If you are currently trying to get pregnant, or even considering it, do you know the first question you should be asking?
I’ll give you a hint, it’s not “Do we paint the nursery yellow or blue?” or “Baby names, classic or modern?” or even “When should I get pregnant if I want my baby to be a Libra?”
The first and most important thing you must know before trying to get pregnant is “CAN I get pregnant?”
To answer this question, you should know the answers to the following questions:
i) “Do I Ovulate?” As in, “Do I, with some degree of regularity, actually release an egg?”
ii) “Can sperm survive in my vagina long enough to reach the egg?”
iii) “If I get pregnant, will I stay pregnant?”
iv) “When should we have sex?”
The unfortunate reality is that most women don’t know the answers to these questions, and hence have a harder time than they’d like trying to get pregnant.
Luckily there is a simple and inexpensive way to answer all four questions: chart your fertility! This is great way to find out if and when you ovulate every month, and also to address a host of other issues that may make it hard for you to stay pregnant, or present themselves as problems on your way to mommy-hood.
For those that don’t know, fertility charting is simple: you take your oral temperature each morning before getting out of bed, check your cervical fluid each day, and record these two signs on a chart. Out of these simple actions a whole WORLD of knowledge is released!
Let’s tackle the all-important questions one by one:
1. Do I ovulate?
Why this is important: If you’re not ovulating, that means there is no egg waiting in the wings to be fertilized by some helpful sperm, and no amount of “Baby Dancing” is going to land you with that cute little watermelon-sized bundle of joy. Ever.
How fertility charting can help: A temperature shift confirms ovulation. If you chart your waking temperature every day, after a month or so you’ll start to see your own unique pattern of temperatures. If you ovulate you will see a pattern of low temperatures, (usually below 97.7 F or 36.50 C) followed by 12-16 days of higher temperatures, which indicates ovulation.
Your temperature will rise about .3 of a degree after ovulation, and stay elevated until your next period. If you see this shift, it almost certainly means that ovulation has occurred. And that’s great news!
(Want a highly accurate basal thermometer that's fast, fits comfortably in your mouth, and doesn't beep? Try Wink, a bluetooth basal thermometer that automatically syncs your temperatures and the time your temperature was taken to the Kindara app.)
If you ovulate regularly (every cycle) you have a better chance at conceiving than someone who doesn’t ovulate every cycle. (There are many reasons for not ovulating, which I’ll discuss another time) So, once you have confirmed that you ovulate regularly it’s time to celebrate right? Not so fast… there’s more…
2. Can sperm survive in my vagina long enough to reach the egg?
Why this is important: Okay, so you’ve ovulated, and you have a lovely egg just hanging out in one of your fallopian tubes, thinking she might like some company… some sperm company! But what if prince charming never arrives? ”What’s happened? Where is he? If he doesn’t show up in the next 12 to 24 hours, I swear I’ll die!” says the egg…and, true to her word, she does. An egg, once released, only survives for about 12 to 24 hours. If conception doesn’t happen within that timeframe, the egg will no longer be viable, and will disintegrate back into the body.
So if you’re trying to get your egg into the company of some fine upstanding sperm-gentlemen, make sure that said gentlemen are already hanging around, awaiting the egg’s arrival, or that they show up pronto, once she makes her debut.
This is where Cervical Fluid comes into play. Fertile Cervical Fluid is slippery, slightly alkaline, (like a man’s seminal fluid) and has a high water content. It creates a sperm superhighway, that nourishes and protects the sperm, and speeds them along their way to the egg. Sperm can survive inside a woman’s body for up to 5 days if there is fertile cervical fluid present. This gives them plenty of time to chill out: drinking beer and watching the game, while they wait for the lovely egg to finish primping, or whatever.
But without fertile cervical fluid the sperm are pretty much dead in the water. The sperm can’t get to the egg, and if they can’t get to the egg, ain’t nobody gettin’ pregnant.
How Fertility Charting can help: If you chart your cervical fluid every day, after a while you’ll be able to see if you have a “normal” cervical fluid pattern that would suggest fertility. If your endocrine system is producing normal levels of estrogen, at some point during your cycle you should have several days of very slippery, or watery cervical fluid, generally the in the few days leading up to your temperature rise. This will tell you that the sperm can most likely survive long enough to reach and fertilize an egg. Yay!
3. If I get pregnant, will I stay pregnant?
Why this is important: Many women who think they have trouble conceiving are actually getting pregnant, but having miscarriages early on in the pregnancy. Obviously this could hinder their baby-making plans.
