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Tag: cervix

Physical Fertility Signs

Besides changes to your cervix around the time of ovulation, you may also notice other physical changes. Spotting and bleeding may occur mid-cycle, indicating possible fertility, due to hormonal changes leading up to ovulation. Backaches, breast tenderness or changes, feeling sick to your stomach, softer clearer skin, abdominal bloating, rectal pain and water retention all show that your hormonal levels are rising and falling. Headaches can sometimes accompany ovulation as well. Occasionally women notice that there is a pattern to when they get headaches during their cycle. Make sure you chart all the additional physical signs that you notice, so you can more easily identify your fertile and infertile times.

Some women actually feel ovulatory activity every month or occasionally. Pain in your lower abdomen or pelvis during ovulation (or just before or after) is fairly common, although some women don’t feel anything. This usually happens midway through your menstrual cycle, about 2 weeks before your next period. This condition is often called mittelschmerz (MITT-ul-shmurz), which is a medical term that comes from the German words for “middle” and “pain.” It usually lasts only a short time, anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, but it may continue for an entire day.

Mittelschmerz occurs during ovulation, when an egg is released from your ovary. No one knows for sure what causes it, but it’s quite possible that just before ovulation, follicle growth stretches the surface of your ovary, causing you pain. It’s also possible that blood or fluid released from the ruptured follicle irritates the lining of your abdomen, leading to discomfort. Slight bleeding or spotting is not uncommon and may also occur during this time, accompanying pain.

Ovulatory pain can happen on either side of your abdomen or even in the middle, although it is more commonly experienced on the right side. It may be felt on one side one month, then switch to the opposite side the next month, or it may be felt on the same side for several months in a row. The pain typically radiates from whichever ovary is ovulating. Some women notice cramping on one side or pain resembling menstrual cramps. The pain may be described as a nagging pain that begins as a sharp twinge and diminishes to a dull ache or tenderness or discomfort near the ovaries. It can be intermittent or constant, but is rarely severe although it can sometimes be aggravated by intercourse, working out or other physical activity.

Pain during ovulation is usually easy to recognize because of its timing and location. If you notice cramping or pain, be sure to record this on your chart. Ovulatory pain can be a useful guide for some women and may help you further understand your cycles and also assist you in monitoring when you ovulate.

Emotional Fertility Signs

December 1, 2012
Cervix and Changes

A combination of charting your basal body temperature (BBT), cervical mucus and cervical position and shape will indicate when the most fertile time of your cycle is. Cervical change signals general fluctuations in your estrogen levels and can be very helpful and fairly reliable in predicting your fertility. Checking your cervical position and shape takes some practice. Also, to chart this particular sign, there are some guidelines you should follow to achieve the best results.

Your Cervical Changes and Shape

Right after your period ends, the position of your cervix is low, hard and closed. At this point in your cycle, it should be easily reached by your fingertip and feel as if you are touching the tip of your nose. A firm, pointed shape generally indicates low estrogen and you are considered to be infertile during this time.

As estrogen and fertility increase (immediately prior to ovulation), your cervix softens, opens up and rises to it?s highest point within your body so that it?s harder to reach. The opening increases as well, which makes the slit or tiny hole feel much larger, becoming more receptive to sperm, allowing them to make their way more easily through your cervix. Your cervix remains this way until after ovulation has taken place.

Once ovulation has occurred- when estrogen levels suddenly drop, you can feel your hardened, closed cervix back in its lower (pre-ovulatory) position. Keep in mind that women who have given birth previously may notice that their cervix feels slightly open, even after ovulation. When the position of your cervix drops, it will become easy to reach once more. At this point, you are considered infertile once again and cannot get pregnant.

You should begin observing your cervical position and shape the first day after your period ends. Cervical position can be monitored throughout the day and be done while checking your cervical mucus. Before checking your cervix, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly. The best time to check it is right after you have showered. Sitting on the toilet or with one foot on the toilet seat (or bathtub) may be the most comfortable positions for checking your cervix. You can check your cervical position by gently inserting your finger and feeling for your cervix, which is located at the top of your vagina. Record if it?s hard to reach (high position) or easier to reach (low position) and also if it feels firm or soft. It normally takes a few months to see all the changes in your cervix during your cycle and notice a pattern.

–Tracking your basal body temperature (or BBT)
–Observing changes in your cervical mucus
–Monitoring your physical and emotional symptoms
–Checking the position and shape of your cervix

Read more on Fertility Charting

August 8, 2012
Cervix, Changes and BBT

A combination of charting your basal body temperature (BBT), cervical mucus and cervical position and shape will indicate when the most fertile time of your cycle is. Cervical change signals general fluctuations in your estrogen levels and can be very helpful and fairly reliable in predicting your fertility. Checking your cervical position and shape takes some practice. Also, to chart this particular sign, there are some guidelines you should follow to achieve the best results.

Your Cervical Changes and Shape

Right after your period ends, the position of your cervix is low, hard and closed. At this point in your cycle, it should be easily reached by your fingertip and feel as if you are touching the tip of your nose. A firm, pointed shape generally indicates low estrogen and you are considered to be infertile during this time.

As estrogen and fertility increase (immediately prior to ovulation), your cervix softens, opens up and rises to it?s highest point within your body so that it?s harder to reach. The opening increases as well, which makes the slit or tiny hole feel much larger, becoming more receptive to sperm, allowing them to make their way more easily through your cervix. Your cervix remains this way until after ovulation has taken place.

