Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Menstrual cycle calendar

If you want to learn more about your own body and be able to predict when you are most fertile, you can use a menstrual cycle calculator to do so. It will help you to either encourage or avoid pregnancy, whatever your aim is. Besides, knowing when your next period is expected can also be very useful for making many decisions – for example, for scheduling a vacation.

First of all, get some graph paper, which will carry your temperature diagram. Make the vertical axis the temperature reading by writing on it the numbers from 97.5 to 99.5, including each 1/10 of a degree. The horizontal axis, at the very bottom of the graph, will represent the days in your cycle, so you need to write the numbers from 1 to 28 or some more if your cycle continues longer than 28 days. The current day will be the top horizontal axis.

Start charting your menstrual cycle from the 1st day of your period. That first day will represent cycle day 1. In order to indicate that you are menstruating, put a letter “M” under the numbers on the horizontal axis. Keep doing this every day you have your period within the current cycle.

Start taking the oral temperature by day 2 of your cycle. This should be the first thing to do in the morning, after at least 6 hours of sleep, at the same time each day (even weekends!), just after you woke up and before you get out of bed – even before going to the bathroom! You will need to use a basal body temperature thermometer for measuring your basal temperature, because a regular thermometer for reading a fever may be not sensitive enough. You can get a special basal body temperature thermometer at almost any drug store or pharmacy.

After measuring your temperature, draw a dot next to the number on the vertical axis corresponding with your temperature result. Make sure this dot is also in line with the current cycle day number and date written on your horizontal axis. Repeat the procedure every day. As the days go by, connect your dots with a straight line to receive a graph.

Somewhere at the middle of the cycle you will determine your ovulation day. When you see a rise of about 0.4F in your body temperature which sustained itself for at least three days, it will mean that you had probably ovulated right before the 1st temperature rise. Now you need to go back in your chart and mark the day before the first temperature rise by brightly colored crosshairs.

After ovulation, you may expect your period to arrive in somewhere between 10 to 16 days. The phase of your cycle lasting from ovulation day to first menstruation day is called “luteal”. It is normally consistent each cycle for the same woman, which means that after you have drawn your basal temperature graph for a few months, it will show you how long your luteal phase will last each month.

The menstrual cycle is always counted from the 1st day of menstruation until the 1st day of the next bleeding period, making it the number of days in between menstrual periods. It lasts in average around 28 days, but only as much as 10 to 15% of women experience this perfect length of menstrual cycle. The length depends on each individual woman and ranges from 25 to 36 days. It can be difficult for many women to calculate their menstrual cycle, but there is a solution to this dilemma.

Most of women can find it hard to keep up with ever changing cycle patterns. However, it may be very useful to keep a calendar, as it may ease concerns of when is your next period is due. Remember that the first day of your menstrual period is the first day you see bleeding. Once it happened, mark that date on your personal calendar and consider it the 1st day of your menstrual cycle. Besides, also mark the last day before the next period starts.

Your menstrual cycle is considered the number of days counted from the 1st day of the menstrual period and the last day before the next one. But while you are calculating those days, don’t forget to include the 1st day of your period and the last day before it arrived again. The received number of days can be expected before your next period.

As it was indicated above, every woman is different, and just as much as 15% of them can boast the normal 28-day length of their menstrual cycle. However, if a woman tracks her menstrual cycle for 3 to 4 consecutive terms, it would undoubtedly help her gain her personal menstrual cycle pattern based on her own body’s rhythm. If a woman achieved consistency in the number of days of her cycle, the period should start when expected.

However, there’re many things able to affect your menstrual cycle. Young women, having their first menstrual period, may experience irregular periods for the first 2 years. This period of time is called “menarche”. Usually women receive their first menstrual period at the age from 9 to 15, and they may face either light or skipped periods during this phase. Besides, for the fist two years the length of their cycle can range from 21 to 45 days.

