Fertility 101

Welcome to our introductory course in fertility. Here you will find helpful information on charting basal body temperature, tracking cervical mucus changes, interpreting OvaCue data, and much more.

Introduction to Fertility Charting

Some of you might be asking: “Why do I need to chart my fertility?” Well, the simple answer to this question is: to improve your chances of conceiving! In the course of each menstrual cycle, there are only a limited number of days (often referred to as your “fertile window”) that conception is even possible. As a result, unless you are careful to time intercourse during this window, your trying-to-conceive efforts just might be in vain.

Most Popular Fertility Acronyms

The trying-to-conceive online community, perhaps more than any other, LOVES acronyms! Peruse any message board and you'll be inundated with acronym-laden messages from people "BDing" with "DH" in order to get their "BFP"....

To help you acclimate, here are some common trying-to-conceive acronyms to help you along the way:

Checking Your Cervical Fluid (Cervical Mucus) as an Indicator of Your Fertility Status

As you may or may not be aware, cervical mucus, or as it’s commonly referred to, CM, plays an important role in the conception process. You might instead be familiar with the term cervical fluid or CF. Both terms are commonly used in TTC and fertility circles, and refer to the exact same thing. You decide which term you like best!

But first things first: what exactly is cervical mucus? Cervical mucus is simply a fluid secreted by the cervix, the production of which is stimulated by the hormone estrogen. Because cervical mucus serves as the medium in which sperm must live and travel on their journey to fertilize the egg, it is important that it be present in sufficient quantity and that it be “fertile quality” in nature.

Your cervical mucus undergoes characteristic changes throughout your monthly cycle, and by observing these changes, you can gain valuable insight into your fertile status. Unfortunately, as you may have guessed, “observing” your cervical mucus is a euphemism for putting your clean fingers in there and checking things out…

Basal Body Temperature Charting

BBT charting is one of the easiest and most objective ways to track your fertility status. In simple terms, your basal body temperature is the temperature at which your body rests, which tends to be a bit lower than your “normal” temperature, usually 97 point something degrees F versus 98.6 degrees F. By taking your BBT each morning throughout your cycle you will be able to detect the natural rise in your basal body temperature that occurs just after ovulation. This post-ovulatory shift in BBT is due to the hormone progesterone, sometimes referred to as the “warming hormone”. After ovulation, the corpus luteum (a fancy Latin word for the structure that remains after the ovarian follicle releases the egg) produces progesterone, which helps a fertilized egg implant into the wall of the uterus. This increasing amount of progesterone causes the body to warm up, which is reflected in an increase in your BBT.

Interpreting OvaCue Readings

The OvaCue Fertility Monitor makes pinpointing your fertile window easy by colorfully displaying your most fertile days on the calendar screen. As you become more familiar with your monitor, you might realize that there is a wealth of information to be gained by looking at the actual data produced by taking oral and vaginal readings. Trying to make sense of these numbers might seem like a daunting task at first, but with a few clues about what to look for you will be on your way to becoming an “OvaCue expert”.

Sample OvaCue Charts

We've compiled some examples of OvaCue graphs consisting of "regular" and irregular cycles. In a perfect world, your cycle would be 28 days, with ovulation occurring on cycle day 14 each month. As you know, most women rarely experience this typical 28-day cycle. Hormonal imbalances can cause irregular cycles and/or ovulatory disorders which can make ovulation prediction more difficult. Compare and contrast your OvaCue data with these examples!

Dr. Meg Jay on Knowing Your Fertility

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