Menstrual calendar: how to keep it, is it necessary for infertility, calculation rules, online

Calculating ovulation using the calculator on the website is a simple, understandable and accessible method to help couples dreaming of a baby.

Young couples trying to conceive do not take into account some important points. Therefore, the long-awaited pregnancy does not occur, time is running out, and new attempts lead to disappointment.

A woman can calculate the day of expected ovulation. During this period, the probability of getting pregnant is maximum. The ovulation calculator service shows the most suitable days for pregnancy. But the method is suitable for women who have a normal menstrual cycle and who record data about its beginning and length every month. These data (day onset of menstruation, cycle length and duration of menstruation) must be entered into the calculator to calculate the time favorable for conception.

When pregnancy occurs

Not every sexual intercourse without contraception leads to pregnancy. The onset of ovulation depends on the phase of the cycle. The hypothalamic-pituitary system is responsible for the functioning of the reproductive organs. Releasing hormones produced by the nuclei of the hypothalamus are responsible for the functioning of the pituitary gland. Gonadotropic hormones, secreted under the influence of releasing factors, control cyclic changes in the reproductive organs.

The day of ovulation occurs approximately in the middle of the cycle; the egg, after the rupture of a mature ovarian follicle, moves into the fallopian tube. Within 24 hours, the egg can be fertilized. To avoid missing this moment, you can use an ovulation calendar.

There are three phases of the cycle:

Follicular phase. It begins on the first day of menstruation and lasts on average 14 days. At this time, the follicle-stimulating hormone FGS increases in the blood. It regulates the maturation of follicles. Then one dominant follicle remains.
Ovulatory phase. During this period, the follicle ruptures and the egg is released. This is called ovulation. You can calculate this phase with a calculator.
Luteal phase. Duration – from 13 to 14 days. It is characterized by the appearance of a corpus luteum, which secretes estrogens. During this period, the uterus is ready for implantation of a fertilized egg.

If conception does not occur, the corpus luteum does not develop its functions, the endometrium exfoliates, menstruation begins - the beginning of a new cycle.

Why do you need to know your menstrual cycle?

The interval between regulations in a healthy woman of reproductive age is cyclical and has a certain duration. But sometimes various failures occur, the breaks between menstruation increase or decrease, with correct and regular calculations, you can prepare in advance for the arrival of critical days.

Why do you need to know when your period arrives?

Knowing the frequency of the onset of menstruation, you can plan important events and prepare the necessary hygiene products in advance.
The schedule allows you to notice deviations in time and contact a gynecologist in a timely manner - any disease is easier to cure at the initial stage of development.
It is easier to plan a pregnancy, or find out about conception if your period is late.
Track the time when PMS appears - for many women this period is difficult, it is necessary to take painkillers or sedatives, it is better to prepare in advance.

Calculating your menstrual cycle makes it easier to plan a pregnancy

Important!

Knowing the time of arrival of critical days, it is easier to calculate the moment of ovulation - phase II always begins 14 days before the onset of the next menstruation.

Expert opinion of a doctor

Barakhoeva Zarema Bekhanovna

Reproductologist, obstetrician-gynecologist, Ph.D. Whether pregnancy occurs or not depends on the motility and viability of sperm. If sexual intercourse occurs too often, the relative number of sperm in the semen decreases. Therefore, a couple who is “striving” to conceive should abstain before ovulation to increase their chances. Using the calendar also helps prevent unwanted pregnancy. But this method should not be used by women who have hormonal problems and irregular cycles.

Interesting facts about the menstrual cycle.

The menstrual cycle is observed only in human women and female great apes.
There are statistics that the likelihood of conceiving a boy is higher if the fusion of the egg and sperm occurs in the middle of ovulation, and a girl - if the sperm enters the female body a couple of days before ovulation.
There are frequent cases of conception on “safe days”. So this is a dubious contraceptive option.
A menstrual calendar helps you find out your due date. Pregnancy lasts 280 lunar days (that's 24 hours and 48 minutes), or approximately 290 ordinary days. This day must be added to the date of conception.
Menstruation is also called REGULA
If several women live together, their menstrual cycle becomes almost the same.
During menstruation, the female body secretes special substances that kill yeast cells. Therefore, in ancient times, girls were not allowed to pickle cabbage during the “red days of the calendar”.
Modern gaskets with adhesive strips appeared only in 1971. In 1945, pads were secured using belts, but there were already tampons))). And even earlier they used matter in general.

