Another Natural Conception Tip

Track your menstrual cycle

Okay, so this is a huge part of natural conception. Tracking your cycle is extremely important if you want to conceive naturally but that's not all, it is important for every woman to know how to track her cycle because that is a window into the female reproductive system. Think about it, almost every time you visit a doctor, one of the questions the usually ask is, when was your last period? this is because your period tells a lot of stories about your health in general and your reproductive health in particular. you will understand it better as we go on....

Do you know the length of your cycle?

This is the first thing you should learn as you begin tracking your cycle. The average number of days used in most cases is 28 days but i want you to understand that not every woman has a cycle length of 28. our cycles vary, some are as short as 21 days while some others are up to 36 days and to know yours you have to observe your body and note the dates.

To calculate the length of your cycle correctly always count the first day of blood flow or period as day 1, it doesn’t matter how heavy or light the flow is as long as you see blood it is to be counted as day 1, then the next is day 2, then day 3 and so on, you should continue counting until you get to the first day of your next period. When you have counted until the first day of your next period, then you have completed a cycle.

The length of your cycle is different from the length of your blood flow or period. Your blood flow on average can stop anywhere from day 2 – day 7 depending on your body but your cycle continues, so even when the blood flow stops to get your correct cycle length you should continue counting until the first day of your next period. In other words your cycle length is from day 1 of your period to day 1 of your next period.

For instance

Jane just got home from work on Friday May 13 and went to ease herself, she noticed some blood on her underwear and so she put a pad knowing that her period just started. Three days later on May 16, there was no longer any blood so she stopped putting any pad on her underwear and she went on living her normal life until Thursday June 8, she woke up to get ready for work and noticed some blood again on her underwear so she knew her period had started again and had to put in a pad for the day. 

To calculate Jane’s cycle length we will make a chart and count from day 1 of her period to day 1 of her next period

MAY
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13 Day 1 Period starts. Cycle starts.	14 Day 2	15 Day 3	16 Day 4 Period ends. Cycle continues	17 Day 5	18 Day 6	19 Day 7	20 Day 8
21 Day 9	22 Day 10	23 Day 11	24 Day 12	25 Day 13	26 Day 14	27 Day 15	28 Day 16	29 Day 17	30 Day 18
JUNE
1 Day 19	2 Day 20	3 Day 21	4 Day 22	5 Day 23	6 Day 24	7 Day 25 Cycle ends	8 Day 1 New Period starts. new Cycle starts	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20

From the table above Jane's period lasted for 4 days while the length of her cycle is 25 days.

I hope the table above helps to explain further. You can actually note your dates on your phone, diary, calender, anything at all you are comfortable with to remind you of your start and end dates. By the time you do this for a couple of months, you will begin to have a general idea of the length of your cycle and be able to predict your next period. I say general because you will also find out that you may not have your period on the say day every month, the dates will change from time to time but the change will not be drastic and you will get used to the changes as you continue to track.