Love lessons: 6 tricks to getting the most out of your ovulation calculator
Dr. Allison Rosen, MD writes:

When you calculate your day of ovulation, you should time lovemaking for 2 prior and 3 days following ovulation.
Determining which days you are most fertile is a key step to increase your chances of becoming pregnant and to help you conceive more quickly. Receive 20 Free Ovulation Tests
While there are a number of ways that you can determine when you are about to ovulate- such as by measuring basal body temperature, using ovulation predictor kits, or by looking for changes in your cervical mucus- using an ovulation calculator can help you get a good idea of when you are likely to be ovulating.
Did you know #1: Pinpoint your fertile days -By using the ovulation calculator, you can make other methods of determining your most fertile days more accurate. For example, if you choose to use an ovulation predictor kit, you can use the calculator to give you a good idea of when to begin testing to prevent wasting kits because you have used them too early or late in your cycle.
Did you know #2: Know your cycles -Before you begin, determine when your last period was. You should also know how long your cycle is. For most women, the menstrual cycle is between 28 and 32 days, but if you know that your cycle is longer or shorter, you will need this information in order to get the most accurate results.
Did you know #3: Increase your chances -The ovulation calculator is designed to give you an estimate of your most fertile days each month based on the fact that most women ovulate fourteen days before their next menstrual period occurs. The closer you get to ovulation, the better your chances of getting pregnant. By knowing when you will ovulate, you can time intercourse to improve the likelihood of pregnancy.
Did you know #4: Let's make babies -Once you have determined when you are likely to ovulate, you should begin have intercourse regularly for the two days before and three days after ovulation. The more frequently you have intercourse during this period, the better your chances are of becoming pregnant.
Did you know #5: If at first you don't succeed... -For most women, it will take several attempts to get pregnant, so don’t worry if you don’t conceive in the first month that you try. Getting pregnant should be a fun and special time for you and your partner, so try not to become overly concerned about monitoring your cycle and forget to enjoy the process.
Did you know #6: Not foolproof -Remember that the ovulation calculator should not be used to help prevent pregnancy. While the calculator predicts your most fertile days, there is a possibility that you will get pregnant no matter what stage of your cycle you are in. If you are trying to avoid pregnancy, you may wish to explore the use of another form of birth control.
Ask the ObGyn
Cancel replyJen
Wednesday, 1:21pm
toni
Thursday, 8:47am
JMK
Monday, 12:58pm
glow
Tuesday, 3:19pm
Alika
Saturday, 8:21pm
anna
Thursday, 7:23pm
Jenna
Wednesday, 7:16pm
gloria
Thursday, 10:38pm
want_a_baby
Friday, 9:47am
cailey
Saturday, 1:10pm
photogmom2010
Thursday, 10:58am
want_a_baby
Friday, 7:01pm
angelbrecht
Saturday, 9:19am
hellokittycrazy
Monday, 7:41am
Mara
Friday, 10:46am
carrie
Saturday, 8:12am
J
Saturday, 3:49pm
ladonnagreen
Sunday, 6:11pm
chankii morris
Wednesday, 12:17am
deanna
Thursday, 9:57pm
cailey
Friday, 9:56pm
Kimberaa
Saturday, 4:28am
krystal
Monday, 3:38pm
Amanda
Friday, 11:38pm
pswan
Monday, 8:23am
jenna
Saturday, 9:01pm
toya
Sunday, 8:55am
scatkins
Monday, 10:45am
Mara
Sunday, 10:02am
gabby
Monday, 11:47am
babygirl101
Tuesday, 12:58pm
vivacious2002
Tuesday, 4:30pm
Mara
Wednesday, 6:08pm
vivacious2002
Friday, 8:42pm
ladygodiva
Sunday, 9:19am
andreagrrl
Sunday, 9:33pm
Esther
Monday, 8:32am
brittany
Monday, 10:02am
Chantia
Sunday, 6:23pm
brittany
Wednesday, 12:01pm
Ms. Saunders
Monday, 6:25pm

Dr. Lynette Weiss, MD
Monday, 7:39pm
Try not to let your feelings overwhelm you. Instead get the support you need from a friend or professional. Find ways to share your feelings instead of holding them inside. Sharing your feelings can help you feel less alone and allow you to overcome a greater spiral of depression that can result from protracted infertility.
krying
Tuesday, 8:18am
tiffany
Tuesday, 7:23pm

