Charting your basal body temperature
Basal body temperature (BBT) charting involves taking your temperature first thing in the morning before you have even risen from the bed. Maintain a chart throughout your cycle and you can detect when a sustained temperature increase indicates you have ovulated. In some cases, BBT charting may even offer a hint of whether you have conceived or not.
Saliva Ferning Test
Saliva tests can also be used to detect ovulation. Compared to ovulation prediction kits, this form of testing is usually much less expensive. The test works by highlighting the crystal formations that normally develop in saliva during ovulation. During the most fertile period of the menstrual cycle, there will be chemical changes in saliva. When dried, the residue has fern-like crystals that are not present in other stages of the cycle.
The test kit includes a lens on which a drop of saliva is placed. After about five minutes, view the sample with the telescope to see if the characteristic crystals have developed. Ovulation is likely to occur within 24 to 72 hours after the first formations.
Tracking Cervical Mucus Changes
Cervical mucus charting is not for everyone, but it can certainly give a good idea as to when you will be ovulating. When used with BBT charting, this monitoring method offers a relatively high level of accuracy. Around the time of ovulation, the cervical mucus behind to be clear and thin. It has an appearance similar to that of raw egg whites. This is in contrast to its usual creamy, sticky consistency. When the outer layer is thin and clear, you can say you are ovulating.
The Calender Method
If your menstrual cycle tends to be the same number of days from month to month, it is a good bet that you ovulate about two weeks or 14 days before your period is expected. Of course, this can vary based on your individual cycle. If you have a 35-day cycle, for example, you will most likely ovulate around day 21.
This method is less helpful if you have irregular periods that vary from month to month. On the other hand, if you have very regular cycles (that is, no less than 26 days and no less than 32 days), you can use the standard day's method, in which you focus on having sex on days 8-19 of your cycle.
