Am I ovulating if I get a period every month, and how do I know?

You wanted to know if you ovulate if you get a period every month. And a normal cycle is anywhere from 25 to 35 days in length from the beginning of one period to the beginning of the next. And if your cycles are 25 to 35 days long, then you probably are ovulating about mid-cycle. This is when your body is releasing an egg that can be fertilized by sperm. So in order for pregnancy to happen, you need to time intercourse with ovulation. If you don't want to think much about it and you're just barely starting the process of trying to conceive, just start having intercourse on the day your period ends and continue with this every other day until a few days past the midpoint of your cycle. Ovulation isn't a perfect science and doesn't always happen exactly mid-cycle. It could happen like 12 to 16 days before your next period is going to start. So by starting on the day your period ends and continuing with that until a few days past the midpoint, hopefully you'll time things just right. Keep in mind though, that even when things are timed just right, your chance of conception is only 30% to 35% at best. It's not 100%. So for this reason, couples have to try for up to 6 months on average before the woman actually gets pregnant.

If you've been trying for several months without success, there are a few things you can do or look for so that you can peg down ovulation more exactly and hopefully time things right. The first is checking your basal body temperature every morning before you even get out of bed and go to the bathroom or get a drink. You'll notice a slight rise in basal body temperature after ovulation, so it's not helpful for the first month, but after tracking for a few months, then you'll be able to know exactly when your body is ovulating. You can also look for changes in cervical mucus. Sometimes cervical mucus becomes more slippery and clear around the time of ovulation, and this actually makes it easier for sperm to swim and find the egg. So if you notice these changes, then you're in your fertile window and you should time intercourse with ovulation.

Now they can be pricey, but a 3rd option is using ovulation prediction tests. And these are detecting a surge in LH, which is the hormone associated with ovulation. So as soon as you're getting positive results, that means your body is getting ready to ovulate and it's giving you a window of opportunity about 12 to 36 hours long. So as soon as you get positive, basically you should get busy in order to have a chance at having a baby. They can be purchased at most local drug stores. And another advantage to using them is that you see not only when you're ovulating, but if you're ovulating. and for some women that's a question or a problem, and so doctors will recommend using them to find out if the woman is ovulating. Good luck with it, and if you have more questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/IntermountainMoms, and recommend us to your friends and family too.