Maureen Stephens, RN
Monday, 7:05pm
Claribel
Thursday, 2:44am

Dr. Lynette Weiss, MD
Monday, 6:52pm
Lilian
Wednesday, 9:41pm
sissi
Saturday, 8:55am

Dr. Renee Hanton, MD
Monday, 6:45pm
During your time of ovulation, your egg is able to be fertilized for about 12-24 hours. But since your partner's sperm can survive inside your body for 3-5 days, your total fertile time can be up to 5-7 days. I strongly encourage you to read about the Fertility Awareness Method and combine that with using an ovulation predictor kit to help you determine your time of ovulation. When used correctly, you'll have a 90% chance to successfully target your best times to get pregnant. Good luck and baby dust to you!
elicia moreno
Saturday, 5:09pm
hub cap
Saturday, 10:59pm
amber
Monday, 4:12pm

Dr. Renee Hanton, MD
Monday, 6:20pm
FertiBella can help speed the process of restoring your regular cycles and stimulate ovulation. But perhaps more importantly, FertiBella will help in the production of your fertile-quality cervical mucus (necessary to create the optimal environment for your partner's sperm) while promoting a thickening of your endometrial lining (crucial to accepting your fertilized egg). These are the two areas, 1)CM and 2) endometrial lining, that NuvaRing works directly against in order to disrupt your chances for getting pregnant each month. So I would start by addressing these two areas.
I would also recommend that you continue to use ovulation tests or start charting your basal body temperature to identify your peak fertility days. Following this advice, should help getting pregnant fast, if otherwise healthy and having regular intercourse.
Ula
Tuesday, 9:12am
Michelle
Wednesday, 6:16pm
Carrie
Friday, 8:14pm
meg
Friday, 7:28pm
summer
Sunday, 8:31pm

Monica Scott, BS, RN
Thursday, 5:18pm
Since you've established that your husband's sperm count is normal and you are both otherwise healthy, I would strongly encourage you to turn your focus to timing and frequency of intercourse around ovulation. We often find these two things to be the most commonly overlooked obstacles in trying to conceive. You should use an ovulation predictor kit or the Fertility Awareness Method to confirm your peak fertile days and be sure you are timing intercourse everyday around these days. If you do this, I am confident that you will experience success.
nay
Monday, 4:45pm
kimber
Tuesday, 12:52am
amie
Tuesday, 6:46am

Monica Scott, BS, RN
Thursday, 5:51pm
The next logical step would be to focus on stimulating ovulation, and FertiBella can be highly effective in your situation. The good news is that your risk of another ectopic pregnancy is fairly low, so your chances of an intrauterine pregnancy should be excellent after ovulation induction.
Mirinda
Friday, 4:33pm
Pamela
Friday, 6:21pm

Monica Scott, BS, RN
Wednesday, 6:33pm

bjustme2009
Friday, 10:01pm
Joan Villar
Friday, 10:39pm
courtni
Friday, 11:14pm

Dr. Allison Rosen, MD
Thursday, 8:17pm
Brenda
Sunday, 10:36pm
victoria
Tuesday, 6:35am

Dr. Renee Hanton, MD
Tuesday, 7:21pm
While FertiBella can be very effective in helping women with PCOS successfully conceive, if you're not actively trying to get pregnant, I'd encourage you to visit your ObGyn for a check-up. Since you don't have insurance, s/he might suggest hormone therapy to manage the cyst growth rather than costlier surgery.
merri
Sunday, 3:30pm

Dr. Renee Hanton, MD
Tuesday, 9:43pm
TiffanyAmber
Sunday, 6:24am
thandie
Monday, 2:39pm

Maureen Stephens, RN
Tuesday, 6:05pm
andrea
Wednesday, 6:44pm
sammy lopez
Saturday, 8:14pm

Dr. Lynette Weiss, MD
Tuesday, 5:51pm
Embryo transfer can be effective when both fallopian tubes are absent or blocked. However, you may wish to consider avoiding such an invasive and expensive procedure if you have one unobstructed fallopian tube and working ovaries. In double blind clinical studies, FertiBella has been shown to be highly effective in helping women with one fallopian tube conceive naturally.
tiffanylikesdiamonds
Wednesday, 5:25am
michelle2
Saturday, 3:45pm
Brittanyluvsbrad
Wednesday, 4:28am

