In order to become pregnant, you will want to know, when you ovulate, and when the fertile phase of your cycle begins. Fortunately, much research has already been conducted to ferret this out for you. With some know how, and a bit of effort on your part, you can really zero in on, when to have sex, in order to create your dream baby. You may already know that women often take their temperature, before they get up in the morning, to help them get pregnant. But what is this all about, and what are those women looking for anyway? What other signs might help you know when you ovulate?
Rotzer, from Austria was the innovator of the Symptothermal Method (STM). He engaged in extensive research of thousands women’s cycles, with the help of his first his wife and latter his daughter, beginning as early as 1951. He referred to his method as natural conception regulation (NCR), which was permitted by the church. He noted that a woman’s waking basal body temperature (BBT) rises slightly during her fertile days. As a result, women can differentiate between their fertile, and infertile days of the month by tracking BBT daily. Rotzer further noted that vaginal secretions change, during the fertile phase. Finally, Rotzer’s wife related she experienced a slight pain in her lower abdomen, when her temperature rose. This pain was noted as a sign of ovulation.
More recently Hermann Frank in 2007, found that 0.6 % of women became pregnant, using the Symptothermal Based Method (STM) or the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). Thus SMT was 99.4% effective as a form of contraception.
The Fertility Authority at www.fertilityauthority.com suggests that when you ovulate, you will see a slight rise (approximately 0.4 degrees Fahrenhite) in body temperature, upon waking, before getting up, or using the bathroom. They suggest using a basal body thermometer, which is more precise, and measures to the tenth of a degree. These can easily be purchased online.
The Red Tent Sisters, Amy and Kim Sedgewick, from Canada, explain that you can gain powerful information about your fertile, and infertile days, from tracking three pieces of information daily, namely, 1) basal body temperature (BBT), 2) position of the cervix, essentially, high or low, and 3) quality, and quantity of cervical mucus.
Spinbarkite mucus, or cervical mucus hangs down from the cervix, and acts as a wick for the sperm to crawl along, to get into the uterus. It’s sole job is to help a woman get pregnant. It is present, during a woman’s fertile phase. Spinbarkite mucus is clear, stretchy and plentiful. It is the consistency of raw egg white.
What follows are few more comments, from www.FertilityAuthority.com, about aspects of the cervix, or neck of the uterus, during various phases of your cycle. When the cervix is said to be “high,” it is up toward the top of the vagina, and may be hard to reach with your fingertips. When the cervix is said to be “low,” in the vagina, it is hanging down like a nose, and it’s bulbar shape can be felt by your fingertips. During the fertile phase, the cervix is open, high up in your vagina, if not seeming to have disappeared, and soft, like your lips. The acronym to remember the aspects of the cervix, during the fertile phase, is SHOW, or soft, high, open, and wet. During the non-fertile phase, the cervix is low, closed, and hard, like your nose. Essentially, during ovulation the “os” or the door, if you will, of the cervix opens to allow sperm in to fertilize the egg, that has been released into the fallopian tubes. The os is closed, at other times in the cycle. Your body is designed to always try to get you pregnant. Once you are pregnant, the os will close firmly, for many months, during your baby’s gestation.
The Red tent sisters explain that you ovulate one day a month, but your fertile phase lasts 5 days. How can this be? Sperm can live inside the female body for 5 days. So if sperm arrives before ovulation, and then hangs around, until ovulation, the combined effect yields a 5 day window of fertility. The sperm either fertilizes an egg, or dies waiting for ovulation to occur. In guestimating the fertile phase, the Red Tent sisters claim that is highly important to consider together what both the male, and female bring to the party regarding fertility. What really counts is the combined effect!
By tracking basal body temperature (BBT), cervical position and texture, and cervical mucus, the Sedgewicks contend women can know when to avoid sex, to avoid an unwanted pregnancy, or have sex, in order to achieve conception, and pregnancy. The Red Tent Sisters explain that this is the Justisse System, and note the Justisse app is on its way. The Sedgewick sisters suggest that this method can be used in combination with other methods of contraception, such as condoms to avoid pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. To learn more from the Sedgewicks, go to their website www.RedTentSisters.com.
In summary, you can track daily, various bodily signs of your cycle, to figure out when the fertile part of your cycle occurs. To gain powerful information, about when to have sex, in order to get pregnant, record your basal body temperature (BBT), and cervical discharge daily, as well as the aspects of your cervix. If you get used to doing this to avoid pregnancy, you will be ahead of the game, when you actually want to get pregnant. You will already have discovered, the signs of your fertile phase, and will know when to have sex, to create a baby.
You will know that during your fertile phase, 1) your basal body temperature (BBT) rises slightly, 2) your cervix is soft, high, open, and wet, and 3) there is a lot of stretchy and clear Spinbarkite mucus present. These are all healthy signs that your body working, just as it is designed, and is trying to get you pregnant!
I hope this next attempt, leads to the result you are looking for,
Lisa
Lisa J Lafave, PhD, MBA, ACC, BCC
CEO & Founder of Coaching Rocks
The Fertility Coach at Coaching Rocks
A Single Mom By Choice Raising Surrogacy Twin Boys
Written in My Little Brick in University Heights, Ohio