Trying To Get Pregnant? Timing Your Insemination IS Everything!- Home-Inseminations.org

If you plan on your inseminations being successful, and hope to acheive pregnancy in just a few months, you will have to be on your toes with timing!

Menstrual Cycle

Most women have a 28-31 day menstrual cycle. Ovulation always occurs approximately 2 weeks before your period comes. So, if you count from the first day of your period, til your period begins again, that is how many days are in your cycle. Most all women ovulate in the middle of their cycle. So if you have a perfect 28 day cycle, you likely ovulate on cycle day 12-14. Some have 31 day cycles and ovulate on days 14-17. Doesn't really matter much whether you ovulate on the 14th day or the 17th day. What really matters, is that you time your inseminations to coincide with the day of ovulation! You could do inseminations 10 times a month, but if the timing isn't right, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET PREGNANT!

Signs To Look For:

About 3-5 days before ovulation most women begin to produce a discharge that resembles egg whites. As ovulation time gets closer, this discharge becomes thinner, slippery, and stretchy. Although this may sound gross..... if you were to take some of this mucousy discharge between your thumb and finger, put your thumb and finger together, then pull them apart, the mucous should stretch. If it stretches just a bit then breaks, ovulation is not imminent. You should check your cervical mucous daily after cycle day 10. When the mucous is at it's peak.. watery, stretchy, and very thin, then you know ovulation is close.

The cervix also changes positions right before ovulation. Not everyone is into checking cervical position. I certainly did not make it a habit. However, if you are one that wants an additional sign to look for, then check your cervical position. Just after your period, your cervix drops down and points a little to the back. Then prior to ovulation the cervix rises up and forward, preparing to capture the sperm to meet the ovum. Checking cervical position along with cervical mucous, is an excellent way to pinpoint ovulation.

ALSO:

Ovulation Chart

Filling out your ovulation chart on a daily basis is very important. Charting will give you

insight as to when ovulation is occurring, and will also provide accurate information for

your healthcare professional is you need further assistance to conceive. It is important to

keep track of the following:

• When your cycle started, the first day of your period

• The consistency, look, and feel of your cervical mucus*

• The days you had sex during the month

• What days you used the ovulation predictors

• The day your luteinizing hormone (LH) is released

• When the Cervical Cup with Stem was used

• When the Cervical Cup with Stem was removed

• What day you used the pregnancy test

By charting all these factors, you and your healthcare professional will have a better

understanding or your body and fertility cycle.

*The following is a list of textures and colors or cervical mucus to inspect and chart on your

Ovulation Chart:

1. Dry or no cervical fluid in the vagina

1. This usually occurs after a menstrual cycle has ended

2. Sticky cervical mucus

1. This mucus will feel like rubber cement and will be sticky

3. Creamy cervical mucus

1. This mucus signals that your hormones are beginning the ovulation process

4. Clear cervical mucus

1. Feels and looks like egg whites. Egg white cervical mucus is the term used to describe

the cervical mucus just before ovulation. The mucus becomes very thin and the

sperm is able to penetrate is easily

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But What If I Don't Have A Lot Of Egg White Cervical Mucous?

Not everyone gets this so called egg white cervical mucous. Prior to ovulation the body produces large amounts of the female hormone, estrogen. It is the estrogen that triggers the cervical fluid to prepare for ovulation. If you do not have a lot of cervical fluid, don't be alarmed. You can still get pregnant! It doesn't take enormous amounts of egg white cervical mucous for the sperm to be successful in their journey. And if you feel you need a boost with your cervical mucous, try taking Robitussin about a week before ovulation. Or in other words, start taking the Robi on cycle day 10 and continue taking it daily until after you believe ovulation has taken place. Please follow the dosage instructions on the bottle of Robitussin. There is no magic dose for cervical mucous. Some women have reported taking Robitussin for a cold the month that they actually became pregnant! Note: Get the Robitussin with Guanifensin as the main ingredient. You obviously do NOT need cough medicine while trying to conceive. Also, be sure and drink plenty of water while taking the Robitussin. Robitussin helps by thinning mucous, as in colds and sinus infections. And in order for the mucous to become thinner, you MUST drink lots of water.

What About Vitex?

There has been a lot of talk about vitex. Some say it works, while others say it messes up their menstrual cycle. I think it is best to try conceiving without vitex for at least 3 months. Then if you feel you have a cycle problem and you want to give vitex a try, then go for it. But be sure and read up on the proper dose. And vitex is not considered safe to take once you become pregnant. I'll do a seperate page on Vitex later on.

How Will I Know That I Am About To Ovulate?

If you aren't one to bother with checking cervical mucous and cervical position, there are obviously other ways to pinpoint ovulation. However, I would recommend that you use all of the methods I am describing here to time ovulation as accurately as possible.

A.) BBT (Basal Body Temperature Charting)

To do basal body temperature charting, you will need to purchase a basal body thermometer. You can order a basic basal body thermometer here. You will also need to print out some BBT charts, which we have for you here.

To begin basal body temperature charting you will need to begin taking your temperature each morning when you first awaken and before getting out of bed. This can take some time getting used to. The reading will not be accurate if you take it after getting up to go to the bathroom. Insert the thermometer under your tongue for approximately 4-5 minutes then record your temperature on the BBT chart. Once you have taken and recorded your temperature for several days, you can then draw lines from each reading to the next. What you will have is a paper with mountains on it. Please note, you cannot use BBT to precisely tell you when you are going to ovulate. But rather, BBT can confirm that ovulation has already taken place. The days during your period and those days leading up to ovulation usually carry a reading under 98.0.. However, the day after ovulation your temperature will rise because the ovary begins to produce progesterone. Progesterone causes a womans body temperature to rise and therefore after ovulation, your temp readings should remain 4 tenths of a degree higher than what it did before you ovulated. If your temps remain in the high range for 20 days in a row, you very well may be pregnant. As when you become pregnant, the ovary continues to produce progesterone which sustains the pregnancy..

B.) OPK (Ovulation Predictor Kits)

Ovulation predictor kits come in pretty handy. And are the easiest way to predict ovulation, however, I suggest you at least use some of the other methods of prediction as well. OPK's aren't always 100% right all of the time. OPK's are suppose to predict ovulation 24-48 hours in advance. Therefore you will need to begin using them at least 4-5 days before you suspect ovulation. If you have a 28 day menstrual cycle, I would suggest starting the OPK's on cycle day 10.... a 31 day cycle, I would suggest starting on cycle day 12. You can order OPK's here.

Be sure to read "MY STORY" and how I conceived using donor sperm at home!

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