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By Rebecca Stone, MD
W
hen trying to get pregnant, you
may start watching your body
closely for signs of pregnancy.
But it might be a good idea to watch your
body closely for other signs too. Keeping
track of ovulation, the time when the
egg leaves your ovary and is ready to
be fertilized, can help you increase your
chances of getting pregnant, according to
the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists.
If you have sex in the 3 to 5 days
preceding ovulation, you are more likely to
get pregnant. But figuring out when you’re
ovulating can be a little tricky. There are a
few methods that can help.
TEMPERATUREMETHOD
Using a basal body thermometer, check
your temperature before getting out of
bed each morning, and record it. Body
temperature tends to rise slightly (0.4 to
0.8 degrees) in the days after ovulation. The
egg can only be fertilized for 12 to 24 hours
after ovulation. If you have regular periods,
this method can help you predict when you
should ovulate in your next cycle.
CERVICAL MUCUSMETHOD
Right after your period, there are typically
a few dry days when there is no mucus
present. Mucus production increases
as ovulation nears. Around the time of
ovulation, the mucus becomes clear and
slippery, like raw egg whites.
TEST KITMETHODS
Ovulation test kits, available at pharmacies,
test urine. You briefly hold a test stick in your
urine stream. It checks for a hormone that
peaks just before ovulation. Testing is started
2 to 3 days prior to expected ovulation.
Once the test is positive, ovulation usually
occurs in the next day. Your most fertile time
is the day of the positive test and the two
days after.
Talk to your doctor if you have questions
about tracking ovulation.
Following your journey to parenthood
Beginnings
BEYOND
and
PredictingOvulation
Timing
Is
Everything
If there is, you will need
a doctor for yourself and
your baby. ValleyCare‘s
collaborative network of
well-established and
respected physicians
in the Tri-Valley offers
personalized care for your
entire family right here in
your community.
If you need an OB/GYN
or pediatrician, please
visit
valleycare.com/
physicianfinder
.
To get a
preview of
our labor/delivery/
recovery suites,
postpartum rooms
and Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit
(NICU), sign up for
the Maternity Tour,
offered every Sunday
at 1 pm and Monday
evening 7:30 to 9 pm.
To register, please
visit
valleycare.com/
maternity
.
Is There aBaby
inYour Future?
Rebecca Stone, MD,
is a
board-certified OB/GYN
affiliated with ValleyCare
Medical Foundation.
For information on
ValleyCare OB/GYNs,
visit
valleycare.com/
physicianfinder
.
ValleyCare.com/maternity