People with irregular cycles may feel left out when it comes to provision of information on how to calculate ovulation dates. Most sites only offer disclaimers on how their methods are not suitable for people with irregular cycles without giving them alternative solutions. How then are these women supposed to calculate their dates of ovulation? Which are the best ways for them to track their ovulation process? We have the answers to these questions.
How to calculate ovulation Date
To calculate the ovulation day manually, one needs a calendar. This can be bought from any retail outlet. With this at hand, add a biro as another of your tools and you are ready to start calculating your ovulation date.
- Reflect back and remember the first day of your current cycle. Circle this on your calendar. Keep track of how long your menstrual cycle lasts. The last day of the current cycle should be the first day of your next cycle. Mark it on the calendar too.
- Repeat this procedure for at least eight cycles. Accuracy in the calendar method of calculating ovulation dates increases with an increase in the number of cycles used.
- Using the data collected, make a chart. This should contain columns for the day in which your periods began in each month and another column indicating how long the cycle lasted. Various rows should indicate the months. This chart should consist of information from all the eight or more cycles.
The exact day on which ovulation would occur is hard to predict while using a calendar alone. However, a calendar is perfect in predicting the range of days in which a woman is fertile. Within this range is when ovulation is likely to occur.
To predict the fertile window of a current cycle:
- Find the shortest cycle indicated in the chart. Use the number from it and subtract eighteen. For example, if the shortest cycle was 28 days, subtract 18 from it. This gives 10. Mark this day as it is the first day of your fertile window. This is the first day on which one could get pregnant.
- To predict the last day of your fertile window, pick the longest cycle in the chart. Subtract eleven from this and use what you get to calculate from the first day of the current cycle. The day that is landed on marks the last day that you are fertile. For example, if the longest cycle was 34, this would mean 34 you subtract 11. This gives 23.
- If the current cycle started on 2nd, the fertile window will last from 12th to 25th of the given month.
The fertile window is likely to change with unique characteristics. This manual mode of calculating the ovulation date is best for people with irregular menstrual cycles. It gives a wide fertility window giving one enough time to try make a baby while reducing the pregnancy risks for those trying to avoid pregnancy.
For those with regular ones, there are many online ovulation calculators. These are easy to use as one is only required to key in the date for their first cycle day and the length of their cycles. With this, the program will work out all other aspects of the cycle.
Among things that online calculators work out are the first day of the next cycle, the fertility window, when ovulation will occur and the days on which you are likely to conceive a boy or a girl. With the possibility of all these with the click of a button, there is no need for going manual unless your cycle is irregular.
How to Track Ovulation
There are various ways through which one can keep track of their ovulation process. During the first phase of the menstrual cycle, estrogen levels keep the basal body temperature low. At the end of this phase, the level of estrogen increases and causes a dip in the body temperature. This gives an indication that ovulation is about to occur.
During the last phase of the cycle, the dominant hormone is progesterone. As opposed to estrogen, this one causes the basal body temperature to rise. This will indicate that ovulation has occurred and acts to confirm ovulation.
By charting the basal body temperature, one can identify the patterns that appear in their cycle and be in a position to predict when they will be ovulating.
The cervical mucus discharge is another way through which one can keep track of their ovulation. At the beginning of the cycle, there normally is no discharge. If there is some, it is scanty and dry. As days pass by and ovulation gets close, the cervical mucus increases and is cloudy and sticky.
Just before ovulation, the cervical mucus is at its highest quantity. It is also stretchable and sticky. At this point, it can be compared to raw egg whites. This is likely to remain all through ovulation. As ovulation takes place, the mucus may be stained with some brown coloration. This will act to confirm ovulation as this is a sign of ovulation spotting. After this the discharge will begin to get lower until the periods occur.
Ovulation predictor kits can also be used to keep track of ovulation. These require one to either hold them midstream or dip the test stick into a container with urine.
Some usually have a control band with which to compare the results. The lighter the shade is compared to the control band, the farther from ovulation one is. Deepening shades and color close to that of the control band means ovulation is close.
Other predictor kits are digitalized and either show a blank circle for negative results or a smiley face for positive ones.
Physical body changes could also help one to keep track of their ovulation. Due to the hormonal changes and in readiness for a possible pregnancy, breast tenderness is experienced. This can be noted through their sensitivity to touch even by a bra. Depending on individual women, this could happen before or after ovulation. Keeping track of this symptom and others will help tell which case applies.
Another body change that could help keep track of ovulation is the changes in the position of the cervix. As ovulation approaches, the cervix gets raised, is softer and more open. These show that one is fertile and ready for baby making.
The last way through which one can keep track of ovulation is by observing their saliva. Saliva ferning is a unique way of tracking ovulation. As one gets close, the high level of estrogen affects the body’s salt levels. This makes the saliva to form some unique ferning pattern.
At the beginning of the cycle, saliva dries up to form simple dots. As the cycle progresses, some lines are introduced into the saliva structure. A few days to ovulation the lines and dots join to form some ferning pattern. This can be observed using some special microscope.
Suggested Further Reading:
- Signs of Ovulation – Physical, Discharge, Cramping & Clomid
- Ovulation Test Kits – How Do Ovulation Kits Work, Do They Work
- Ovulation Predictor Kits – Best, Calendar, Calculator & Use
- How Long Do You Ovulate & How Long Does an Egg Last After Ovulation
- Ovulation Test Strips – Best, Cheap, Instructions to Use Them
- Brown or Pink Spotting After Ovulation – Days after Ovulation
- Ovulation Charts – Temperature, Printable & Free
- Ovary or Ovarian Pain during Ovulation and After Ovulation
- Cramping during Ovulation – Before, Mild or Band Cramps
- Bleeding During Ovulation – Meaning, Before and After
