Predicting Your Menstrual Cycle

Do you need an easy way to remember when that time of month is coming? Are you struggling with periods and need to understand what is changing? Or do you need a reliable system to track your menstrual cycle and increase your chances of getting pregnant? Whatever your reasons for needing to predict your menstrual cycle, there are several methods that work. Everyone's cycle can vary from the next woman and keeping track can help you understand your body. A woman's cycle typically lasts 28 days, but it can range from 21 to 45 days. Here's some methods that may help you monitor your body clock.

Understand the Menstrual Cycle
The cycle prepares a woman's body for the possibility of pregnancy. The cycle goes from the first day of bleeding to the next time bleeding starts. The body's estrogen levels rise as it prepares to release an egg prior to ovulation. Each month the uterus grows a new lining to prepare for a fertilized egg. The uterus sheds its lining when there is no egg fertilized. The most common cause of missed periods is pregnancy. But there are other causes which make it necessary to track your cycle.

An Ovulation Chart May Be Easiest Predictor
Start by charting when your period starts and ends. Mark on a calendar the first day of bleeding and the last. Also, you may want to note emotional or physiological changes. For example, you could chart the days you feel cramping or the days you are most feeling blue in a month. This information can be useful to a doctor, psychiatrist, fertility specialist or other medical specialist looking to understand your body. Your body's chemicals rise and fall during the month and understanding when that happens can be key to your health and happiness.

Monitor Your Body Temperature
The most common way to predict a menstrual cycle is by monitoring the basal body temperature. When you arise in the morning, take your body temperature. Chart the temperatures and you will start to see some patterns in your body. Typically, the body rises about a half degree Fahrenheit when you ovulate. This method is not always accurate since your temperatures can vary. But you can start to chart patterns and predict your cycle through this method.

Use a Urine Test to Pinpoint Ovulation
A home urine test can help you determine when ovulation is about to happen. The increase of a Luteinizing hormone (LH) can show up in a urine test. This hormone increases as ovulation gets closer. When you see the LH factor rise, it usually means you are within 24 to 36 hours of ovulation.

Irregular Menstrual Cycles
Unless you know when your cycle is coming, it may be hard to notice irregular menstrual cycles. But noting irregular cycles can help you be aware of your body's health. Stress, diet changes, anxiety about pregnancy, exercise and drugs can all impact your menstrual cycle. Being aware of what's normal for your body can help you be in tune with when to get pregnant, what to expect each month or when something is wrong.