Fertility Chart Basics to Increase Fertility for WomenKeeping a fertility chart allows you (and your health care provider) to identify potential issues that may occur during your cycle and potential ways in which to increase your fertility. The primary ways in which to track your cycle are through basal body temperature and cervical fluid. Alternative methods include monitoring your ovulation through ovulation predictor kits, fertility monitors, and checking your cervical position. Tracking Your Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Your BBT identifies the exact day upon which you ovulated, whereas the other methods indicate that ovulation is impending. After ovulation occurs, the body’s temperature notably increases as a result of the release of certain hormones. By tracking your temperature regularly, you will be able to identify the day upon which you ovulate as identified by an increase in your BBT and therfere the day(s) upon you are most likely to get pregnant. Some basic guidelines are as follows: *Use a BBT thermometer, if possible, which is reported to be more accurate than a standard “fever” thermometer. *Take your temperature every morning when you first rise in the morning and ideally, before you get out of bed. This should be the lowest temperature reading of the day as your temperature tends to rise throughout the day. *Take your temperature at the same time each morning. If you do not, you will likely not be able to get a clear picture of your ovulation pattern. *Record your temperature in your fertility chart as soon as you have taken it so that you don’t inadvertently forget the reading.
Tracking Your Cervical Fluid The cervix produces fluid as a result of hormone changes, which is an indicator that ovulation is approaching, but has not yet occurred. While the fluid type varies over the course of the cycle, the most fertile fluid is egg-white in consistency, which signals increased fertility and the best time to begin having intercourse (e.g., every 24 to 36 hours after fertile fluid appears). Follow these tips: *Make it a habit to check your cervical fluid every time that you go to the bathroom. The easiest way is to observe the fluid on the toilet tissue and/or your undergarments. An alternative would be to check fluid internally. *Given that cervical fluid may change over the course of the day, record the most fertile cervical fluid on a daily basis. *It is important to note that cervical fluid can be altered by certain medications, drugs, herbs, sexually transmitted diseases, seminal fluid, etc. Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs) and Fertility Monitors There are a number of kits and monitors on the market that assist in providing insight into the ovulatory cycle by testing certain hormones via urine or saliva. For example, OPKs test for the presence of hormones in urine that are released in the body in advance and at the time the follicle is triggered to release of the egg(s) from the ovary. OPKs and monitors provide useful information, but they should not be used in place of monitoring BBT and cervical fluid, which are the most reliable indicators of fertility status. It is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions whenever using these tools.
Tracking Your Cervical Position Checking the position of the cervix is an optional sign to monitor as its structure changes during the cycle. As ovulation approaches, the cervix becomes high, soft and slightly open in comparison to being low, firm, and closed during non-fertile periods. How To Keep Track of Fertility Signs It is important to follow the guidelines to track your fertility signs on a daily basis via a fertility chart, especially on those days during the typical ovulatory period (i.e., Days 10 to 16), which slightly vary among women. You can keep a fertility chart for any or all of these signs by creating your own chart by hand or through Microsoft Excel or a comparable program. Alternatively, there are a number of free fertility chart resources available on the internet. Fertility Days Calculator to Monitor Your Fertility Cycles
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