Whether you are trying to conceive or you are interested in natural family planning, you may be interested in timing your ovulation. This can help you to time intercourse around the time that you ovulate, or avoid it to lower your chances of getting pregnant.
Your ovaries produce at least one egg every menstrual cycle. The follicles in the ovaries will mature and release an egg. This is referred to as ovulation. Follicles form on the outside of your ovaries. They are essentially like tiny holes that grow and fill with fluid as the cycle progresses. The egg is housed inside of the follicle and protected by the fluid.
Over time, as the follicle matures and increases in size, it will get ready to burst open. When the follicle bursts, it sends the egg surrounded by fluid into the fallopian tube. The fluid protects the egg on its journey and also helps it to travel down the tube. If the mature egg encounters sperm, then this is when fertilization will take place. If the egg is fertilized, then it should implant when it reaches the uterus and pregnancy occurs.
Your menstrual cycle should be about twenty eight days long. Of course, some women may have longer or shorter cycles, so you will need to determine exactly when you ovulate to achieve the best results. Most women ovulate around day fourteen of their menstrual cycle.
To calculate when day fourteen is, you need to count from the first day that menstrual bleeding starts. This would be day number one. If your menstrual cycle is longer or shorter than twenty eight days, then you may want to count back instead of forward. Some women can have more than fourteen days between the first day of their menstrual period and ovulation. Some, of course, can have way less. Fortunately, you can count back from the first day of your period because almost every woman ovulates fourteen days before the first day of her period.
Irregular periods can make it nearly impossible to anticipate an ovulation. Basal body temperature and ovulation prediction kits can help you if you are having trouble pinpointing when you ovulate. Some women may rarely or never ovulate. If you are trying to get pregnant, then speak with your OB/GYN about irregular or missed ovulations. There are hormonal therapies that can help you get back on track and attain your goal.
If you are trying to avoid pregnancy, remember that sperm can live for days inside of the uterus and vagina. Diet, medications and lifestyle can change the date of your ovulation. You may not successfully avoid pregnancy by counting days alone.
About the Author:About the Author: Dr. Matthew Romberg, a Round Rock OBGYN specializing in obstetrical and gynecologic care, is the President of the Heart of Texas Women’s Center. The Heart of Texas Women’s Center provides state of the art health care including surgical procedures, family planning counseling, complete prenatal care including high risk pregnancy management, in-house ultrasonography and well-woman services. For more information, please visit http://www.hotwc.com.
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