Many women assume that it is easy to conceive. For some, it may be, but for many women, trying to conceive may involve a year or more frustration and stress. This is true for younger women who are in their optimal years of fertility as well as those who have waited to ensure a stable environment for their some-to-be growing family. For those wondering if they should contact a specialist or who are beginning to experience higher levels of emotional distress from delayed conception, other choices to manage one’s own fertility are available.
The Basics
Despite the number of unplanned pregnancies, usually about 50 percent of them, women are fertile a relatively short amount of time each month – about 72 hours, optimally. This means that insemination must be time just right within this small window that usually occurs two to three days prior to ovulation. This is when the egg will be inside the Fallopian Tube and ready to be successfully fertilized.
More About Timing
Some women are fortunate enough to experience signs of ovulation, such as painful cramps of short duration. Unfortunately, the majority of women cannot feel or sense ovulation or have any ovulation symptoms. They must use methods for which reliability may not be firmly established. These include:
- A basic calendar to estimate when they are ovulating, which can be wildly inaccurate, depending on their knowledge of biology.
- A test kit from the pharmacy that examines cervical mucus, which can be very invasive, if not painful, for many women.
- Temperature monitoring to determine ovulation through the slight rise in body temperature, which can be time-consuming and difficult for women with naturally fluctuating temperatures.
An Ovulation Calculator
Using an ovulation calculator to determine a woman’s most fertile times of the month is more accurate than a simple calendar, but far less invasive than physical testing methods. The calculator can provide advance notice of the best time to conceive, allowing women to adjust their schedule and get in the mood, which may help them to relax and have an easier time conceiving.
Are You Ready?
Many factors influence successful conception, but timing does not need to be one of them. If you are ready to conceive, but worried about potential difficulties, an ovulation calculator can help maximize your chances of a quick and successful conception, regardless of your knowledge of advanced biology and without any invasive testing or monitoring.
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