What Is a Menstrual Cycle Chart?
Getting pregnant is all about timing. You want to make sure the conditions are right for egg and sperm to meet. Your menstrual cycle can give you clues about when your body is ready to start the process.
Don't get menstruation and menstrual cycle mixed up. They're not the same thing.
Your menstrual cycle is a series of things happening inside your body, which are all triggered by hormones. It typically lasts between 28 and 35 days and is made up of four phases:
Menses phase. This starts on the first day of your period, or what's called menstruation. You'll probably bleed from your vagina for three to five days. What you see on your pad or tampon is actually a mix of blood and tissue from the lining of your uterus. It's shed when there's no fertilized egg to attach to the inside of your uterus.
It's common to first get your period between ages 12 and 14, then stop having them for good between the ages of 45 and 55. (Not having periods anymore is called menopause.)
Follicular phase. Usually lasting between 14 and 21 days, this is the longest phase of your menstrual cycle. During it, your body begins to boost its levels of estrogen (female hormone). This causes your uterus lining to become thick and spongy. An increase in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) tells your ovaries that it's time to make follicles — fluid-filled sacs that hold eggs.
Next, a dominant follicle, one that's bigger than the rest, begins to form. This holds the egg that will be released as soon as it's mature.
Like the menses phase, this phase begins on the first day of your period. But it lasts until the next phase of your menstrual cycle, ovulation.
Ovulation. At this point, an increase in another special hormone, called luteinizing hormone, signals that it's time to release the egg. This phase of your menstrual cycle gets a lot of attention because if you're trying to have a baby, it's best to have sex around this time.
If you have a 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation will probably happen around day 14.
Luteal phase. Once the egg leaves your ovary, it travels down your fallopian tube toward your uterus to wait for sperm. At the same time, your uterine lining begins thickening. This will help the egg implant there for pregnancy if it's fertilized. If egg and sperm don't meet within 12 to 24 hours, your body will reabsorb the egg.
The luteal phase usually lasts about 14 days. It ends when your period starts. Then, your menstrual cycle starts all over again.
These details can be a lot to remember. If you're trying to get pregnant, here are some tips to help you start charting your own menstrual cycle.
Fertility Awareness Methods (FAMs)
Several different methods, called FAMs, can help you track your fertility. They're sometimes referred to as "natural family planning," but some people also use them to avoid getting pregnant.
Some different FAMs include:
- Counting the days between your periods
- Checking the natural discharge from your vagina every day
- Taking your temperature first thing in the morning
You can use one of these methods or a combination. You'll probably learn the most about your menstrual cycle and ovulation timing if you rely on all three.
Look for the Fertile Window
If you want to try the FAM known as the calendar method, you'll chart your periods on a calendar. This helps you pinpoint the days when you're most fertile.
How does it work? A menstrual cycle can range from 21 to 35 days, but the average cycle is 28 days. That means you have about six days each month when you can get pregnant. That includes the day that one of your ovaries releases an egg (ovulation) and the five days before. Having sex within this window is key. You can’t get pregnant without ovulation.
Tracking your monthly periods isn't just a good way to get familiar with your body’s fertility. It can also help you be aware of symptoms, such as changes in your moods or sex drive, that happen at certain times of the month. That can help you prepare for and manage them.
To try the calendar method:
Record how long your menstrual cycle lasts.
- Day 1 is the first day of your period.
- Next, mark the day of your next period.
- Add up the number of days. This is one cycle.
Your menstrual cycles can vary slightly from month to month, so it's best to keep track for at least six months.
Average the days in each cycle.
- Add up the total number of days in each cycle.
- Then, divide by how many cycles you tracked.
For instance, if your first cycle was 30 days, your second cycle was 28 days, and your third cycle was 27 days, you'd add together 30+28+27. Then, you'd divide the total (85) by 3. Your average would be 28.3, which you can round down to 28.
Figure out your fertility window.
Now, subtract 18 days from the length of your shortest cycle. (In the example above, this would be 27.) This is the first day you're likely to be fertile.
Next, subtract 11 days from the length of your longest cycle. (In this case, it would be 30.) This is the last day you're likely to be fertile.
Having sex between those two dates will give you the best shot at getting pregnant.
If the length of your periods changes a lot or if your cycles are less than 27 days, it may be tricky to use the calendar method to figure out when you're most fertile. Ask your doctor for some tips.
Check Your Basal Body Temperature (BBT)
Another way to figure out if your body is ready to ovulate is to track your BBT.
