After puberty, a woman's reproductive system works on a cycle of 28 days on average. During that time she is ovulating and at the end of the cycle, she experiences a menstrual period. Because there are a number of factors that can affect this...
The average menstrual cycle is 28 days. Women who have regular menstrual cycles can predict when they are ovulating, because ovulation occurs approximately half way through the cycle. If your menstrual cycles are irregular and change every month,...
Starting a family is one of the joys in life that many couples look forward to. Making it happen isn't always easy. Both men and women struggle with infertility issues. As a result, about 10 percent of women in the U.S. have trouble getting or...
Couples who are trying to conceive and who have not achieved this happy goal can take one step toward pregnancy by calculating the woman's menstrual cycle so they can figure out when she's most likely to ovulate. Several factors, such as glands,...
Most online fertility planners come with lots of bells and whistles, such as a place for you to view your ovulation calendar and email reminders of things you could be doing to improve your chances of success. They also often include newsletters...
One of the difficult issues with becoming pregnant is that conception can only occur when a mature egg is available to be fertilized, a time also known as ovulation. The period in which an egg can be fertilized is narrow, so many women seeking to...
Knowing the length of your menstrual cycle is helpful information to have when you are pregnant, so you can more accurately calculate your baby's due date. To calculate the length of a menstrual cycle you need nothing more than a calendar and a...
All pregnancy tests works by testing for the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone increases in response to a fertilized egg implanting in the uterus, so it is also called the pregnancy hormone. According to the National...
If you're actively trying to get pregnant, ovulation is your best friend. It's the time in your menstrual cycle when you have a fresh egg ready for fertilization. This egg sticks around for only a short time, so timing intercourse or insemination...
Are you wondering how to get pregnant? There are some steps that you can follow to dramatically increase your chances of conceiving. Conception is based on an intricate series of events, and if you are able to understand them better you will...
The birth control pill works to prevent pregnancy by changing progesterone and estrogen hormone levels in a woman's body. Most pills have an efficacy rate of 99.9 percent when used properly. The hormones in birth control pills prevent ovulation,...
Although the American Pregnancy Association notes that one of the most significant pregnancy symptoms is a delayed or missed period, many women can spot tell-tale pregnancy signs before this. Women who learn about ovulation, conception and early...
Birth control use is a safe and effective way to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Choosing the right method of contraception depends on your current relationship status, any health concerns you may have as well as your personal beliefs. It is...
Avoiding pregnancy doesn't have to involve drugs or contraceptive devices. Natural family planning allows a couple to decide when to have sex based on changes in the woman's body. In addition to pregnancy prevention, natural family planning is...
The ovaries are a pair of organs that are an intricate part of the female reproductive system. They're located in the pelvis and sit on either side of the uterus. The ovaries' role is to produce, house and release eggs in the Fallopian tubes for...
Getting pregnant is a challenge for many women. The health problems that come along with obesity can pose risks and decrease the likelihood of getting pregnant. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, women with a body mass...
Which birth control method is best for you depends on your stage in life, your long-term family planning goals, your need for protection from sexually transmitted infections and the preferences of you and your partner. Safe and effective birth...
You waited years for the right moment to start trying to have a baby, and you will have to wait almost a whole extra year once you actually conceive. Naturally, you probably want to hurry along the baby making process. Before you begin, though,...
There is no natural method that can guarantee you will conceive a baby girl. Women always carry the X-chromosome in their eggs. Men carry both X-bearing (female) and Y-bearing (male) sperm. When X-bearing sperm penetrate the egg, the baby is a...
Knowing when you're ovulating has several benefits. You can only get pregnant by having unprotected intercourse from about five days before to one day after ovulation. Pinpointing when ovulation occurs can help both with natural family planning --...
Knowing your ovulation date can help you avoid or achieve pregnancy. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, ovulation is when your body releases an egg from your ovary. The egg only lives for 12 to 24 hours, giving...
To calculate your exact date of conception you'll need to know the start date of your last menstrual period, how many days in your menstrual cycle, or when you ovulated. If you don't have that information, you can work backwards from your due...
The rhythm method, which is usually now called natural family planning or fertility awareness-based birth control, is a simple concept. The rhythm method requires that a couple abstain from sex during the woman's fertile period--ovulation....
Birth control pills offer women significant flexibility in preventing pregnancy until it is desired. By taking the pill once a day, a woman stops her ovaries from releasing an egg. When she decides she is ready to get pregnant she simply has to...
Menstrual cycles change over time and with diet, age, childbirth and certain health conditions. Keeping track of your cycle days helps you know when you can expect to have your period. It also helps you know approximately when you will ovulate so...
The rhythm method is a type of birth control that uses a woman's menstrual history to predict ovulation. During the days that a woman is most likely to ovulate, she and her partner can abstain from sex or use a barrier method, such as a condom, to...
Women are most fertile during the several days that precede ovulation, as well as on the day of ovulation itself. According to several research studies, most women become pregnant when the sperm fertilizes the egg within 5 days of ovulation, says...
Ovulation usually occurs midway through the menstrual cycle. Day 1 is considered the first day of your period. The average cycle is 28 days. Ovulation should occur around day 14. Be aware that menstrual cycles vary from month to month, and some...