How fertility charting can help: By charting your fertility signs you and your healthcare practitioner will be able to tell if you have a short luteal (post-ovulatory) phase, which may make it hard for you to stay pregnant. This may seem daunting, but there are treatments for this, both natural and allopathic, and many women with short luteal phases have gone on to give birth to perfectly healthy full-term babes. An added bonus of fertility charting is that you will be able to see right there on your chart if your treatments are working, and when your body is healthy enough to start trying for a baby.
Which brings me to the final question.
4. When should we have sex?
Why this is important: You need to have sex at the right time to get pregnant. If you have sex when there is no fertile cervical fluid, or too long after ovulation has taken place, the sperm and egg will be like ships in the night, and you won’t get pregnant. But if you have sex at the right time, the perfect storm of Egg, Cervical Fluid and Sperm can lead to… you guessed it… BABYTIME!
How fertility charting can help: By putting together all the information we just learned, you can pinpoint the optimal time to have sex, if pregnancy is what you’re after. The time to try is when you have that slippery or watery cervical fluid, usually in the few days leading up to your temperature rise. You can stop trying a day or so after your temperature rise.
Good luck and have fun.
Comments
30 comments
Is there anything else that I can do to increase my chances of getting pregnant?
Hey there, other than tracking your fertility to know if and when you ovulate, and timing intercourse around the fertile window, you'll want to prepare your body for pregnancy. First and foremost, doctors recommend that you start taking a prenatal vitamin as soon as you decide you want to conceive. If you smoke, you should quit smoking ASAP, and cut out alcohol and caffeine as well. Being significantly overweight or underweight can also affect your fertility, as can exercising too much (as in, more than 7 hours per week of aerobic exercise). If you're on any antibiotics, antidepressants, painkillers, or other drugs, talk to your doctor about whether this may affect your fertility. Finally, it's a good idea to reduce your exposure to environmental toxins as much as possible. If you're able, use all-natural cleaning and bathing products around the house, and eat organic food if possible.
I keep hearing that breastfeeding affects fertility. I have a 12 month old and she is still nursing, but my husband and I want another. I have been charting and from what I understand I am fertile. My family keeps telling me I won't get pregnant until I stop breastfeeding. Is this true? Any advice in regards to nursing and fertility?
Hi gibsmoe, while breastfeeding can suppress fertility, if your cervical fluid and temperatures indicate that you are ovulating, then yes, it is possible to get pregnant! My advice would be to track your fertility signs each day and time sex when it appears ovulation is approaching (before the temperature shift, and when wet, fertile cervical fluid is present).
Hi, I'm wondering if someone could tell me if there are any signs to look for in a chart to indicate pregnancy? I've heard that continued temp rise could be one. Is that right? Are there any other things to look for?
Is there a way of differentiating between EWCM and sorry if TMI... old semen?? I don't know if it's a bit of both or just semen 8/ thnx love the app x
Ashmaxwell - Some women who become pregnant may experience a triphasic temperature pattern ( see this article for more info), but others will not. Some women may have light spotting at the time of implantation, but again, others won't. If your temperatures remain high for at least 18 consecutive days after ovulation, however, this is a very good sign that you're pregnant! But ultimately, the only way to truly know if you're pregnant is to take a pregnancy test.
siabh - no worries, no such thing as TMI here :) Because semen can obscure your cervical fluid readings, it's a good idea to do Kegels exercises after sex to push any extra semen out. ( Click here for more info about what Kegels are and how to do them). If you're trying to get pregnant, wait at least 30 minutes after sex before doing Kegels.
If you're trying to conceive a boy, what day is optimal to have sex? I know we need to time it as closely to ovulation as possible. Any tips?
I just came off of birth control this month and posted my chart. People told me that I didn't ovulate. I just want to make sure...you have to have a low temp followed by a temp spike AND watery CM to say that you have ovulated, right?
katycordell - There are a few varying theories out there on how to time sex in order to have a boy or a girl. Unfortunately, there's no conclusive evidence that any of them are accurate. This article has some more information: http://blog.kindara.com/blog/choosing-the-sex-of-your-baby-a-history?rq=choosing%20the%20sex
jing_wen - In order to confirm ovulation, you need to see a sustained temperature shift from a lower range to a higher range. You'll likely also see a cervical fluid pattern in which your CF goes from dry/drier in the beginning of your cycle -> wetter around the time of ovulation -> back to dry/drier for the rest of your cycle. This article has some more info about temperature shifts: https://kindara.zendesk.com/entries/23880036-Temperature-Shift-FAQs
What does it mean when it says "if you ovulate", I thought that was a given. Is there a solution to that?
