Ovulation and Irregular cycle trying to conceive Posted: 11-09-06 00:20am
I have an irregular cycle and would like
to get pregnant. Does this make it more
difficult to get pregnant? If so, do I
need medicine or some sort of care? How
are some ways that I can help myself get
pregnant?
It is very important in your case to know
if you are ovulating, or not. Lack of
ovulation could be the reason for your
irregular cycles. Without ovulation,
conception becomes impossible. Ovulation
can be confirmed if progesterone levels
(hormones) are detected in the second half
of your menstrual cycle. If the presence
of ovulation is confirmed, you can try
having sex during the days around the
ovulation (fertile days). For women with
regular cycles, ovulation is easier to
predict using the calendar method (14 days
before the next period is to arrive). But
women with irregular cycles can’t use
the calendar method to predict ovulation.
These women can measure basal temperature
or use ovulation predictor kits to track
ovulation.
When measuring basal temperature, you
should measure the body temperature every
morning starting from the beginning of
your last period and write/record the
temperature values in a calendar. The body
temperature raises a little just after
ovulation at which point you can have
intensive sexual intercourse.
When using an ovulation predictor kit,
you attempt to detect the peak level of LH
in the urine. The test is done every day,
even twice a day; the purpose is to catch
the peak of LH-levels by comparing a
control with an indicator line. When the
line becomes darker than the control, the
test is positive. LH-levels peak several
hours before ovulation and that’s why
this method is better than measuring basal
temperature.
Finally, you will need medical help if you
haven’t conceived after a period of
having unprotected sex longer than 1 year.
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