Other pregnancy planning methods

A woman can become pregnant even after one sexual intercourse, but it is better to prepare for pregnancy. In addition to the online calculator, there are other methods to determine the day suitable for conception.

Body temperature measurement

Immediately after sleep, the temperature is measured. Its indicators allow you to assess hormonal homeostasis. The onset of ovulation is characterized by an increase in temperature by 0.25-0.5 degrees. The method requires regular monitoring and recording of temperature readings.

Functional tests

These include:

"Pupil" symptom. The degree of expansion of the external os of the cervical canal is assessed. Maximum dilation occurs before ovulation, when the concentration of estrogen is at its peak.
Assessment of cervical mucus viscosity. The nature of mucus changes before ovulation. During the ovulatory period, the maximum concentration of estrogen leads to the viscosity of the mucus, which is visible when stretched (about 12 mm).
Test. Depends on the phase of the cycle and shows the level of luteinizing hormone (LH). The maximum LH value occurs before ovulation (read more here).
Karyopyknotic index (KPI). A smear microscopy is done, and the ratio of pyknotic (keratinizing) cells to intermediate cells is revealed. The ovulatory period of CPI fluctuation is 60-80%.
Fern symptom.. Examine the cervical mucus on a glass slide under a microscope. Upon contact with air, a pattern in the form of a fern branch becomes visible. The clearest pattern is observed before ovulation, when the amount of estrogen is maximum. If there is no characteristic pattern, estrogen deficiency is possible.
Ultrasound examination (ultrasound). Allows you to evaluate the functioning of the ovaries and the size of the endometrium.

You can also determine the day when conception is possible by the following signs:

dull pain in the lower abdomen, sometimes one-sided;
thinner mucus from the cervical canal;
increased libido before ovulation – reproductive instinct;
soft cervix, painful mammary glands;
changeable taste, improved sense of smell;
slight weight gain due to difficulty removing fluid.

If we talk about the reliability of the result, it is better to undergo an ultrasound. During the examination, the sonologist will see the mature follicle and determine the onset of ovulation.

How to correctly count your menstrual cycle

What day is your cycle counted from? To calculate the cyclicity of the arrival of critical days, you need to use several dates. Specially developed methods will help you avoid getting confused in the calculations.

Online calculator for calculating your menstrual cycle

Duration of the menstrual cycle: days

Indicate on the calendar the start date and end date of the last menstruation: Menstruation Safe day Possible ovulation Estimated day of ovulation

Calendar calculation method

To correctly calculate the duration of the intervals between menstruation, the first day of the appearance of discharge and the date before the start of the next menstruation are noted on the calendar; observations are carried out for 3–12 months.

Examples:

The start date of menstruation is 6.05, the next one is 06. Calculation: 31 (number of days in May) – 6 (day of the start of the period) +3 =28. The next critical days should occur on July 1st.
If over several months the calculation showed fluctuations of 1–3 days, then the duration of the intervals between menstruation is the average value of 3 indicators. For example: (27+25+29) : 3=27.
If during the year all the intervals between the regulations are approximately the same, and one month stands out greatly from the overall picture, you can not take its duration into account when calculating the average indicators - such a failure may be associated with stress or climate change.
If the duration of the intervals between critical days is more than 30 days, the time of their occurrence will shift monthly by several days, if the intervals are less than 30 days - by several days ago.
On the calendar you need to mark the number of days when spotting appeared and when your period ended, usually 3-7 days. With regular charting, you can calculate not only the start date of menstruation, but also its end.

Knowing the number of days in your cycle, you can easily predict the dates of menstruation and days of possible fertilization

Doctors recommend taking as the beginning of the female cycle the day when not brown spotting appears, but regular bloody discharge.

How to make the calculation?

To calculate the parameters of the menstrual cycle, several of the most popular methods are used, and the simplest of them is the calendar method. To keep a menstruation calendar, you only need a pen or pencil and the calendar itself. The calculation method itself boils down to the fact that a woman circles with a pen the first day of her menstruation in the current month. A similar procedure should be carried out every month. Each first day of menstruation should be circled, because it is the first day of the entire menstrual cycle in the current month.

The time interval between the first day of one period and the first day of subsequent periods indicates the duration of the entire menstrual cycle in days.
Example : If the first day of a woman’s current menstruation falls on June 11, and the first day of the next menstruation falls on July 6, then the duration of her menstrual cycle is 26 calendar days.
This is the norm. Certain errors in calculating the menstrual cycle should not exceed 2-3 days. A slight shift in the menstrual cycle schedule may be due to stress or climate change.

