Komal Narula, MD
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Women's Health Care Associates, Inc.
3913 Berry Leaf Lane
Hilliard, OH 43026
Phone: (614) 527-8835
Q: We're ready to start a family. How can I tell if I'm ovulating and how (and why) should I chart my ovulation cycle?
A: In general, if you are having regular cycles (between 21-35 days in length from the start of one period to the start of the next period), you are probably ovulating. However, if you are having irregular, unpredictable, or infrequent periods, it is more likely that you are not ovulating or ovulating, but not with the frequency it takes it to conceive. It is easiest to figure out when you ovulated the previous cycle by taking the first day of your last menstrual period and subtracting 14 days. This will give you a general idea of when you are ovulating (i.e. if you have a 28 day cycle, you likely ovulated on day 14).
If you want to know if you are ovulating during a particular cycle, you can chart your basal body temperature (BBT) and look for a spike in the BBT as a sign of when you ovulated. You should take your BBT first thing in the morning before you even get out of bed and it should be taken around the same time every morning. Traditionally it should be measured with an oral glass/mercury thermometer showing a range from 96.0 to 100.0 degrees F and marked in tenths of 1 degree. The rise is usually subtle but generally easy to detect when plotted on graph paper. However, by the time the temperature rise is recognized, the most fertile interval has already passed. Since this can be cumbersome to track, we don't recommend this method for most women. Also, this can sometimes increase stress as a reminder of unsuccessful attempts to conceive.
Over the counter ovulation kits are all fairly easy to use and reasonably reliable and can usually predict ovulation within the following 24-48 hours. However, over time, the kits can become costly and again tedious to use and add to the stress of trying to conceive.
If you suspect you are not ovulating, talk with your OB/GYN to see if blood work or other testing is necessary.