Tracking ovulation is essential to women trying to conceive. Ovulation plays an essential role in conception, so taking steps such as timing sex appropriately could increase your chances of pregnancy.
But for women living with PCOS, their menstrual cycles may become more difficult to predict due to interference by PCOS with ovulation-inducing hormones that control your menstruation cycle.
Cervical Mucus
Tracking ovulation involves many methods, such as basal body temperature (BBT), cervical mucus production and analysis, predictor kits and technology devices as well as calendars; all provide useful insight. Tracking is especially crucial when trying to conceive.
Women’s cervical mucus changes over the course of her menstrual cycle. At first, it may start off thin and scanty at first before it thickens and wets out near ovulation allowing sperm easier access into their uterus and fertilizing an egg.
In general, throughout a woman’s cycle, her period will become dry and clumpy, and this period is when her fertility peaks; couples trying to conceive can use their fertile window to increase their chances of conception.
Predicting ovulation can be challenging for women living with PCOS due to irregular ovulation cycles that include surges of LH that don’t lead to actual ovulation, making traditional ovulation prediction tools such as urine test kits or OPKs less accurate for them.
Those living with PCOS must use different means to monitor ovulation. You could consult your physician about taking a progesterone blood test to help identify when most likely ovulating occurs, measuring levels of this hormone which helps regulate ovulation in women with PCOS.
As another option, couples considering trying for pregnancy can purchase home ovulation monitors such as OvaCue Fertility Monitor. This device uses Electrolyte Method which has proven accurate at 98.3% in clinical studies; this technique measures changes in electrolyte resistance between saliva and cervical mucus caused by estrogen rising and shifting to progesterone when you ovulate, plus measuring cervical position to help determine when you’re most fertile – vital information for couples hoping to conceive! Read more here about OvaCue Fertility Monitor here!
Vaginal Discharge
As is well-known, women with PCOS often experience irregular periods that make ovulation tracking harder – essential when trying to conceive. But there are ways you can make things easier!
Ovulation prediction kits or apps offer one potential solution. These devices work by detecting an increase in luteinizing hormone (LH) levels 24-48 hours prior to ovulation; since LH levels tend to surge around that timeframe, these tests offer one of the most reliable means of anticipating this important event and are widely available from most pharmacies.
An alternative way of predicting ovulation is through cervical mucus monitoring. Over the course of her menstrual cycle, a woman’s cervix will change, increasing in height and becoming higher and more open at ovulation – this change can be seen reflected by changes to cervical mucus texture: wetter and stretchier nearer ovulation can often be felt; alternatively you could check by touching her cervix; if it feels easy within vagina then most likely not close to ovulation!
Monitor Your Basal Body TemperatureWith a thermometer
Once again, another way of verifying ovulation is taking a progesterone blood test. Progesterone levels typically rise just before ovulation and its presence can be detected with home kits or professional ultrasound scans. Your doctor may order serial ultrasound scans or serial ultrasonography scans of your dominant ovarian follicle; if its size decreases and then suddenly vanishes it indicates likely ovulation. If neither method works then seeing a reproductive endocrinologist for evaluation can conduct complete hormonal workup and possibly an ultrasound to find out why your cycle is irregular or irregularity may help.
Breast Tenderness
Ovulation is controlled by hormones produced in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which in turn trigger the release of an egg by each month’s cycle from its respective ovary into its respective fallopian tube, where it will have 12 hours to be fertilized or it will break down and your period will start.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) can hinder egg maturation and release on an even schedule, making conception difficult. Because of this, it is crucial that women with PCOS know how to monitor ovulation effectively using basal body temperature monitors, calculators or calendars or prediction sticks – these may vary depending on hormonal fluctuations within each woman and ovulation symptoms may manifest differently for different women.
Traditional 28-day cycles typically last 28 days from conception until menstruation starts; thus ovulation should usually occur 14 days prior. Most fertile days for most menstrual cycles occur between days 12-14 of their cycles. With PCOS however, your menstrual cycles could last much longer, making ovulation harder to identify on your own since fertility signs related to it may not be as evident as before.
As well as looking out for signs of ovulation, women with PCOS often experience different changes to cervical mucus and vaginal fluid consistency – these could also be indicators that you have started your cycle! Although difficult to spot due to hormonal shifts, they’re important indicators.
Ovulation predictor kits provide an effective method for identifying when you are ovulating, helping to detect an LH surge that signals its arrival. Unfortunately, such kits may not be reliable for women with PCOS due to increased levels of androgens present in their bodies, or if your menstrual cycle lasts longer than usual – in such instances you must closely observe signs such as breast tenderness and cervical mucus changes that indicate an LH surge as they could miss it altogether.
Bloating
Women’s menstrual cycles are controlled by hormones that prepare and release a mature egg each month, moving it through the fallopian tube into their uterus where it can be fertilized by sperm. Any disruptions may lead to infertility. Ovulation can be hard to predict; especially for women suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS involves an imbalance of testosterone levels as well as elevated LH levels; nevertheless there are strategies available that may increase chances of ovulation success despite PCOS symptoms; although not every chance can improve your chances of ovulation success.
Basal body temperature monitors and at-home ovulation tests that measure luteinizing hormone (LH) can help you gain more insight into your menstrual cycle and identify when you may ovulate. They’re especially useful when trying to get pregnant. Unfortunately, however, they may be inaccurate for women with PCOS due to multiple peak LH levels occurring simultaneously during menstruation.
Another way of tracking ovulation with PCOS is using natural diuretics that can relieve water retention during ovulation. Some good choices for natural diuretics are ginger, pineapple and cucumbers; exercise can also be an excellent way to decrease fluid retention around ovulation as exercise increases digestive speed, alleviating bloating symptoms.
A detailed record of your cycle can help your doctor to detect irregularities and recommend treatment plans; this is especially important because PCOS interferes with ovulation and thus makes conception harder.
If you’re having difficulty conceiving, consulting a fertility specialist or reproductive endocrinologist could be an important step towards success. They can conduct a full hormonal workup and gather a medical history before performing a pelvic ultrasound to diagnose you and provide treatments such as prescribing ovulation-inducing medications like Clomiphene citrate or Metformin to help induce more regular ovulation cycles; additionally, lifestyle modifications that could increase chances of conception may also be suggested by these medical specialists.