Tracking your cervical fluid is one of those things that stars off as icky, and then ends up being quite normal. We, as women, are not given much rein over our own bodies and wanting an intimate understanding is often met with repulsion from ourselves and others. Let's change that. Knowing yourself is the top priority when it comes to trying to get pregnant, if you don't know these things you are at a disadvantage.

It's obviously possible to get pregnant without knowing and without tracking, but the more you know, ey. While nothing in this sense is 100% reliable in predicting ovulation (basal body temperature is probably your most reliable way to track, but it won't tell you when ovulation is incoming) it does add another layer to opks. Some people can even use only fluid observations to figure out when they're in their fertile week.

Navigating TTC Tracking Apps

There are so many different apps out on the market, google brings up over 300,000 results, and if you've been actively looking up things to do with TTC you'll have noticed that a lot of your ads are targeted towards them now. I often get one on Facebook to do with natural conception which claims to be as effective as contraception by using temperatures. This is the same as what we will be doing to achieve the opposite. Go figure. I always have to stop myself from commenting the same thing on the adverts.

Basal Body Temperature 101

Probably the most annoying of all the fertility charting methods, just because it's an absolute pain in the backside to do. I had my thermometer tucked under my pillow to use every morning, at 5am, before I got up, and it always took me a good ten minutes to half an hour to get back to sleep. I was then tired for the rest of the morning. However, I can't deny that it was incredibly useful in my charting journey as I could pinpoint when ovulation had occurred with precision.

Ovulation tests 101

Ovulation tests are something I learned about on the internet when I started the TTC journey. When I finally got round to seeing a fertility specialist she seemed to have no idea about what they were. This was surprising to me as they had seemed to work so well for me in this journey and for her not to know was insanity. How many women had she seen and had she told to just keep trying? How many people had she sent away to just keep at it who might not even be ovulating, or who might not be having sex at the right times?

So here I am to tell you all I know about ovulation tests: what they're for, how they work, and how to use them to your advantage.