Dr. Prabha Sahgal, MD
Tuesday, 5:45pm
However, some telltale signs of steroid use include mood swings, increased acne, water retention, or a sudden increase in body mass. Steroid use can have serious side effects on the male reproductive system and may affect fertility permanently, so I would certainly encourage you to discuss your concerns with your husband.
kimberly
Monday, 9:45pm
Doleen
Thursday, 6:47am

Dr. Lynette Weiss, MD
Wednesday, 2:38am
bero
Thursday, 4:47pm
paula
Friday, 10:21pm

Monica Scott, BS, RN
Tuesday, 7:51pm
baby #1
Sunday, 6:50pm
babyfever33
Monday, 4:34pm
manda
Tuesday, 8:00am
Tijuana
Sunday, 6:16pm
katy
Friday, 2:49pm
Sara
Monday, 6:59pm
Heather
Monday, 11:34pm

gemini
Tuesday, 4:17pm
carrie
Thursday, 10:11pm

floridagirl
Friday, 4:43pm
sarajess
Thursday, 1:31am
Brittny
Friday, 1:39am
Denise
Saturday, 10:55am

Dr. Allison Rosen, MD
Thursday, 6:52pm
Many doctors recommend waiting 3 months before trying to get pregnant again, to give your body time to heal. However, one of my tips on how to get pregnant, is if there are no other outstanding medical issues, I strongly encourage patients to begin trying as soon as they are ready. Many of my patients experience a successful pregnancy in the very next month of trying.
Shawna
Tuesday, 5:03pm
pahouaa
Saturday, 6:37am
Susie
Saturday, 4:42pm
bree
Sunday, 2:53pm
Marie alva
Monday, 7:51am
Dannyel
Monday, 3:44pm
StilettosGirl
Tuesday, 2:53am

Dr. Prabha Sahgal, MD
Saturday, 8:09pm
There are fertility supplements for women you can take. Eating healthier, quitting smoking and drinking are all naturally important. But it also sounds like you may be putting yourself under a lot of pressure. Remember that stress can have a very real impact on your ability to conceive, so don’t forget to take care of -YOU- first.
Jenni
Monday, 11:06pm
candy bowen
Wednesday, 3:14am
Lakeisha
Tuesday, 10:19pm
ASHLEY
Wednesday, 8:39pm

Dr. Renee Hanton, MD
Thursday, 6:30pm
I would also encourage you to discuss your feelings with your husband. A frequent question I get asked is, “what else can me and my husband do to conceive without taking fertility drugs?” Ideally, your OBGyn should provide an excellent resource for ideas and alternatives you can explore. You may also wish to browse our article library, which discusses many free or low-cost ways to get pregnant naturally.
bethany
Thursday, 4:14pm
esther
Monday, 3:10am
Cherie
Tuesday, 5:38am
robin
Monday, 3:40pm
Eboni
Thursday, 1:52pm
MichelleBurian
Monday, 1:29am
Cynthia
Sunday, 4:54pm
Shaquina
Wednesday, 6:03am

Dr. Allison Rosen, MD
Sunday, 8:17pm
Most women who suffer miscarriages do go on to have healthy babies, so I recommend you continue trying. I know it can be difficult for you emotionally, but I don't see any reason to be overly concerned at this point. Should you experience a third consecutive miscarriage, you may wish to consult your Ob-Gyn for further testing.
Holly
Wednesday, 6:07am
Jenny
Wednesday, 8:11pm
Nene
Saturday, 12:01pm
Brittsy
Monday, 2:30am
heather
Sunday, 9:05pm
elizabeth
Tuesday, 4:00pm

Dr. Lynette Weiss, MD
Saturday, 8:53am
I encourage you to spend a little time learning about your ovulation and you will quickly discover just how absolutely amazing your body really is. Read about understanding your signs of ovulation and for a more thorough reading on the subject, I encourage you to check out Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler from your local library. It's an invaluable resource to helping you understand your body.
krystals
Thursday, 11:28am
Latanya
Wednesday, 4:51am
jacoyia
Thursday, 2:15am
Leah
Monday, 8:05pm
victoriab
Tuesday, 6:01am
sashley
Tuesday, 11:54pm
SHANDRIA CRAWFORD
Monday, 9:52pm

