Ovulation means the release of the egg from the woman’s ovary. This keeps good for 12 hours, after which it degenerates. The sperm on the other hand stays good and can survive in the woman’s reproductive tract for 72 hours. So, if the sperm of a healthy bodied male is present in the ova when a healthy bodied woman ovulates, then fertilization occurs and she will become pregnant. This means that, the ideal time to make love is a few days before ovulation or during ovulation. Remember that, since the egg does not survive beyond 12 hours, timing yourselves can be quite challenging and so is to calculate fertile period.

A woman should keep a track of her most fertile period to increase her chances of becoming pregnant. The fertility cycle differs in every woman and even in one woman from cycle to cycle. Therefore, this can be difficult. However, there are ways to determine the fertile time periods in women. Some of these are:

Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

During the ovulation period, a woman’s body temperature increases up to 1.6 degrees. This minute difference can only be measured with a special thermometer, the Basal Body Thermometer. The temperature is taken first thing in the morning when a woman awakes, before she starts any activity.

Calendar

A woman can chart her menstrual cycle on a calendar to know the mostly likely time she will ovulate.

Cervical Mucus

The job of the cervical mucus is to protect the vagina from sperm, bacteria and other organisms. However, during the most fertile period or for some days each month, the texture of the mucus changes to allow the sperm to enter into the fallopian tubes. This can be tracked every month during pregnancy period planning, to indicate your most fertile period.

The above methods only record secondary signs of fertility and are not completely error free, because of infections that you may have, or medication that you may be taking.

Ovulation Predictor Kit And The Fertility Monitor

The fertility monitor records daily fertility levels, based on outcome from urine tests that detect increases in levels of the hormone estrogen and Lutenizing Hormone (LH). These products measure to tell when it may be the best time to conceive.

It is best that if you are planning a pregnancy, you start using one of the above methods to help you calculate your most fertile period. Pregnancy planning can be crucial in bringing a new life into this world.