Your BBT is your temperature first thing in the morning when you're still fully at rest. Just after you ovulate, it rises slightly — sometimes by less than a degree — and stays higher until your period starts. If you record your temperature every day, you can spot the subtle changes that mean one of your ovaries has released an egg.
To take your BBT, you need to:
Use a basal body thermometer. It's more sensitive than a standard one and will show temperature changes down to a fraction of a degree. You can get them at many pharmacies for less than $20.
Follow the instructions. For instance, if the guide says to put the thermometer in your mouth, take your temperature that way.
Take your BBT at the same time each morning. Always do it before you get out of bed. To make it easier, keep the thermometer on your nightstand. Even getting up to go to the bathroom can affect your body temperature.
Keep track. Write down your number right away or enter it into a special app that tracks it for you.
Remember, your BBT won't tell you exactly when you've ovulated, and it may take a couple of months before you start to see a pattern. You're most likely to get pregnant two or three days before your ovary releases an egg, and then another 12 to 24 hours after that. When your temperature has spiked for 3 days, your chances of conceiving drop.
Many different factors can also skew your BBT, such as:
- Smoking
- Drinking alcohol
- Stress
- Not sleeping well or sleeping more than usual
- Traveling through different time zones
- Some medications
- Being sick
- Certain health conditions
Check Your Cervical Mucus
The same hormones that control your menstrual cycle also affect the mucus that your cervix (the lower part of your uterus) makes. Just before and during ovulation, the amount, color, and texture of the mucus change to make it easier for you to get pregnant.
As your ovaries prepare to release an egg, your cervix makes more mucus. A few days before ovulation, it may be sticky and cloudy or whitish. Then, right before you ovulate, the mucus gets slippery, like egg whites. It may stretch across your fingers if you spread them apart. This stage usually lasts three to four days, which is when you're most likely to get pregnant.
To check your cervical mucus:
- Use your fingers or a tissue to check the opening of your vagina for mucus a few times a day. Make sure your hands are clean before you start. Write down whether it's cloudy and sticky or clear and slippery.
- Chart your cervical mucus changes and your BBT together to get a clear picture of where you are in your cycle.
Keep in mind that other things, such as nursing, can change your mucus. Using douches or other hygiene products can also affect it. Gynecologists usually don't advise these products.
Having unprotected sex (sex without a condom) can change your mucus, too. You might want to use a condom when you first start menstrual cycle charting.
Use Ovulation-Predictor Kits (OPKs)
OPKs are another way to chart your menstrual cycle and identify the best time to try for a baby. Some people find them easier than checking their BBT or cervical mucus.
These at-home test kits check for luteinizing hormone, which rises when you're about to start ovulating. You pee on a test strip, just like you would for a pregnancy test. A positive result means that your window of fertility is about to open, usually within 24 to 36 hours.
Some kits can offer even more specific information about when you'll ovulate. They do this by also testing for estradiol (estrogen.) You'll have very high levels of it on the day you ovulate.
If you're trying to get pregnant, it helps to have sperm already in your body when you ovulate. That's because sperm can live in your body for three to five days while a fertilized egg only lasts about 24 hours.
But these kits won't be useful if you're not ovulating. That can happen due to a health condition, like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or lifestyle factors such as breastfeeding, high stress, or intense exercise. Birth control can also stop you from ovulating.
Most of the time, your period is a sign that you are ovulating. But that's not always the case. If you have questions about your menstrual cycle, talk to your doctor.
Track Your Symptoms
You can also look for outward signs that your body is getting ready to ovulate. Some common symptoms include:
- Bloating
- Sore, tender breasts
- Cramps
- Increased sex drive
- Changes in mood
- Feeling hungrier or less hungry than usual
- Craving certain foods
- Being more sensitive to smells
- Spotting (faint bleeding)
Everyone is different. If you track your symptoms, over time, you'll start to learn how your body responds at this critical point in your menstrual cycle.
Menstrual Cycle Charting Apps
Many apps can help you track your menstrual cycle, including:
- Spot On
- Flo
- My Period Tracker
- Glow
- Clue
- Natural Cycles
- Ovia
- Kindara
- Pregnancy Tracker (BabyCenter)
They're all slightly different. If you're not sure which to try, ask your doctor. Word of mouth can be helpful too. Talk to your friends about which tracking app they use and what features they like (or don't like) about it.
Menstrual Cycle Charting Takeaways
Your menstrual cycle is a series of things that happen in your body to prepare it for a possible pregnancy. Being aware of these different events and their timing can help you learn when you're most likely to get pregnant. You can use different methods, from tracking the time between periods to checking your vaginal discharge or resting temperature. Talk to your doctor about what's best for you and any concerns you have about your fertility.
