What is Fertility Tracking?

Fertility tracking is used to track ovulation during a menstrual cycle and is useful for those trying or avoiding to conceive. There are many Fertility Awareness Methods (FAMs) which are used to track fertility window, thus keeping off the anxiety for couples.

Why is it important to track fertility?

Due to the variability in women’s menstrual cycles, it can be difficult to know which are the fertile days, but it is the key if you are planning to get pregnant. It can be tiring and stressful to get into a monthly roller-coaster of emotions and baby-making sex. Identifying your fertile days and having sex then can help avoid this happening to you.

The sperm can survive inside the woman’s body and wait for the egg for 3-6 days and thus if you have sex a couple of days before ovulation, there is a good chance of sperm waiting when the egg is released.

How to track fertility?

There are many Fertility awareness methods (FAMs) to track fertility and they can be used alone or on combination to track when the ovulation occurs.

  1. BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE (BBT): BBT is the lowest body temperature in a 24-hour period. Ovulation causes a sudden increase in BBT by 0.5-1 degree Fahrenheit and remain consistent till the end of the cycle. By measuring BBT everyday during the same time throughout the cycle, you will be able to track the fertile window.
  2. CERVICAL DISCHARGE:  There are several types of vaginal discharge and are categorized based on their color and consistency. During ovulation discharge is clear but stretchy like mucus instead of watery.
  3. CERVICAL POSITION: Due to the hormonal change throughout the menstrual cycle, the cervix changes its position and texture. Cervix is opened when ovulation approaches and when fertility is high, it becomes soft and high.
  4. OVULATION KITS: There are hormonal changes in the urine during ovulation. Different types of ovulation kits are available in the market that helps to know when a woman is most fertile. Simply take the urine test daily during probable fertile window to know the ovulation time.