Tracking Menstrual Cycles

Tracking menstrual cycles helps identify your individual cycle pattern.

This is very important as every woman’s menstrual cycle differs. Your record, unique and personal to you, will either reveal your best time to get pregnant or pinpoint a menstrual problem that indicates a hidden medical condition.

Tracking Menstrual Cycles - How Do You Do It?

Doing this is very simple and easy. All you need is discipline.

The first thing to do is to get a personal calendar or notebook.

Next, get into the habit of recording the first day of each menstruation into your calendar or notebook. Do this for every cycle.

Viola! You are now building your personal menstrual cycle history or record. This is so easy! Of course, you know that this is but the first step. You'll need more statistics than knowing the first days of your cycles for further ovulation prediction. Nevertheless, this is an important first and basic step that you'll have to do.

Data from this record will be very useful in helping you to:

• Identify your fertile window:

  You can use the Calendar or Rhythm method to help you calculate your fertile phase and determine your best chances for conception. Before using this method, you should have been tracking menstural cycles for at least six to eight months to collect enough statistics for your calculations.

• Identify any hidden medical conditions:

  An abnormal menstrual cycle may show up in your record. Abnormal cycles are exceptional menstrual abnormalities and irregularities indicating hidden medical problems that require treatment.

  For example, you may be having ‘Amenorrhea’, a prolonged absence of menses. If this happens during your reproductive years and for reasons other than pregnancy, you’ll need treatment.

• Know that it is time to adjust your lifestyle:

  If your record shows a sudden irregularity at a certain period only, you may be able to pinpoint possible reasons for this by examining your present lifestyle.

  Perhaps a new job is stressing you out. You’ll need to adjust your lifestyle so as not to upset your cycle, and thus your chances of getting pregnant.

• Determine the due date of your baby if you get pregnant:

  Pregnancy generally lasts 280 days from the first day of your last menstrual period or 266 days from the date of ovulation.

  If you have been tracking your cycles and found them to be regular 28-day cycles, you could calculate your baby’s due date from the first day of your last menstrual period.

  Your baby's arrival would be 280 days from this day.

  Most obstetricians calculate your baby’s due date on your last normal menstrual cycle.

  If your record reveals that your have cycles that are longer, say 35 days, or shorter, say 21 days, you can estimate your baby’s arrival based on your ovulation date.

  For a very rough estimation of an ovulation date, it is usually taken to occur 14 days before a period. Therefore, you can calculate your date 14 days backwards from your last period.

  Taking a 35-day cycle as an example, your estimated ovulation date would be on the 21st day of your cycle.

  Your baby's due date would therefore be 266 days from the 21st day of your cycle.

• Expedite your infertility treatments:

  If you decide to opt for infertility treatments, you would have done the most important groundwork for your doctor. Your efforts in tracking menstrual cycles is not wasted even if you can't get pregnant on your own. Your record will expedite your infertility treatments and save you time.

  On the other hand, if you don’t have this record, your doctor will have to ask you to go home and chart several cycles for him to analyze. Your treatment will be delayed and precious time wasted.

Do You Want A Short Cut To Menstrual Cycles Tracking? There Is A Better And Fun Way To Track Your Cycle!

If you find charting your own cycles on piece of paper bothersome, there is a more interesting way to do so. Use the Cycle Beads!

The Cycle beads is an attractive string of color-coded beads that represents the days in your menstrual cycle. This is a visual method to help you track your ovulatory cycle and identify your fertile days when conceiving is likely. This natural family planning practice has been shown to be over 95% effective! Tracking menstrual cycles have never been more fun! Check it out here!

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