Looking for tips to get pregnant
Q.This email must be some kind of record since I’ve been asking you questions for more than 15 years. We met when I was a confused ninth-grader. I was confused because my boyfriend wanted me to have sex. I also wanted to. My mom was a teen mother, and so was my grandma. In your sex-ed class you helped me start thinking about my future. I learned how to make smart choices with relationships and how to protect myself. Here I am now, 31, married, and happy. No babies as a teen! Why a question now? You said we could always ask you questions, so I never stopped! I figure you’re my go-to person, and I’d like to understand fertility. We’re ready to start a family. You explain things in ways I understand. How can I know when I ovulate? Should I buy one of those ovulation predictor kits? Get ready, MJ, because I’m sure I’ll have a lot of questions once I’m pregnant! Thanks.
Former student
Mary Jo’s response: It’s wonderful to hear from you. Long-term “question connections” make me smile. Congratulations on those smart choices. Starting a family is huge. You sound as if you and your husband are ready.
Ovulation is often misunderstood. Let’s first define some terms:
Ovulation: Ovulation is the release of a mature egg (ovum) from a woman’s ovary. When an ovum matures, it is released and enters the fallopian tube, where conception may take place if the egg is fertilized by a sperm.
Menstrual cycle: Hormones regulate a woman’s menstrual cycles. The lining of the uterus (the endometrium) builds up in response to hormonal changes and ovulation. If the egg is not fertilized the lining sheds, causing menstrual periods. Day one is the first day of a woman’s period; most women have 28 to 35 days between their menstrual cycles.
The complication in figuring out ovulation deals with the uniqueness of each woman. Bodies differ normally. One woman may have regular cycles that range from 28 to 32 days apart, while another woman may only have menstrual periods a few times a year. Some woman’s cycles vary in length.
Ovulation is best determined by counting backward after a period begins. Typically a woman will ovulate 12 to 15 days before her next menstrual period (day one). Students learn in high school biology class that ovulation occurs 12 to 15 days after the period begins; this is only true if a woman has a regular cycle.
Unless you’re experiencing difficulty conceiving, I don’t think you need worry about the following information. I remember you as a student interested in details, though, so here goes.
Some ways to know when ovulation occurs are:
Basel Body Temperature: A woman can increase her awareness of ovulation by charting her BBT. The basal body temperature is a baseline temperature reading taken in the morning after sleep and before she gets out of bed. Her temperature will be lower in the first part of her menstrual cycle, reach its lowest point before ovulation and then immediately rise about half a degree when ovulation occurs. Charting the BBT over a few months may help a woman see a pattern to her menstrual cycles and predict ovulation.
A woman charting her BBT for fertility should:
• Get a good night’s sleep. She should try to have at least 3 to 8 hours of sleep prior to taking the BBT.
• Take the BBT at the same time daily.
• Remain in bed and take the BBT before rising.
• Use a quality oral thermometer: Keep the mouth clear of temperature-changing foods or drink by refraining from eating or drinking until after the BBT is taken.
• Chart accurately – think of it as a science project, and keep clear records.
Cervical changes: The cervix is the neck-like passage between a woman’s vagina and uterus. As ovulation approaches the cervix pulls back, softens and opens a little. A woman can check her cervix daily, using a finger, and chart the cervical changes.
Cervical mucus: Mucus from the cervix is normal. After a period is over, a woman will notice very little discharge; as the cycle goes forward the mucus will change in amount and appearance, increasing and looking white or cloudy. At ovulation it is thinner, clearer and slippery like an egg white. After ovulation the discharge may be thicker or the mucus may once more be drier.
The March of Dimes has an interactive online ovulation calendar at http://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/ovulation-calendar.
An ovulation predictor kit works by detecting luteinizing hormone (LH). Right before a woman ovulates, her body releases a “surge” of LH in a sudden, dramatic and brief rise of the hormone. Unlike BBT, which tells a woman when she ovulates over time and allows her to predict ovulation in the future, an ovulation predictor kit will react to a two- to five-time increase in LH in the days immediately before ovulation.
Ovulation kits do not reveal the state of the cervix or if cervical mucus is conducive for fertilization. The kits may be most effective when used in combination with BBT and cervical checks. You may like the technology, but remember it’s not typically necessary. Relax and enjoy becoming a family!
Finally, here’s a reminder from those long ago sex-ed classes: After ovulation, an egg lives only 12 to 24 hours. Sperm can live as long as five days inside a woman’s reproductive tract. Sex five days before ovulation can result in fertilization.
Good luck! I’ll be ready for those pregnancy questions.
Have a question? Connect with Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski at podmj@healthyteens.com.