How long should temps stay elevated when pregnant? I'm approaching the end of my first trimester and wondering if they will come down or stay elevated throughout pregnancy.
I recently had a LOOP procedure to remove cancerous cells from my cervix. I'm afraid that if cancer spreads in the future it could affect my chances of getting pregnant. My husband and I are ready to start a family but would my recent surgery prevent pregnancy?
This might sound like a silly question, but it is one that I am seriously curious about. If I urinate immediately after sex, will it decrease my chances of conceiving? I had been putting a pillow under me to help the sperm stay in there, but I just got back from the dr with a nasty UTI AND BV infection :( I don't want that to happen again but i also don't want to hurt my chances of conceiving. Help??
What if my temps prior to ovulation range from 97.9-98.1? (Vs under 97.7) My cycle's pattern definitely has a rise in temps and I also have ovulation discomfort, so I know I am ovulating. But do my high temps before ovulation affect my fertility at all?
Hello, I had a mc in January. I'm not sure if I'm ovulating according to my chart. This is the first time I'm charting temps and on this site. I've been having normal periods since March. Last month I was 4 days last though. I did have cervical fluid though last weekend. When do you think I would start ovulating? Should I start taking something to ovulate? I'm 34.5yrs old, I'm just worried about waiting because of my age. Thanks
Hi Shinodafalcon,
I'm sorry for your loss. A period is unfortunately not enough to know if you're currently ovulating. That being said, if you have a chart, you can email me at Feedback@kindara.com and I'll take a look at your temperature patters to see if it looks as though you've ovulated or not. Every woman is different following a miscarriage, so it's very possible that you've started ovulating already. Charting will help you confirm this. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
How can increase my chances I'm getting pregnant after coming off of implanon? I started taking prenatal about 3 weeks ago too...
Hi Wikudswifey, Generally you'll need to wait for your body to come back to its normal cycle. If you start charting you'll be able to confirm ovulation and this will help you time intercourse to get pregnant! Prenatals are a great idea, best of luck!
I have noticed my pass two charts have shown higher temperatures during my period and sometimes I have major dips in temperature during this time as well. Is this normal? Before the start of my fertile window my cervical fluid is watery which last usually 1-2 days however I usually don't even ovulate until cycle day 17 and then get my period on cycle day 28? What is going on with my body!? ?
Hi Veit_Ariel, Thank you for writing. Sometimes your temperature is still dropping during the beginning of your period, I don't think anything too strange is going on here unless the temperatures stay high during your follicular phase. Additionally, watery CF is fertile cervical fluid, so having it right before and during your fertile window is a great sign. Also, ovulating on day 17 and getting your period on day 28 gives you an 11 day luteal phase, right in the normal range. Based on what you said, I don't think there's anything strange going on with your body, I hope this helps!
Hi I am trying to get pregnant but I'm not sure if I've been ovulating or not the chart says I did but I got told my temps barely shifted for it to be and opk test said I wasn't but I had the slippery cervical fluid my one other thing is this will be my second child but with my first I still had a period throughout my whole pregnancy can you tell me what that means for me will it make it more complicated to get pregnant
Hi Tegan,
Thank you for writing. Can you please send in your chart? It would be easier to try and answer your question if I could see the temperatures that you're talking about. You can send it here: Feedback@kindara.com.
Is it safe to have sex during the two week wait after ovulation? I'm worried an orgasm could harm the chances of implantation but would love some intimacy during this time!
Hi pacificnwsoul, thanks for your question! Yes, it's perfectly safe to have sex during the two week wait after ovulation. Having an orgasm won't affect your chances of getting pregnant, so go right ahead! Let me know if you have any other questions :)
I am breastfeeding my 9.5 month old all through the night, which means that I never sleep for more than 2-3 hour stretches throughout the night (and that's on a good night). I heard that BBT is only reliable if you sleep for at least 4 hours in a row before taking your temp - is that true?
Also, what is a peak fertility day? When would I check that box while charting? Thanks!
Hello ladies this is my first month temping and I think I O cd23 today I am 13dpo and BFN. This is my second cycle taking clomid. I would really appreciate if someone can look at my chart at tell me for sure if I O
Hi, I've had a similar experience. I came off the pill just over 3 weeks ago and had some yellowish sticky CF today actually. Based on my BBT I think I ovulated a couple of days ago, but I'm not sure about how to interpret my chart. If I did ovulate a couple days ago it would make sense that my CF is getting thicker and drier. So maybe the same thing is happening to you. Can any of you ladies help us out?
Hello. Is it safe to use a lube while trying to conceive?
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