Ovulation tracking is a method of natural family planning or a fertility awareness method. There are several ways you can do it, including the calendar method, tracking cervical mucus, and using an ovulation predictor kit. If you know when you ovulate, it’s ideal to have sex during the five days before through the day after your expected ovulation. Experts usually recommend couples have sex every day or every other day during this most fertile time. It’s also key to be aware of other symptoms of ovulation, which can include breast tenderness, bloating, and light spotting and cramping. Whether you are just starting to attempt to conceive, you have been trying for a while without success, or you have recently suffered a miscarriage, you may turn to tracking ovulation to help improve your odds of conception. Learn more about how to track ovulation. Using a calendar to track ovulation is less helpful if you have irregular periods that vary from one month to the next. On the other hand, if you have very regular cycles (meaning no shorter than 26 days and no longer than 32 days), you can utilize the Standard Days Method, in which you focus on having sex during days 8 to 19 of your cycle. In some cases, BBT charting may even offer a hint as to whether you have conceived or not. This is the so-called “implantation dip.” In most cases, you need to take the tests over consecutive days to accurately detect the surge. If you test over five days, you have an 80% chance of predicting ovulation; over 10 days, that figure rises to around 95%. Digital fertility monitors work similarly to ovulation predictor kits but offer more precision and earlier detection. The drawback is that the monitor and test sticks tend to be very pricey. But these devices are accurate enough that some couples use them to avoid pregnancy. The test works by highlighting crystal formations that typically develop in saliva during ovulation. During the most fertile period in the menstrual cycle, there will be chemical changes in the saliva. When dried, the residue exhibits fern-like crystals that are not present at other stages in the cycle. The test kit includes a lens onto which a drop of saliva is placed. After around five minutes, view the sample under the viewing scope to see if the characteristic crystals have developed. Ovulation is likely to occur within 24 to 72 hours of the first formations. Around the time of ovulation (the ideal time to have sex in order to conceive), the cervical mucus begins to thin and clear. It has an appearance similar to that of raw egg whites. This thinning allows sperm to pass through the cervix during intercourse and provides them a more alkaline environment in which to survive.