As for women who face menopause, they can also experience inconsistent patterns within their menstrual cycles. The phase called “menopause” starts later in age, leading to a shift in hormonal balance. Menopause changes the way the woman’s body responds her menstrual cycle, making her suffer from heavy bleeding, mid-cycle spotting, or skipped periods.

If you have personal concerns about your menstrual cycle, it is recommended to schedule an appointment with your personal OB/Gyn.

What should do a woman who wants to constantly keep in touch with her body, and spirit? On my own example, I may suggest: keeping clear records of your monthly cycle – it’s the best way to keep abreast of changes occurring within you. In addition, it is also a great way to know in advance the date of your period (even if your monthly cycles are irregular), and be well informed on the most appropriate time for impregnation.

Cervical mucus.

The presence of this mucus is very easy to detect, because it stands out in your daily activity. Cervical mucus occurs in the cervix for several days, when the egg matures and is ready for ovulation. Isolation of cervical mucus – a sure sign of your fertility, but above all, it is not only a kind of “indicator”, but also serves directly for impregnation. Thus, I strongly recommend that you closely monitor your secretions, as well as maintain appropriate records regarding discharge of cervical mucus.

Basal Body Temperature.

If you are not sure that you are ovulating, you can measure your temperature. Under the influence of progesterone produced when ovulation, the normal temperature of a relaxed body is increased by 0,2% Celsius. To test this feature, you must measure your temperature at the same time, early in the morning. (This is not as difficult as it seems. The procedure takes less than 2 minutes, but then again you can go to sleep, if you want). Measure your temperature every day, after waking up to 7:30. Rhythms of the body (circadian rhythms) are observed 24 hours a day. Your temperature is the lowest in the early morning and highest – during the day. After 7:30 rhythms are accelerated. If you go to bed until midnight and wake up before 7:30, you get the most accurate temperature readings. Many women found that digital thermometers require a very short time to measure the temperature, which facilitates the procedure for its measurement before the rise. Measure the temperature with the mouth. Armpit and ear temperature is not sufficiently accurate for purposes such as planning pregnancy.

And finally, if after 18 days from the last slimy discharge your menstrual period has not yet started, it probably means that you are pregnant.

It’s not a secret, that age has a direct impact on fertility. Women’s fertility begins to decline after thirty-five years, as a result of various factors which include the reduction in the quantity and condition of eggs, increasing the likelihood of medical problems, such as: diabetes and reduction of sexual relationships.

Realizing what fertility is, you can increase your chances of impregnation.
There are several methods to determine your fertile days (or time of your ovulation). Find the one that best suits you, and then use it regularly.

- The method of the natural cycle and ovulation calculator.

Both these methods help to determine the period of fertility, using the interval between menstrual cycles (usually 28-30 days). In order to detect the time of fertility, you subtract fourteen days from the length of your cycle (for example, if your cycle is thirty days from the start of one menstruation to the next, taking away fourteen of thirty, you get sixteen). This number is the approximate day of ovulation and the time when it is the highest probability for impregnation. Calculate from the first day of your menstrual period.

- Improvement of sexual relations for impregnation.

There are several ways to increase your chances of impregnation, depending on when and what sexual relations you will have:

1. The frequency. Daily or rare (less than every 10-14 days) sexual relations are likely to be detrimental for sperm count.

2. The situation during sexual intercourse. Some experts recommend that a woman remained in the supine position for about twenty minutes after intercourse to reduce the outflow of sperm from the vagina, however, there is no evidence that it improves impregnation.

3. Sexual pleasure. It turns out that woman who experience orgasm during intercourse, is able to get pregnant faster.

4. Cervical mucus. Composition and color of cervical mucus changes throughout the monthly cycle.

5. Kits for ovulation determining. These tests detect an increase in luteinizing hormone (LH) 2-3 days before ovulation. Each test gives you a positive or negative result on any given day.

6. Changes during the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle occurs as a result of complex interactions of hormones.

From all this I just make a one conclusion, if you want your baby to be desirable, take a time, think it over with your man and only then start your pleasurable wok.