Health and Wellness Access

A fertility calculator can help you pinpoint when you’re next going to ovulate. What is a fertility calc, you ask? It’s not a technical gadget that requires a degree to operate… it’s a simple online calculator that lets you plug in a few numbers to work out the best time to conceive.

There’s only a short window of time to conceive in your cycle, so fertility calculators offer a simple way to target your conception efforts to reach your goal of getting pregnant fast.

You’ll have to provide some information so the calculator can do its job. Don’t worry - they don’t need to know your life history - just a few facts. The important thing is to ensure that the info the calculator requires is correct.

You’re most likely to be asked when your last period started, the number of days in your menstrual cycle and sometimes these calculators want to know information about your luteal phase.

If you regularly note down the dates of your period in your journal, this will be an easy exercise for you. Then, all you need to do is count the days in between the dates your period starts.

What’s a luteal phase? It’s the second half of your menstrual cycle that occurs once you have already ovulated. It can last anywhere from 10 days to 16 days, and it’s not as easy to work out, because you need to have an idea of when you’re ovulating.

The good news is there are not many sites that ask for this information; most fertility calculators only ask for the first day of your last period and the amount of days in your cycle.

Some people prefer to use a pen and paper to work out when they’re ovulating. If this is you, and you’re looking at your journal dates, you can count backward 14 days from the time your next period is going to start, and this will be your approximate ovulation date. This is not an exact science, so assume you might be fertile 2 days before and 2 days after that approximate ovulation date.

To get best results, combine the use of a fertility calculations with charting your basal body temperature and identifying when this rises, keeping notes of changes in the way you feel mid-cycle, and checking your cervical mucus every day.

There are tips and tricks to realizing when you are ovulating which I explain on my website and books. Once you become more in-tune with your body using a fertility calculator to get pregnant will be as easy as 123!