Should I Track My Ovulation?
Should I Track My Ovulation?
It is highly probable you have heard the commercials advertising about how some women are tracking their ovulation and their menstrual cycle with ovulation trackers because they're trying to conceive but then we left it at that. We have decided, to some extent, that ovulation tracking is just for women trying to have a baby. But do you know that you can also benefit from tracking your ovulation even if you're not trying to get pregnant?
The practice of tracking ovulation is something that all women should do, whether you want a baby or not. Tracking your ovulation is a habit you should start getting into, as this is beneficial to your body and your lifestyle too.
Why You Should Use An Ovulation Tracker
Natural Contraception. As we already addressed, the most common reason why some women track their ovulation is that they are trying to conceive. Understanding your ovulation period also helps you know when your fertile window will be and when is the proper timing to have sex with your partner in order to avoid getting pregnant. Think of this as “natural contraception”.
Track your overall health. But according to Anna Halpine, CEO of Fertility Education & Medical Management (FEMM) states, “the health of your monthly cycle is a great indicator of your total health, and any changes in your monthly cycle can indicate potential health issues. Women are often not taught that the important indicator of their health is ovulation, rather than bleeding. Bleeding is a sign that a good ovulation occurred, and that the uterine lining built up and shed as a result.”
Using the old school method of charting or even the new digital method of tracking through ovulation apps can help you see if there is perhaps a problem with your health which could provide invaluable insight to your primary care physician. This is especially true for women who have or may think they have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and other hormonal issues.
Predict future periods. Also, if you have irregular periods, you can tell when your next menstruation will be and understand how your body reacts to the changing hormones in your body. Armed with this information you can also adjust your lifestyle accordingly and know when to get your menstrual products ready. Ever had that moment when your period suddenly came on unexpectedly? Say goodbye to those days with ovulation tracking!
How To Track Your Ovulation Days
There are numerous ways you can track your ovulation. Each method has a certain degree accuracy which may or may not reflect its pricing.
Ovulation Tracker apps. You may just want to know the average length of your menstrual cycle. There are apps like Fertility Friend, Clue, Glow, and Conceiveable that help you track your menstrual cycle and your ovulation period too. With many of these apps, your ovulation period is automatically calculated and measured. These apps do have limitations and are not always accurate but are good if you want to submit data to your physician to help them identify underlying health issues.
Ovulation Predictor Kits. If you want a bonafide answer as to when you're ovulating. Then you’ll want to look into ovulation predictor kits (OPK). You can even test yourself with an OPK. An OPK helps you detect luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine and lets you know when your ovulation will be.
How does it work? LH is the hormone that causes your ovary to produce enzymes that will cause a follicle to rupture and release an ovum, a process that we call ovulation. This hormone's levels surge briefly right before your ovulation happens. Using an OPK helps you predict when your ovulation will be.
Ovulation Calculators. Aside from using an app, there are resources online that can help you calculate and predict when your next ovulation period will be. Your Fertility has an online ovulation calculator that you can use to track when your fertile window is and your predicted ovulation day. American Pregnancy Association also has an online ovulation calendar for you to find out when your next ovulation will be.
Whichever method you use, it's also important to take note that each body works differently. Your results may vary from your friends' and that's okay. What's important is that you understand how your body works and how you can keep it healthy.
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