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Ovulation
Women who are trying to get pregnant need to figure out when they ovulate. Ovulation occurs when your ovaries release an egg to be fertilized. If you have very regular cycles you might be able to predict ovulation just by keeping track of the calendar. But if your cycles are longer or more unpredictable, you'll have to pay closer attention.
How to Tell If You're Ovulating
Changes in cervical fluid
As you approach ovulation, your cervical fluid will increase and become clear and stretchy. If it remains scant, white, and sticky, most likely you're having an annovulatory cycle (having a period without ovulating).
Ovulation predictor kits (OPKs)
These over-the-counter tests look for the presence of lutenizing hormone (LH) – the hormone surges and triggers ovulation. Most kits contain about five strips. A double line indicates that ovulation is going to occur in the next 24 hours. If you are unable to get a positive before your period starts, you may be having annovulatory cycles.
Basal Body Temperature (BBT) charting
BBT charts are a low-tech (and easy-on-the-budget) way to figure out if you're ovulating. Just as LH triggers a positive OPK, it also makes your morning temperature rise about a tenth of a degree. It's a pretty subtle difference, but with a digital thermometer you'll be able to see it happen. Your temperature will remain high until the day you're due to start you're period (when the drop in progesterone causes your temperature to drop).
To get an accurate BBT chart, take your temperature first thing in the morning before you get out of bed and definitely before you make your first bathroom trip! Any activity can raise your temperature and mess up your chart.
When to See a Doctor
According to Toni Weschler, author of "Taking Charge of Your Fertility",learning to accurately chart your cycles through changes in your cervical fluid and your BBT can help you and your doctor pinpoint fertility issues early on.
But though BBT can help you find out whether or not you're ovulating, it can't tell you if the egg is getting to the fallopian tubes or to your uterus after fertilization. If you've been trying for a year or (or for at least six months if you're over 35), check in with your OB-GYN.
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