Trying to conceive at an opportune time is what modern women want. With career and family life blossoming, we want to make the best of both worlds. Using an ovulation calendar is one of the most effective ways to time pregnancy. Read more about this helpful fertility tool to help us in our way to have our little bundle of joy.
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Ready to Become a Mom
Getting ready for pregnancy is one of the most exciting phases of a married couple’s new life together. This means that they are ready to start building their own family and to take on new responsibilities as parents. Moreover, it is a significant decision that will drastically change their lives, so pregnancy needs a lot of preparation and planning.
Prepare your nursery. Get your baby toys from Shopee.
Before beginning this new chapter, there are many things to learn and consider, one of which is family planning methods.
Different Family Planning Methods Available to You
Before you start a family, a visit to the OB-Gyne would be in order. She will be able to help you understand different family planning methods.
Family planning methods can be categorized into two: natural and artificial. Learning more about them will help you decide what to follow.
Natural methods, also called “fertility awareness methods,” help predict a woman’s fertile days by tracking their menstrual cycle or recognizing symptoms that can signify fertility.
This includes the use of an ovulation calendar and symptoms-based techniques, like monitoring the basal body temperature method.
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On the other hand, artificial methods include the use of synthetic hormones, like progestin pills. Fertilization barriers, such as condoms, are also used.
What is an ovulation calendar?
We will discuss here the advantages of using an ovulation calendar as well as other important yet little-known details that you need to know about it.
As mentioned above, the ovulation calendar is an example of a natural family planning method.
The calendar helps women predict their fertile days. This is the period in a monthly cycle when the chance of getting pregnant is high. The fertile days are identified through tracking the menstrual cycle over the course of several months.
While preparing yourself to become pregnant, make sure that you include folic acid in your diet. The brand that was prescribed by my OB-Gyne is Folart, which you can get from this link.
How Effective is Using an Ovulation Calendar?
Many women prefer using an ovulation calendar because, aside from being free, efficacy can be as high as 95%.
Effective family planning methods like this are favored because they ensure that an unwanted pregnancy will not occur.
Ovulation calendars are 100% safe–probably the safest among all the methods. They do not have side effects, as compared to artificial methods, because it is non-invasive plus you do not need to ingest anything.
Finally, ovulation calendars are absolutely free. Now that belt-tightening for the family budget is required more than ever, women can just keep track of their monthly cycles using regular wall or desktop calendars. Or, they can also download smartphone apps for free.
How do I use an ovulation calendar?
Let’s discuss the proper way of using an ovulation calendar step-by-step.
- To determine your cycle length, mark the first day of your period on the calendar. Do this every month for at least 6 months. The number of days of your menstruation is your cycle length. Note that the cycle length may vary each month, depending on a variety of factors.
- To predict the first fertile day of your current cycle, find the shortest cycle from your past record and subtract 18 from it.
- Count that number from the first day of your current cycle and include the first day in the count. Mark the day on your calendar. This is your first fertile day.
- Meanwhile, to predict the last fertile day of your current cycle, find the longest cycle from your past record. Subtract 11 from it.
- Count that number from the first day of your current cycle and include the first day in the count. Mark the day on your calendar. This is your last fertile day.
- Mark the rest of the days between your first fertile day and your last fertile day. These are your “fertile days” for your current cycle. Continue to do this note-taking.
The Menstrual Cycle Simplified
Let’s illustrate the instructions further.
If, for example, your shortest cycle is 25 days. If you subtract 18 then you get 7. Count 7 from the first day of your current cycle.
If the first day of your current cycle is January 1, then the first fertile day for your current cycle is January 7.
The next step is to get your longest cycle. For example, your longest cycle is 28 days. Subtract 11 and you get 17. Count 17 from the first day of your current cycle.
Again, let’s take January 1 as an example. If the first day of your current cycle is January 1, then the last fertile day for your current cycle is January 16. January 7 to January 16 are your fertile days for this cycle.
Your Fertile Days
Remember: the “fertile days” are the days in your cycle when your chances of getting pregnant are high. While an ovulation calendar cannot tell for sure when you are exactly fertile, it is a reliable way to predict fertility.
For couples who are not planning to get pregnant yet, it is still recommended to use contraceptives, such as condoms, during fertile days.
You may find it hard to use ovulation calendars if your cycle lengths vary. Moreover, you cannot use them at all if your cycles are shorter than 27 days.
To increase the accuracy of using an ovulation calendar, you can combine it with other natural family planning methods. Examples would be the basal body temperature and cervical mucus methods, as these are more accurate in telling your fertility.
Using an ovulation calendar is the safest and most natural way to practice family planning. By understanding your body’s natural cycles, you can determine your fertile periods with reliable accuracy.
If you are not sure if using the ovulation calendar method is right for you, please do ask your OB-Gyne’s advice.
Important Note: If you have Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOS), irregular menstruation, or a short cycle, the ovulation calendar may not work for you.
Thanks for sharing this momsh napaka importanting kaalaman ang mapupulot dito para sa pagpaplano sa pamilya.
Eto talaga ang hindi ko maiintindihan or diku alam kung paano gawin. Pero saken naman, kaya ako maagang nabuntis kasi diku alam kung paano yong calendar method na sinasabe nila. Hehehe. Pero at least ngayon, may idea na din ako. Hehhee
Same sis. Isa pa may PCOS ako so irregular ang menstruation ko. So dapat si hubby ang mag control. LOL
Salamat po sa pagshare kung paano gagamitin ang Ovulation calendar lalo na po sa mga regular ang mens. Di po ako pinalad maging regular ang mens kaya di po pwede sa akin ang ganitong natural..
Thanks for sharing this mommy.. Hope na makatulong sakin to.. Gusto ko Sana mag pills pero takot ako sa side effects ng pills. Problem ko naman sa Calendar method irregular ang monthly period ko kaya hirap mag bilang heheheh
Rubber na talaga ang katapat dyan momsh hehehe mas mura kaysa manganak LOL