Once ovulation has occurred- when estrogen levels suddenly drop, you can feel your hardened, closed cervix back in its lower (pre-ovulatory) position. Keep in mind that women who have given birth previously may notice that their cervix feels slightly open, even after ovulation. When the position of your cervix drops, it will become easy to reach once more. At this point, you are considered infertile once again and cannot get pregnant.

You should begin observing your cervical position and shape the first day after your period ends. Cervical position can be monitored throughout the day and be done while checking your cervical mucus. Before checking your cervix, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly. The best time to check it is right after you have showered. Sitting on the toilet or with one foot on the toilet seat (or bathtub) may be the most comfortable positions for checking your cervix. You can check your cervical position by gently inserting your finger and feeling for your cervix, which is located at the top of your vagina. Record if it?s hard to reach (high position) or easier to reach (low position) and also if it feels firm or soft. It normally takes a few months to see all the changes in your cervix during your cycle and notice a pattern.

–Tracking your basal body temperature (or BBT)
–Observing changes in your cervical mucus
–Monitoring your physical and emotional symptoms
–Checking the position and shape of your cervix

Read more on Fertility Charting

August 8, 2012
Cervical Mucus and Charting

In conception, cervical mucus is an essential element because it nourishes and protects sperm, keeping them alive for up to five days inside your cervix, until ovulation occurs and fertilization can take place. Slippery cervical mucus also provides channels, which help sperm swim through your cervix. Without enough fertile mucus, your cervix is blocked and conception can’t happen.

Whether your cycles are long, short, regular or irregular- charting your cervical mucus patterns (along with your BBT) is a great way to pinpoint your most fertile days and predict when you will ovulate, so you can be sure of which days lovemaking may result in pregnancy.

In charting the changes in your cervical mucus, you will be looking for changes in consistency, quantity and color. The consistency of your cervical mucus changes throughout your menstrual cycle based on the hormonal shifts that are associated with ovulation, caused by estrogen and progesterone.

Once your period has stopped, your cervical mucus is typically dry or it may feel dense, tacky, chalky or crumbly. The number of dry days after your menstrual bleeding ends, varies from cycle to cycle. Sperm are prevented from penetrating your cervix on days when there is no mucus. As you get closer to ovulation your cervical mucus will get thinner, because of increased levels of estrogen.

Eventually, your cervical mucus turns to a consistency similar to raw egg whites (about 1-3 days prior to ovulation), which helps sperm to penetrate your cervix. This cervical mucus is very slippery and stretchy, sometimes changing in color, appearing fairly clear or yellowish. It may feel abundant, wet (similar to what you feel at the beginning of your period) and can be stretched into a thread between your fingers. This type of cervical mucus signals that eggs are developing and indicates that you are highly fertile. You and your partner should make love every day that you see or feel this type of fertile cervical mucus, for the best chance of conceiving.

After ovulation you will notice that your cervical mucus typically gets thicker, sticky or dries up all together, becoming a protective barrier against sperm once again. This is caused by a decrease in your estrogen levels and an increase in your progesterone levels.

You should start checking your cervical mucus on the first day after your period, and check it several times during the day. You can check it externally by wiping downward with toilet tissue, while sitting on the toilet. It can be more accurate to insert your index or middle finger (making sure your hands are clean), and observe your cervical mucus by feeling it and recording your observations on your chart.

–Tracking your basal body temperature (or BBT)
–Observing changes in your cervical mucus
–Monitoring your physical and emotional symptoms
–Checking the position and shape of your cervix

Read more on Fertility Charting

August 8, 2012
Tips for Getting Pregnant

Trying to conceive or getting pregnant can be as simple as discontinuing contraception for some women, but for many others it can take a while to increase fertility. A healthy couple has only about a 25 percent chance of conceiving during each cycle. Only 75 to 85 percent of all couples get pregnant within the first year of trying. It takes time.

There are certain things that can boost your odds of getting pregnant or while trying to conceive, whether you just started trying to become pregnant or have been trying for a while. There are also specific steps you can take to improve your chances of having a healthy baby, while trying to conceive. Planning ahead will boost your chances of having a healthy pregnancy, as well as giving your baby the best possible start in life. Consider looking through this article, Women’s Health.gov that offers more tips for getting pregnant.

Lubricants to Aid in Getting Pregnant

Don’t use lubricants when trying to conceive (especially petroleum jelly, which is very harmful to your vaginal membranes). Some believe that water soluble lubricants are okay, but in fact even these can be extremely hostile towards sperm. If you are having trouble producing enough arousal fluid, try to spend more time working up to intercourse, since intercourse can be painful without it. Natural lubrication may increase when you and your partner take the time to kiss and caress for at least a half hour prior to intercourse.

Cervical Mucus

Right before and during ovulation, your body produces wet, slippery and sometimes stretchy cervical mucus. This mucus signals fertility and keeps sperm alive when normally natural acids in the vagina will kill sperm within a matter of hours. Also, the slippery fertile mucus permits sperm to easily swim through the cervix, multiplying your chances of conceiving.

Be aware of your body as you go about your daily routine and also observe your cervical mucus before and after each bathroom visit, to see if there has been any changes from your other observations. This my help in getting pregnant. More wetter, more lubricative or stretchier mucus indicates increasing fertility and chances of getting pregnant and conceiving. If there is no mucus from morning until evening, and you’re dry, or the mucus feels stiff or crumbly, then you’re most likely infertile.

Positions for Conception

Every wonder what the best positions are for getting pregnant? While no position prevents pregnancy, the missionary position (with the man on top) is said to be the best for succeeding in pregnancy. Keeping a pillow under your hips, remaining still and staying in bed for 20 to 30 minutes (or better yet, for the rest of the night), may also help more sperm find their way to your cervix.

January 7, 2012