Many women find it difficult to indicate exactly the first day of their menstruation, and this is due to the fact that before the start of this process, the appearance of specific brown discharge from the vagina is possible.

In order to eliminate such problems, you should remember that the first day of menstruation is considered to be the day on which full bleeding is observed. This is an important point, because counting is a delicate matter.

Calculator for calculating the date of the next menstruation

Or you can download a free application for your smartphone, of which there are now quite a few for various operating systems.

How to properly keep a menstruation calendar

It is very correct if a woman keeps a monthly calendar.
The cycle diary allows her to avoid many troubles and, if necessary, contact a gynecologist in a timely manner. Keeping a menstruation calendar has a number of positive aspects:

The calendar helps control the functioning of the reproductive system. And if even minor deviations occur, the woman promptly consults a doctor with certain complaints.
You can easily plan your pregnancy, since the calendar will accurately identify the days of ovulation.
You can always avoid unwanted pregnancy, since calculations will allow you to determine the safest days for sexual intercourse.
The calendar makes it possible not to use contraceptives. This is especially true for hormonal drugs, which have a number of unpleasant side effects.
Knowing your cycle, you can easily plan your vacation, travel, gym, or visit to the pool.

There are two ways to maintain a calendar.

To do this, you can use an ordinary small calendar, in which it is enough to highlight the start and end dates of critical days. If this is carried out over 3-4 months, you can accurately determine your cycle: the time of the next period, its beginning and end.
Girls resort to the modern method of keeping a calendar. To do this, they use a mobile application, which has convenient programs for monitoring women's days. Using the keyboard, you simply mark the beginning and end of your period, and special programs independently calculate the days of ovulation and the safe period for sexual contact.

IMPORTANT! These methods will help track the course of the cycle, identify their failure, help analyze their cause, and if in any doubt, contact a gynecologist in a timely manner.

Cycle calculation rules

There are several options that will help you calculate the cycle correctly. A woman can choose the one that is most convenient for her.

Calendar method

On the calendar it is necessary to mark the beginning and end of menstruation, as well as the days for how long they lasted. It is imperative to indicate how you felt on a given day. Next, carry out the following calculations:

Choose the shortest cycle and subtract 18 from the number of days.
Select the longest period of the cycle and subtract 11 from the number of days.
The number that was obtained from the calculations is the days of ovulation.

IMPORTANT! This is an approximate calculation because... This method makes it difficult to accurately determine the date of ovulation.

For health

A woman who keeps daily records of her health can easily determine the days of ovulation.

To do this, you need to watch for the following signs:

Discharges. During the period of ovulation, they have a thicker consistency, are plentiful and have a yellowish tint. Outwardly, they resemble the white of a chicken egg.
There may be aching pain in the lower abdomen.
Libido increases. This is especially evident in women who are not constantly sexually active.
The mammary glands swell and begin to ache.
Taste preferences change. There is a desire to eat sweet or salty foods. Often there is a disgust for perfume.
Stomach upset or flatulence may occur.

Basal temperature

Over the course of a month, a woman’s basal temperature may change. But you can calculate a more accurate ovulation date after regular measurements for 3-6 months. To do this, immediately after waking up in the morning, you need to measure the temperature in the vagina, rectum or mouth.

IMPORTANT! Sleep should be at least 6 hours long.

Measurements are taken from 6 to 8 am. You must hold the thermometer for at least 5 minutes.

Using the data obtained, a graph is made. Where the X axis represents the day and the Y axis represents the temperature. And if the normal temperature is 36.3 - 36.8 degrees, then the day before ovulation it decreases.

Then there is a sharp increase within 37 - 37.5 degrees. This period is the moment of ovulation. Then the temperature decreases and remains within normal limits until menstruation.

A few days before the critical days, it decreases again.

Taking into account all these nuances, using a chart you can easily calculate the day of ovulation.

Application of the test

Ovulation can be determined using tests that are sold at pharmacies. It is necessary to conduct a morning urine test. They do this daily. The test can determine the level of LH hormones. They are always in the urine. But the day before ovulation their balance changes. This will be indicated by a second, barely noticeable line on the test.

Ultrasound

An ultrasound will accurately determine the day of ovulation.
To do this, you need to conduct 3-4 studies. The first is carried out 5-8 days from the start of menstruation. The monitor will show the progress of the egg into the uterus. At the second ultrasound session we will see how far she has progressed. The doctor counts the days of ovulation according to indications. Two more surveys are carried out to confirm the calculations.