While trying to conceive may sound like fun and games to one person, it can be an enormous source of stress for another. If you’re looking to get pregnant in the near future, it’s important to understand when your chances of conceiving are best — this is commonly referred to as when you’re ovulating.
What Is Ovulation?
Ovulation is one part of the menstrual cycle, specifically when a mature egg is released into a woman’s body.
The brain controls this cycle by releasing certain hormones. These hormones include follicle stimulating and luteinizing. Follicle stimulating hormones make the ovarian follicles grow, helping eggs reach maturity and prepare for release. Luteinizing hormones (LH) then tell the mature egg to break free of the follicle and release into the fallopian tubes.
Why Is Ovulation Integral to Conception?
If an egg is never released into the fallopian tubes, it’s not possible to conceive. Though most (70% – 80%) healthy, young couples are able to conceive within one year of trying, you can improve your chances by having intercourse when you know you’re ovulating.
How To Track Your Ovulation Cycle
Learning your ovulation cycle is easier than you may think and often doesn’t require any invasive procedures.
- Period Tracking Apps: These apps will help you keep track of your menstrual cycle. Ovulation in a normal cycle occurs 12-16 days before the beginning of your next period.
- Saliva Tests: A spike in a woman’s blood estrogen levels makes her saliva become more saline. These salts will show a fern-like pattern under a microscope and indicate that ovulation is about to begin.
- Urine Tests: Ovulation tests look and work similar to a pregnancy test and can also be bought over-the-counter. These tests look for certain hormones that will indicate whether or not you’re ovulating.
- Basal Temperature Monitoring: Basal body temperature is the lowest body temperature recorded during rest or sleep. When women are close to ovulation, their basal temperature often shows a slight increase. Keeping track of these changes can help you learn patterns and narrow down your fertility window.
Asian Egg Bank was established to satisfy the ever-rising demand for Asian egg donors. Thanks to rigorous quality and screening standards, we can offer the highest quality eggs and surrogacy services to improve the chances of a successful pregnancy.