Knowing your cycle

If you and your partner have tried to conceive but have not yet hit the mark it may be best to take a step back and understand the key to a woman's fertility, the menstrual cycle, then learn how to identify where you are in that cycle.

What is the cycle?

The menstrual cycle begins every month on the first day of menstruation and generally lasts 28 days. Ovulation generally occurs on or around the 14th day of the cycle but many women have cycles that are very different from this.

Ovulation is the essence of a woman's fertility. So, it makes sense for a couple to track ovulation to increase their odds of conception. For conception to occur, there must be three factors working together: sperm, an egg and cervical mucus. Men are designed to always be fertile but a woman, on the other hand, is only fertile a few days out of each cycle so timing the meeting of sperm and egg is critical.

As the sperm travel towards the uterus, they must first pass through the neck-like opening called the cervix. A few days after ovulation and for most of the cycle, the cervix is closed and sealed by a thick mucus. This mucus protects the uterus from infection and prevents sperm from entering.

Just before ovulation, however, the mucus changes into a thinner, slicker consistency and becomes beneficial to sperm. Not only does it act as the perfect lubricant for the vagina, but it also provides an environment where sperm can easily travel through the cervix and into the uterus. Before entering the uterus, the mucus "feeds" the sperm, nourishing the cells so that they are stronger, while filtering out the abnormal cells.

Normally, ovulation occurs once every month. Thousands of eggs, which are present at the time a woman is born, are stored in the ovaries. An egg is released from one of the ovaries where it then travels down through the fallopian tubes (the passage between the ovary and the uterus).

Only the strongest sperm will make it to the fallopian tubes, where the egg is travelling down. Conception occurs when a sperm breaks through the thick barrier of the egg cell. This generally happens while the egg is in one of the fallopian tubes. Once inside the uterus, the egg attaches itself to the uterine wall and a pregnancy is achieved.
If the egg is not fertilised by sperm, the lining of the uterus (endometrium) is shed ready for the next ovulation cycle ie menstruation takes place.

Where am I in my cycle?

Now you know exactly what is happening you need to know when it is happening. There are two major clues - cervical mucus changes and basal body temperature.

Cervical mucus changes are generally noticeable during normal visits to the bathroom. A few days before ovulation, the mucus may be noticed when using toilet paper. The first phase of the mucus is generally white and sticky. It can be stretched from thumb to middle finger easily. After a few days, the mucus becomes wetter and more abundant. Most women describe the mucus as very slippery. It is right around these slippery mucus days that ovulation should occur. For couples who have had continued trouble conceiving, it is especially important to track mucus changes, as some women are only fertile for a few hours of one day in the cycle. Mucus changes are recorded on a special chart and previous cycles are used as guides.

This method of tracking mucus changes was introduced in the 1960s and is commonly referred to as the Billings Ovulation Method.

In addition a method which involves taking your temperature with a special thermometer each morning at the same time can be used. This gives you your basal body temperature. Like the ovulation tracking method, changes in the body are recorded on a chart, to help predict ovulation. But, unlike the ovulation method, the changes are recorded on a daily basis throughout the cycle and past charts are studied for prediction more seriously because ovulation is not apparent on the chart until after it has occurred.

So, when taking your temperature for the first cycle, the reading will remain about the same (with no large changes) for the first weeks of the cycle and through ovulation. It is after ovulation has already occurred that the temperature reading will rise. This higher temperature remains until menstruation begins. After charting a few cycles, a couple may begin to notice a very scheduled pattern. Thus ovulation can then be more accurately predicted.

How to use methods together

Using both methods together is called the "Sympto-thermal" method and whilst charting all this may seem daunting it can greatly improve your chances of conception and at the very least it will increase your awareness of fertility.
There are also other signs that women experience. For example, a mid-cycle abdominal discomfort on one side of the lower pelvic region can alert a woman that an egg is being released or will be released very soon.

See your doctor or gynacologist to discuss these methods in more detail and take their advice on methods, sample charts and basal thermometers. This article is designed as an introduction to these methods only.