Take Charge of Your Fertility
Do you know how regular your cycle is, or what a regular cycle even means? Do you know what symptoms are expected with your period or what period-related symptoms might need to be addressed to help your fertility? Do you know the best fertile days when you could try to become pregnant?
You might know some but not all of the answers to these questions, whether or not you received excellent health education in school. Back then, you might have learned about preventing pregnancy through contraception without knowing exactly when to try to conceive. Once you’ve decided to start a family, you’re ready to take charge of your fertility by learning your body’s unique signs.
Many aspects of fertility begin with a few basic areas of observation. Start with investigating your cycle regularity, period-related symptoms in preparation for trying to conceive, and learn exactly when to try to conceive.
First off, cycle regularity by definition extends between every 26-32 days, give or take a few days. Help yourself out by keeping track of your periods using a cycle tracking App, such as Spot On. If your regular has always been every 32-35 days, know that this is considered regular. If your regular seems to jump from every 18-45 days all of the time, and you have not become pregnant, this may need attention, so you’ll want to investigate further with your doctor.
For some people, the extended cycle range could be a sign of nutritional deficiencies, over-exercising, or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). These conditions can all be addressed through a number of helpful therapies in order to support your fertility.
As we know, there are a variety of symptoms that may arise before and during your period. Sometimes, people experience mood changes that range from minimal to unmanageable, mild headaches to severe migraines, light spotting to breakthrough bleeding, and moderate to super heavy periods. In addition, everything from light pelvic cramping to severe pelvic cramps, low back pain, cravings, and digestive changes can also occur.
If the symptoms your get are fairly manageable with a cup of lavender tea, more rest, and a heating pad, you may not need any additional help. But, if any of these symptoms have left the realm of manageability and interfere with your life month after month, be sure to visit your gynecologist or acupuncturist for help now – and to support your future fertility.
Once you have your menstrual symptoms in a better place, you can learn what time of the month you are most fertile by tracking your cervical mucus. This will tell you about your fertile window and when to try to conceive. The day after your period ends, check cervical mucus inside your vagina, which might feel slightly dry to very slightly moist.
A few days later, cervical mucus becomes slightly thick and sticky, whitish to light yellowish, and then you’ll likely see a few days of wet and creamy texture. After that around the middle of your cycle, you will feel cervical mucus change to thin and wet, with a clear, raw egg-white appearance, which signals your fertile window. The amount of days you see the “fertile fluid” varies – you may have 1-2 days of egg-white cervical fluid, or it can last up to 5 days.
If you have been tracking your cervical mucus, you might already know your approximate number of days. If sperm count is not an issue, you can try to conceive either every day or every other day once you see the eggwhite-like cervical fluid. (Extra bonus points for trying on the day of your wettest cervical fluid!). Once the cervical mucus thickens and becomes less transparent, ovulation has taken place and your fertile window is closed until your next cycle.
Now that you have learned more about your body, your cycle, and your ovulation, you can begin to take charge of your fertility. Since many people find that there is a learning curve, it is helpful to have support during this process. Consider seeking out treatment with a fertility acupuncturist. We specialize in helping you conceive naturally and provide safe, supportive space to improve your health and feel empowered around your body’s signs. Contact us for a consultation on how we can help you take charge of your fertility today!
Established patients can schedule online, patients who haven’t seen us at Kwan Yin Healing Center call (503) 701-8766, or email us to schedule your appointment.
