| Please
take a moment to read about various methods of tracking fertility. The purpose of fertility tracking is of course to pinpoint ovulation.
This can not always be done with complete surity. Women have spent millions
of dollars trying to pinpoint ovulation but it cannot be done. What
can however be done is to track patterns that may lead to impending
ovulation and then observing post ovulation patterns as well.
There are many helpful methods of documenting ovulation. They include:
Basal body temperature method as
outlined in Taking Charge of Your Fertility
| Recording basal body temperatures is a very reliable source,
most agree the most accurate in determining ovulation has occured. The problem is of
course that a shift in temperatures occurs too late to prevent pregnancy and in many cases
too late to have intercourse when TTC - trying to conceive.
Unfortunately, many women are confused still wondering if they did or
did not ovulate due to confusing temps. Here are a few
facts that may help you to determine what is called a coverline for temperature taking and
TTC. It is the presence of progesterone which affects the hypothalmus, the body's
temperature regulator, to show a rise in temperature.
1: Identify the first day your temperature rises at least 2/10 of degree
higher than it had been the previous 6 days.
2: Highlight the last 6 temps before the rise.
3: Locate the highest of those six highlighted temps.
4: Draw the coverline 1/10 of degree above the higest of that cluster of
six days preceding the rise.
5: High temps during your period are irrelevant.
6: Once you see a third high temperature above the coverline (the 3/10
higher than 6 preceding days) you know you have ovulated.
Special note: For daylight savings time, take your temperature 20 minutes
earlier. Saturday 4/3, 20 minutes later Sunday 4/4 and then take temps normal time
on Monday.
Second note: Most NFP books will tell you that when you see above
coverline temps for 18 consecutive days you are pregnant.
We recommend that you consider not testing until after the 18 high temps.
This is because of the emotional upset that comes with seeing one more negative
HPT. Let your temps tell you.
This coverline information is taken mainly from the book
Taking Charge Of Your Fertility by Toni Weischler Check out our
catalog book section to purchase this book. You will find the
Fertility
Tracker® along with the book (or sold
separately) used to track saliva and / or mucus patterns.
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| For more information about using saliva and / or mucus patterns to track
fertility and save money over purchasing OPKs monthly or checking cervical position click
here and read about the FertilityTracker® |
Billings method which uses cervical mucus and cervical changes
| Cervical mucus is yet another noteworthy preovulation
sign. The cervical fluid in the body and the saliva as well are strongly influenced by
progesterone and oestrogen. Experiencing stretchy, stringy and clear mucus from the
cervix is usually a good sign ovulation will follow. We find
that many women with hormonal imbalance as well as hypothyroid will have
fluid many times before ovulation. This makes it difficult to
follow this method only. Checking the cervix for changes in position is part of this
method. |
OPK which stands for Ovulation
Predictor Kit a fair choice but costly
| This method depends on the detection of the LH surge.
Lutenizing hormone in the urine is what is used in this method. While the makers of these kits would have us believe that this is a
very accurate scientific approach, this is not entirely true for many
though YES it is scientific. Among the
infertile it is not uncommon to get false possitives several times before a true
reading. If there is not a sufficient LH surge a woman may believe
that she has ovulated when in fact if she were to do another test she
may find the same results several days and even weeks later for those
with hormonal imbalance. OPKs are better than temping of course because
it is used before the temp rise or pre-ovulation. This is helpful for
for those who have no idea when they might ovulate.. LH must be taken
up and then will show in the urine much like checking acid and
alkalinity in the urine. Also just like testing acid/alkaline
balance the saliva can be used which is not messy and unfriendly. |
The Saliva Ferning Method in Fertility
| Now we come to the salvia
ferning method. There have been many studies done since 1959
showing how
saliva changes during a women's cycle just like her endometrium does and
her acid / alkaline balance in the body. As fertility nears, in her cycle, the level of the salt in the body raises with the presence of
higher oestrogen. The patterns of this saliva when placed on
a slide will show crystalized patterns when left to dry. This crystalization is very similar to frost on a window
or the appearence of ferns from the garden. This is where the name ferning comes
from, of course. These simple patterns tell a world of information
regarding your fertility. Interested in the Fertility Tracker® go to
their site
now. |
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