ovulation calendar

Ovulation Calendar

"Fertility charting allows you to predict ovulation, pinpoint your most fertile time in your cycle and increase your chances of becoming pregnant... A fertility calendar, as part of your fertility chart, allows you to predict ovulation based on the history of previous cycles...."

Predicting ovulation? The ovulation calendar strategy allows you to predict fertility by summarizing a woman's menstrual history and do a quick math computation to discover when you ovulate. Easy and effective if you have a clockwork cycle, less so if your cycle is irregular.

The calendar method can (and should) be used with other predictive methods, like monitoring changes in cervical mucus, changes in cervix position, and basal body temperature charting (BBT). The ovulation calendar method can also be used to learn when you should begin using ovulation tests during your cycle. Ovulation tests detect your LH-Surge, which takes place right before you ovulate.

The ovulation calendar method is designed to predict general trends based on past menstrual cycle patterns - and is therefore somewhate limited when it comes to absolute accuracy. The more regular your menstrual cycle, the more useful the calendar method is, and seeing ovulation patterns will become clear after a few months of maintaining records. If you already know (or think you know) that you have a 28 day cycle (or 32 day, etc), we still advise maintaining an ovulation calendar.

With the ovulation calendar method, a record is kept using a standard calendar to follow the patterns and dates of of each menstrual cycle. Each cycle begins with the first day of your period and ends with - but does not include - first day of the next cycle. So, if you see menstrual bleeding, this is day one of your next cycle...

Maintaining an ovulation calendar: The first day menstrual bleeding begins is 'Day One'. Circle this date on the ovulation calendar and notate as 'Day One'. For each following month, circle "Day One" and continue for at least a few months or more. When bleeding starts, circle the date on your calendar.

Doing the Math: To determine the first day you are likely to ovulate, review your records from previous months. Next, find the shortest cycle, and subtract 18 from the total number of days.

For example, if your shortest cycle is 28 days long, subtract 18 from 28, which leaves 10. Starting with the date you circled (Day One, the first day of your current cycle) count ahead ten days and draw an O (for 'ovulation') through that second date. This day will be the date you are most likely to become fertile.

To use the iBabydust.com Ovulation Calendar, click here.