1. Increase Your Odds
If you'd like to see a baby in your future, you can increase your chances of becoming pregnant. Most women who calculate their ovulation date do so to get pregnant. An overwhelming majority (85%) of couples are able to conceive within one year of stopping birth control pills. Your chance of getting pregnant should be even better than that once you calculate your ovulation dates. When you determine your ovulation, you find out the days that you are most likely to get pregnant. It's an exciting time in the life of an anxious mother-to-be.
2. Know Your Period
Ovulation is determined based on the first day of your last period and your cycle length. The average cycle of an adult woman is 28 days, but it can greatly vary from woman to woman. To use an ovulation calculator, track your cycle for a few months to see if you're regular and how long your cycle is. Most women ovulate about two weeks into their cycle. However, if your cycle is shorter than 28 days, you ovulate sooner, and if your cycle is longer than 28 days, you ovulate later.
3. Click Online to Calculate
Numerous online websites like BabyCenter and the American Pregnancy Association offer free ovulation calculators for anyone to use. Input the first date of your last period as well as the length of your cycle and the website calculates your most fertile days over the next six months.
4. Basal Body Temperature Basics
Track your basal body temperature for an even greater chance to get pregnant. Your body temperature elevates slightly on the day of ovulation, meaning you're in prime time to get pregnant. Using a basal thermometer, take your temperature every morning before you get out of bed. During ovulation, your temperature will rise anywhere from a half to one degree Fahrenheit. Taking note of your cervical mucus is another way to track your own ovulation. This mucus is usually most noticeable when you use the restroom. Ovulation is at its peak when your cervical mucus is clear and slippery.
5. Calculate Your Due Date
Once you are pregnant, doctors calculate your due date based on the first day of your last period. If you used the ovulation calculator, you already have an idea of your approximate due date. That's because ovulation calculators not only tell you your most fertile days, they also give you estimated due dates for the coming months. Even though you technically weren't pregnant until after ovulation, doctors say your due date is 40 weeks from the first day of your last period.