Monica Scott, BS, RN
Saturday, 8:22am
Your chances of becoming pregnant with FertiBella tend to increase the longer it has been since the procedure was performed, because your tubes can actually repair themselves and grow back together. While there is no guarantee that you’ll experience success, the ability to get pregnant is possible and FertiBella can help to increase your chances of becoming pregnant again.
Princess
Tuesday, 1:14am
Bianca Evans
Tuesday, 9:23pm

Maureen Stephens, RN
Friday, 2:01pm
Consider talking with your partner about making a commitment to take a break from smoking for the sake of your chances to get pregnant. Good luck!
Safiyah Hanif
Sunday, 9:36am
ambermom2two
Tuesday, 1:50pm
Alisha
Thursday, 5:57am

Dr. Renee Hanton, MD
Thursday, 2:55pm
Britt
Saturday, 4:38pm

Dr. Lynette Weiss, MD
Monday, 10:07pm
You'll also want to make sure no lifestyle factors are interfering with your ability to become pregnant. Focus on stress-reducing activities like yoga or meditation. Quit smoking or moderate to heavy drinking. Eat a healthy diet and exercise two or three times a week. Be sure to chart your ovulation days and have sex during your ovulation days (which is the only time you can get pregnant).
Next, you may want to try a fertility aid like FertiBella, which can help stimulate ovulation and increase your chances to get pregnant faster. Your last course of action will be checking to see if there is a fallopian tube or cervical obstruction, or having your partner checked for male infertility issues.
shanene
Saturday, 10:26pm

Maureen Stephens, RN
Monday, 9:56pm
Similarly, trace amounts of Depo-Provera hormones have been known to last in a woman’s body for up to 12 months after stopping use. It sounds like the combined use of both contraceptives may delay ovulation. You may want to consider trying fertility pills like FertiBella to help with your hormone levels and become more regular, get on a regulated menstrual cycle, and help get pregnant faster.
Amykins
Sunday, 8:50pm

Monica Scott, BS, RN
Tuesday, 8:24pm
FertiBella helps to regulate your hormonal balance, stimulate ovulation, and boost your body's natural fertility. You may want to consider trying the all-in-one TTC Starter Kit as a good option for those who want to become pregnant fast.
nayeli
Sunday, 9:58pm

Dr. Allison Rosen, MD
Monday, 9:29pm
tasha
Monday, 1:40am

Dr. Renee Hanton, MD
Monday, 9:19pm
It’s been my experience that the majority of women who have been on Depo-Provera take anywhere from 9 to 12 months to get all the hormones out of their bodies, start ovulating, and become pregnant. This is nothing to be terribly concerned about, but is one reason why I steer patients who may want to become pregnant soon away from choosing Depo-Provera for contraception.
kmt
Monday, 2:19am

Dr. Allison Rosen, MD
Friday, 10:45am
A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that smokers were more likely to take longer than 9.5 months to conceive than underweight or obese non-smokers. According to a study published by the British Medical Association, conception rates drop by up to 40 percent in female smokers. The best thing you can do now is to focus on quitting by using the patch, undergoing hypnosis, or trying a product like Chantix.
Mecca
Monday, 11:03pm
khesia karen minor-basaen
Tuesday, 5:06am

Monica Scott, BS, RN
Monday, 6:22pm
1. Get a preconception checkup to rule-out underlying issues.
2. Begin taking prenatal vitamins prescribed by your doctor.
3. Track your ovulation by using ovulation tests or charting your BBT. Count the first day of your period as Cycle Day 1 and begin testing on Cycle Day 9 until you get a positive result.
4. Try missionary style sex.
5. Lie in bed for 10-15 minutes after intercourse with your hips slightly elevated.
6. For top quality sperm, have sex every other night around ovulation. Sperm can live up to 72 hours after intercourse. Have your partner wear loose underwear & stay out of Jacuzzis.
7. Focus on reducing stress: drink a glass of wine or take a yoga class.
8. Some exercise is good, but 45 minutes of vigorous workouts, 7 days a week, could actually reduce your likelihood of ovulating.
9. Stop smoking.
Esme
Tuesday, 5:27pm

