Am i Fertile?: 6 methods to help you get pregnant faster

During ovulation in the menstrual cycle, the hormones in our body cause the rupture of the dominant follicle (in one of the two ovaries) to release the egg from the ovary and travel through the fallopian tube, this process of release of an egg from the ovary is called OVULATION.

The egg takes 12-24 hour to reach the uterus and is the only time when the egg can be fertilized if the sperm is present in the fallopian tube. 

There is only a few days window (fertile window) typically of 6 days when you can get pregnant accounting to the average age of the sperm. Knowing this window is crucial if you are planning to have a baby. 

There are various signs, symptoms and events associated with ovulation which can be utilized to identify the ovulation days or the fertile days.

In this article, we will try to give details about all the tests available and the signs and symptoms they are based on.

Some of the major tests which can be used for identifying ovulation are:

• Calendar Method
• Basal Body Temperature
• Ovulation Pain
• Saliva Observation
• Cervical mucus changes
• Ovulation Predictor Kits

1. Calendar Method:

If a woman is having regular periods, predicting ovulation can be easy by identifying the length of the cycle.

You need to measure the duration of cycle for a couple of months by noting down the first day of the period and the first day of next period to get a fair idea on the menstrual cycle duration.

For a regular menstrual cycle, the ovulation will happen 12-16 days before the first day of next period. So, the ovulation can be predicted to some extent by this method. 

The drawback with this method is that the ovulation time can still differ from cycle to cycle and prediction is still difficult in women with irregular periods so it is not a full-proof method.

Try the fertility calculator to know when you are ovulating?

2. Basal Body Temperature (BBT):

This method is based on the fact that the basal temperature (The body temperature at rest) rises by 0.4-1 deg C during ovulation.

To use this method accurately you need to measure BBT first thing in the morning for a couple of menstrual cycles before getting some estimate for the fertile window. 

The elevation in BBT is observed only when you have ovulated it is not a very useful method in so many cases as you don’t get too many days to plan your sex. 

Also, there are too many other factors like alcohol, travel, stress, sleep cycle changes which can affect the basal temperature, hence again this method is not very efficient.

3. Ovulation Pain:

Some of the women have reported pain associated with ovulation. Pain is similar to premenstrual cramps but low intensity

However, the pain might occur before or after ovulation and also the pain is not consistent among all women hence this is not a very efficient method for identifying ovulation.

4. Saliva changes:

There is saliva change in accordance with the level of estrogen level in the body and there are some kits available to monitor the same.

The kit includes a tiny microscope with a glass surface. The person needs to spit on the glass surface and observe through microscope after drying. The ‘ferning’ pattern will be caused due to salt crystals present in saliva when the estrogen level is high. 

The interpretation is a little difficult in this method and the method overall is a little expensive than others.

Also, the saliva can be changed due to various conditions like gastric issues, eating, smoking or drinking alcohol.

5. Cervical Mucus changes:

The type and amount of cervical mucus changes throughout the menstrual cycle starting from being sticky white to thinner and more clear.

Just before and during ovulation the mucus secretion increases and becomes much thinner and slippery, some people associate it to raw egg white like consistency.

By knowing all these changes you can predict when one is ovulating so that you can conceive during the most fertile days. 

The method will take some time to understand the changes over a couple of menstrual cycles. The cervical mucus can change due to other factors like medications, sex or some infections.

6. Ovulation Predictor Kit:

These kits are easily available at regular chemist shops and are very easy to use. These kits work by testing the Luteinising hormone (LH) in the urine.

This hormone is released 24-36 hours before ovulation. This will help identifying the most fertile days in the menstrual cycle and can help to increase the probability of getting pregnant. 

Even if you have an irregular cycle you can predict the ovulation but maybe you need to use several test strips.

Again this method could be a little expensive as you might need a couple of strips to get to some fare idea.

Summary

All the methods listed above have their own pros and cons, what is important is to understand which method works best for you.

The best approach would be to try all the methods and see which one suits you. The combination of 2 or more methods might increase your probability of getting pregnant faster.