Charting Ovulation

My husband I were always shifting our views on when to have a baby. At one point, my husband wanted to start trying before I was sure I ever wanted to. A year later, after my 32nd birthday, I was the one who suddenly wanted to start trying and he, with a fledging new company, didn’t think it was the right time. When we both finally agreed to start trying, we were shocked that we didn’t conceive immediately. Certainly it was as simple as having unprotected sex mid-cycle, wasn’t it? Welcome to the world of predicting ovulation. From basal body temperature charts to ovulation predictor kits—there are quite a few ways to determine when you are ovulating.

The general rule is that women ovulate fourteen days before their next period. A normal menstrual cycle will last between twenty-three and thirty-five days. (If your cycles are shorter or longer, you may want to consult an expert.) But because a woman’s body varies from month to month, few women have the exact same number of days every cycle. And because sperm can live for two to three days after intercourse and the egg can survive for only twelve to twenty-four hours after ovulation, the best time to have intercourse is one to three days before ovulation.

The good news is that if you’ve just started trying to have a baby, relax and enjoy your baby-making efforts.

“If you have a low risk of infertility—are not overweight, are not over thirty-five, and are healthy—typically I tell my patients to have sex fourteen days before their period should begin. If you do this each month, most likely, you’ll become pregnant within a year,” says Kristen N. Innes, M.D., P.A., an obstetrician in Frisco, Texas. If you’ve been trying for a while or want to get pregnant quickly, there are plenty of tools to help you. Here’s a breakdown of the most popular free and over-the-counter methods available to predict ovulation:

Charting Basal Body Temperature (BBT) A woman’s body temperature drops when there is a rise in the luteinizing hormone (LH), which helps regulate egg production. Body temperature goes up significantly when LH levels out. This elevation in temperature indicates that ovulation has occurred. To chart your BBT, you need a basal body thermometer, available at most drugstores for $10 to $13, and a chart to track your temperature readings. You must take your temperature first thing every morning, before getting out of bed. You’re looking for a slight drop or, more likely, a significant rise.