotted all your ovulation signs, it’s time to get busy and have plenty of sex! This will boost your chances of conceiving, especially as sperm can survive for to seven days in your uterus, so you’ll give them the best chance to connect with your egg, which only survives unfertilised for up to a day.
Need to know more?
If you think you could be pregnant, have a check through these early signs of pregnancy for the telltale indicators.