Pregnancy - identifying fertile days

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Pregnancy - identifying fertile days

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Identifying Your Fertile Days

Many couples spend so much time preventing an unplanned pregnancy that they assume that when they are ready for a family all they have to do is stop using birth control. Getting pregnant is not always that fast -- it can take up to a year or longer -- nor is it automatic.

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Many couples today plan intercourse around days 11-14 of the woman's 28-day cycle. If a woman has irregular cycles and is not sure when she ovulates, she can buy an ovulation predictor kit at a pharmacy. These kits test LH (leutenizing hormone) in the urine and are very accurate.

If you are willing to take some extra steps, you can monitor two body functions to pinpoint your most fertile times, maximizing your chances of getting pregnant: changes in body temperature and the consistency of your cervical fluid.

This article explains how to monitor your cervical fluid and temperature, identify the changes, and learn what they mean. It may sound like a hassle, but the process is really pretty easy.

Evaluating Your Cervical Fluid

Cervical fluid plays critical roles in getting pregnant -- it protects the sperm and helps it move through the cervix toward the uterus and fallopian tubes. Like practically everything else involved with the menstrual cycle, cervical fluid changes in preparation for ovulation. You will notice clear differences in how it looks and feels over the course of the cycle.

At the beginning of your cycle, you probably will not notice any cervical fluid at all. Then it may become sticky or gummy, and then creamy and white. Finally, as ovulation approaches, it becomes more clear and stretchy, almost like egg whites. Your cervical fluid actually gives you advance notice that you are about to ovulate.

Cervical fluid can usually be felt inside the lower end of the vagina, especially on fertile days. Check cervical fluid more than once a day if possible, such as every time you use the bathroom.

Rub your fingers together to evaluate the consistency of the fluid, then refer to the stages listed below. More than one adjective is used because the conditions differ slightly among women: