How to Work out Ovulation With Irregular Periods
Check your body temperature., Track your vaginal discharge/mucus., Check your cervix., Test your hormone levels by using an ovulation test kit.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Check your body temperature.
Your basal body temperature (BBT) allows you to track when you are ovulating.
You must take your BBT every morning for several months in order to track a reliable trend in your cycle..
Take your BBT first thing in the morning and record your temperature in a small calendar on your bedside table.
You should take this reading before you get out of bed to prepare for the day for it to be most accurate.
Your BBT remains stable throughout the first half of your menstrual cycle, then it drops when there is a surge of progesterone signaling that ovulation is about to start.
Your temperature then rises half a degree when you are actively ovulating.
The most optimal time to have sex is two days prior to ovulation, right before the temperature rise.
It takes time for the sperm to get to the egg.
If you have sex the day of ovulation, you have only a 5 percent chance to conceive. -
Step 2: Track your vaginal discharge/mucus.
Your vaginal discharge, which consists of cervical mucus, provides important clues about where you are in your menstrual cycle.
Hormonal fluctuations cause the consistency and color of your cervical mucus to change..
Fertile discharge is clear and thin, and it has the consistency of egg whites.
You have this kind of discharge when you are ovulating.Discharge during the rest of your menstrual cycle tends to be cloudy and white and may be thick or thin.
It is not uncommon to have brownish discharge for a few days after your period.
This is the result of your vagina cleaning out old blood.
Usually, you have less discharge after your period ends. , Your cervix, the tunnel between your vagina and uterus, changes throughout your menstrual cycle.
The texture and position of your cervix lets you know if you are ovulating.Probe your cervix with one or two fingers daily and write down your observations about its position and texture to start tracking trends.
During the first part of your menstrual cycle, your cervix is hard and low.
As your body prepares to ovulate, your cervix softens, opens slightly, and shortens to allow sperm an easy access to your ovum.
You may need to reach your finger several inches into your vagina before you feel your cervix.
Once the tip of your finger touches a donut-shaped opening at the end of your vagina, you have reached your cervix.
If you are unsure how to feel your cervix, read more here. , Ovulation test kits reveal your level of luteinizing hormone (LH).
Your LH level spikes right before your ovary releases an egg, indicating your fertile time..
Like a pregnancy test, an over-the-counter ovulation test kit requires a urine sample to determine your levels of LH.
The test turns positive the day before ovulation occurs; thus, you may need to do several tests daily around the time of ovulation to identify the correct day.Checking your cervix and tracking trends in your vaginal discharge can help you determine when you should take an ovulation test.
Also, ovulation kits provide guidance about when to check urine based on how irregular your menses are. -
Step 3: Check your cervix.
-
Step 4: Test your hormone levels by using an ovulation test kit.
Detailed Guide
Your basal body temperature (BBT) allows you to track when you are ovulating.
You must take your BBT every morning for several months in order to track a reliable trend in your cycle..
Take your BBT first thing in the morning and record your temperature in a small calendar on your bedside table.
You should take this reading before you get out of bed to prepare for the day for it to be most accurate.
Your BBT remains stable throughout the first half of your menstrual cycle, then it drops when there is a surge of progesterone signaling that ovulation is about to start.
Your temperature then rises half a degree when you are actively ovulating.
The most optimal time to have sex is two days prior to ovulation, right before the temperature rise.
It takes time for the sperm to get to the egg.
If you have sex the day of ovulation, you have only a 5 percent chance to conceive.
Your vaginal discharge, which consists of cervical mucus, provides important clues about where you are in your menstrual cycle.
Hormonal fluctuations cause the consistency and color of your cervical mucus to change..
Fertile discharge is clear and thin, and it has the consistency of egg whites.
You have this kind of discharge when you are ovulating.Discharge during the rest of your menstrual cycle tends to be cloudy and white and may be thick or thin.
It is not uncommon to have brownish discharge for a few days after your period.
This is the result of your vagina cleaning out old blood.
Usually, you have less discharge after your period ends. , Your cervix, the tunnel between your vagina and uterus, changes throughout your menstrual cycle.
The texture and position of your cervix lets you know if you are ovulating.Probe your cervix with one or two fingers daily and write down your observations about its position and texture to start tracking trends.
During the first part of your menstrual cycle, your cervix is hard and low.
As your body prepares to ovulate, your cervix softens, opens slightly, and shortens to allow sperm an easy access to your ovum.
You may need to reach your finger several inches into your vagina before you feel your cervix.
Once the tip of your finger touches a donut-shaped opening at the end of your vagina, you have reached your cervix.
If you are unsure how to feel your cervix, read more here. , Ovulation test kits reveal your level of luteinizing hormone (LH).
Your LH level spikes right before your ovary releases an egg, indicating your fertile time..
Like a pregnancy test, an over-the-counter ovulation test kit requires a urine sample to determine your levels of LH.
The test turns positive the day before ovulation occurs; thus, you may need to do several tests daily around the time of ovulation to identify the correct day.Checking your cervix and tracking trends in your vaginal discharge can help you determine when you should take an ovulation test.
Also, ovulation kits provide guidance about when to check urine based on how irregular your menses are.
About the Author
Heather Patel
Committed to making practical skills accessible and understandable for everyone.
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