Foolproof Ovulation Prediction
So you’ve laid the groundwork for healthy sperm, a healthy egg, the potential for an unencumbered journey through the fallopian tubes, and a receptive uterus… fantastic! But none of these things matter if you’re not having sex at the right time. At the end of the day, sperm does ultimately have to meet egg in order to make a baby. The biggest mistake I see women make is to assume their body functions like a “textbook” body, with ovulation every month on cycle day 14. This may be true for you, but it also may not be true for you, at all.
So what’s the most important tool for tracking your most fertile day(s) of the month? The answer is simple: your cervical mucous.
Paying attention to the cyclical changes of your cervical mucous / vaginal discharge is your single best guide to ovulation. It’s better than an ovulation predictor kit, better than tracking your basal body temps, and better than checking on the position of your cervix — though each of these are useful tools that serve a purpose, in their own right.
Your cervical mucus changes in both amount and consistency throughout the month. Just after your period you’ll likely have little or none. Then it will get sticky. Then it will get fluid and creamy, like hand lotion. Finally, you’ll see egg-white mucous — your sign that ovulation is happening. Your discharge will be watery and slippery just like egg-white, and you’ll be able to stretch it in between your fingers without it breaking.
Most women have a consistent number of days of egg-white mucus each month. It lasts three days on average; young women may have up to five days and older women just two, or even one (one reason why young women get pregnant more easily). Your most fertile day is your last day of egg-white mucus. So if you know you have three days of egg-white every month, then when you notice the first day you can make note that at the very least, you need to have sex “the day after tomorrow.”
Feel free to have sex the rest of your egg-white days, so long as your partner’s sperm count is normal. ( If your partner has a low or borderline sperm count it is sometimes helpful to have intercourse only every other day to give his body time to replenish the supply.) Outside of your fertile days, it’s also a good idea to have regular intercourse throughout your cycle; a period of abstinence can reduce sperm quality.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to be absolutely precise when working out the timing, and try not to let the exact timing of sex be something else to “stress” about. Sperm live an average of three to four days, so as long as you’re having intercourse inside your fertile window, everything should be fine.
If you don’t experience egg-white mucous, don’t worry. Have sex on the last day of the wettest cervical mucous you do observe — and also do consider contacting us for support on how to boost your fertile mucous and fertility, in general. Egg-white fertile mucous is valuable not only in determining the timing of ovulation, but also because of the multiple ways it nourishes and assists sperm on their journey toward the waiting egg.
Your schedule:
Have sex on your most fertile day— the last day of visible fertile mucous.
Have sex as often as you like during your fertile window (every other day if your partner’s sperm count less than optimal).
Have regular sex throughout the month — both to enjoy yourself and your partner, and also to promote sperm quality during your fertile window.
Your approach:
Observe changes in cervical mucous throughout the month from none, to sticky, to creamy, to egg-white, to thick.
Determine your most fertile day— the last day you observe egg-white mucous.
If you have to put a finger inside your vagina to locate fertile mucous, you probably don’t have enough; this is worth a consult to explore what might be drying it up, and how to generate more.
Ready for some support on your health or fertility journey?
Your initial consultation is always free — meet us in person and learn more.