OVULATION: Understanding Your Fertile Window and Cycle Tracking

Double board certified fertility doctor Natalie Crawford, MD reviews ovulation and how to understand your fertile window. Learn about your menstrual cycle, what happens with ovulation, and when to time intercourse to get pregnant naturally. If you are trying to get pregnant and want to optimize your chance of conception, this video is for you.

Answered in this video: When does ovulation occur?

When is the fertile window?

How do you know you ovulate?

What are fertile awareness methods?

How do you track your cycles?

How do OPKs work?

How do you use an ovulation predictor kit?

What is basal body temperature?

Do you need to check your progesterone after ovulation?

What is a mid-luteal progesterone level?

What is cervical mucus monitoring?

What is type 4 cervical mucus?

When should you time intercourse for conception?

Should you have sex every day or every other day if you are trying to get pregnant?

What is natural family planning or the calendar method?

*this is medical education, not medical advice*

ASRM: optimizing natural fertility @ssets/asrm/asrm-content/news-and-publications/practice-guidelines/for-non-members/optimizing_natural_fertility.pdf

Faust L, Bradley D, Landau E, et al. Findings from a mobile application-based cohort are consistent with established knowledge of the menstrual cycle, fertile window, and conception. Fertil Steril. 2019;112(3):450-457.e3. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.05.008

Frank-Herrmann P, Heil J, Gnoth C, et al. The effectiveness of a fertility awareness based method to avoid pregnancy in relation to a couple’s sexual behaviour during the fertile time: a prospective longitudinal study. Hum Reprod. 2007;22(5):1310–1319

Fritz and Speroff, Clinical Gynecology Endocrinology and Infertility, 8th edition, 2011