Maureen Stephens, RN
Sunday, 12:47pm
First and foremost, is timing your ovulation. I recommend charting your basal body temperature to determine your ideal time for conception. If necessary, be sure to get your body weight nearer to your ideal weight by switching to a diet that is low in fat and carbohydrates. If you need help stimulating ovulation, you may want to try a fertility aid like FertiBella or discuss stimulating your ovaries via HCG shots with your ObGyn.
You should keep in mind that women with PCOS do have an increased risk of miscarriage, hypertension, gestational diabetes and premature delivery, so you'll want to work closely with your doctor to limit your risk factors.
Ash
Wednesday, 12:41am

Dr. Lynette Weiss, MD
Thursday, 9:12am
During your cycle, it is customary for wet, slippery vaginal secretions to increase on the day of ovulation. Immediately following the day of ovulation, your discharge thickens. Vaginas also secrete when stimulated, lubricated, or douched.
If you’re pregnant, you’ll notice there is a lot more discharge due to increased estrogen production and greater blood flow to the vaginal region. Later in the pregnancy, your cervix thins out and dilates, expelling cervical secretions resembling egg whites. If you are concerned that you may be leaking amniotic fluid, contact your ObGyn.
Tiffany Griffin
Wednesday, 3:24am

Dr. Allison Rosen, MD
Monday, 12:03pm
I recommend you chart your basal temperature, pinpoint your day of ovulation using a free ovulation calculator, and time your intercourse around ovulation to help become pregnant faster. If it takes more than a year, then you may want to look into fertility drugs or seeing a fertility specialist to discuss your options.
EBONIWILLIS
Saturday, 5:35pm
victoriab
Sunday, 10:12am
EBONIWILLIS
Friday, 8:38pm
Babyhungry
Wednesday, 12:08am

Monica Scott, BS, RN
Wednesday, 12:31am
Good luck on your TTC'ing journey!
Raashi
Thursday, 7:44am
Melissa
Thursday, 11:01am
Laura
Thursday, 3:49pm
Yvonne
Thursday, 5:56pm
LaTonya Wilson
Thursday, 7:39pm
luisa78
Thursday, 10:47pm
admin
Thursday, 10:51pm
annmarie
Friday, 4:30am
patricia
Friday, 10:06am
Rena Decker
Friday, 9:50pm
Christi
Friday, 10:48pm
Alleta
Friday, 10:50pm
Samatha
Friday, 11:04pm
Charmabe bi
Saturday, 2:59am
mecia
Saturday, 4:08am
olivia
Saturday, 8:22pm
julie ruiz
Saturday, 10:34pm
Donna
Sunday, 1:57am
Cristina
Sunday, 3:14am
ana
Sunday, 4:47am
brittney
Sunday, 5:09pm
Brina
Sunday, 5:25pm
Keyona
Sunday, 6:45pm
ash
Sunday, 8:33pm
lauren
Monday, 3:55am
Molly
Monday, 7:05am
frances
Monday, 5:46pm
Linda
Monday, 8:44pm
SRM
Tuesday, 12:41am
alisha
Tuesday, 12:53am
dalmasi
Tuesday, 6:22am
Elizabeth
Tuesday, 2:07pm
Katie
Wednesday, 4:15am
Latanya green
Wednesday, 6:25am
Marlene
Wednesday, 9:55am
mae
Wednesday, 4:20pm
Jessie
Wednesday, 6:09pm
crystal
Wednesday, 6:34pm
crissy
Wednesday, 6:38pm
Ashley
Wednesday, 8:00pm
Jaccie
Wednesday, 9:50pm
Ke
Wednesday, 11:56pm
Aerabella
Thursday, 12:49am
Ashley
Thursday, 1:34am
Brandi
Thursday, 6:18am
jossy eze
Thursday, 6:25am
judy
Thursday, 2:42pm
dian
Thursday, 4:35pm
ROSIE
Thursday, 8:20pm
rosie
Thursday, 9:04pm
laura
Thursday, 10:22pm
Sarah
Friday, 4:15am
Tina
Friday, 2:35pm
katie
Friday, 7:02pm
Schanille
Friday, 7:28pm















jenn
Tuesday, 8:42pm
Dr. Renee Hanton, MD
Thursday, 11:39am
Late ovulation also results in a a higher risk of miscarriage, as the older egg may be defective, and the aging corpus luteum may not be able to produce enough progesterone, which is the hormone that prepares your uterus for pregnancy, and prevents you from getting your period.