Cycle calendar, menstrual calendar: explanation of terms

ovulation

Pregnancy can only occur if ovulation has taken place beforehand. Because only then can the mature egg cell in the fallopian tube be fertilized by a sperm and migrate into the uterus. The fertilization ability of the egg cell is very limited in time; it is a maximum of 12 to 18 hours from the time of ovulation. If you want to have children, it is therefore important to determine the fertile period around ovulation as precisely as possible in order to increase the chances of fertilization.

Calculated Cycle

The expected ovulation and fertile days can be calculated based on the data you entered on the first day of your last menstrual period and the length of your cycle. You can use this data to orient yourself right from the start of the cycle, even if no values ​​are available due to the temperature curve. At the end of the cycle you can also compare whether the values ​​of the two calculation methods roughly match or whether you should adjust your cycle length the next time you enter it.

expected menstruation

Here you have the opportunity to enter the time when you expect your next bleeding to start. After the probable period for ovulation has been determined using the temperature method, the cycle sheet automatically enters when you can expect your next menstrual period to occur. However, the additional entry of your own assessment can help you to determine whether you are assuming the correct cycle length or whether you should adjust it the next time you enter it.

fertile time

The fertile period represents the days when you can get pregnant. Due to hormone changes, the cervical mucus changes during this time in such a way that sperm can penetrate it more easily and survive longer in it. In addition, the structure of the cervix changes, it becomes softer and its opening larger. This should also enable the sperm to penetrate more easily to the egg cell.

When ovulation occurs, the egg cell can only be fertilized for around 12 to 18 hours from this point in time. Since sperm can survive in the female body for up to six days, the overall fertile time is much longer.

Since three days are possible for a possible ovulation in the calculation according to the temperature method, the fertile time is indicated on the cycle sheet as follows: the fertile time begins four days before the first possible ovulation date, includes the three days on which the Ovulation may have taken place and ends the day after the last possible ovulation date.

To increase your chances of conceiving a child, you should have sex with your partner every two to three days during this time. Too frequent sexual intercourse can lead to a reduction in semen density and thus to reduced sperm quality. Sexual intercourse is particularly promising on the day before ovulation, as you can be sure that there are sperm in your body at the time of ovulation.

Increased libido

The female sex hormone estrogen not only influences the production of cervical mucus and enables ovulation, it also controls the female libido. Some women therefore experience increased sexual desire shortly before ovulation. Of course, the assessment of this parameter is very subjective and must be considered individually for each woman. Women in particular who are trying to have children often do not feel like sleeping with their partner at all during the fertile period. Therefore, observe your body very closely and then draw your own conclusions. Don’t worry if you don’t notice any change in your libido during the fertile period. However, if you notice increased desire, this can be another clue to narrowing down your fertile time in subsequent cycles.

gonadotropins

The gonadotropins are among the body’s own hormones and are responsible, among other things, for progressing egg maturation (follicle-stimulating hormone FSH) and stimulating ovulation (luteinizing hormone LH). In some women, where the desire to have children remains unfulfilled for a long time, these hormones are not formed sufficiently. In this case it is possible that your doctor will give you the hormones in the form of an injection. This usually happens at the beginning of the cycle and then triggers ovulation shortly thereafter.

middle pain

The so-called middle pain occurs around the middle of the cycle and can be a sign that ovulation is taking place or has just taken place. It manifests itself as a tightening in the groin area, which can vary in intensity and duration from woman to woman and from cycle to cycle. Some women also describe middle pain as a kind of cramp.

It has not yet been scientifically proven what exactly causes the middle pain. However, there is a presumption that the pressure caused by the mature egg cell stretched to the point of bursting is responsible for the onset of middle pain. Another theory is that the abdominal wall is irritated by fluid released during ovulation, which then leads to the characteristic pain. Depending on which ovary is active during a cycle, the middle pain can also switch sides.

cervix

The external cervix is ​​located at the lower end of the cervix and represents the opening of the uterus to the vagina. By feeling the cervix you can draw conclusions as to whether you are currently in a fertile or a less fertile phase.

The end of the cervix, i.e. the place where the cervix sits, can be felt as a firm protrusion in the vagina at the beginning of the cycle, immediately after menstruation. The tissue is roughly the same in strength and size as the tip of your nose. The opening of the cervix at this point is very small and resembles a dimple. If you have already given birth to a child, it can also be rather narrow and elongated, like a small slit.

As ovulation approaches, the tissue at the cervix slowly softens and pulls back a few centimeters upwards. It can therefore become somewhat more difficult to feel the cervix. The opening of the cervix widens significantly during this time. So if you feel a soft cervix with a soft, wide opening, you are in a fertile phase.

A day or two after ovulation, the cervix changes again, closing up and hardening again. Temperature rises usually occur at about the same time.

Note: Not all women find this method pleasant and therefore prefer to forgo the self-examination. However, for women who don’t have trouble feeling the cervix, this application can be another factor in narrowing down the fertile window.

ovulation test

In order to narrow down the time of your ovulation even further, you can do an ovulation test in addition to observing your temperature curve and cervical mucus . This works similar to a pregnancy test and measures the level of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine. This hormone is primarily responsible for triggering ovulation. A hormone increase, i.e. an increased LH value, is a clear indication of imminent ovulation. If the ovulation test shows no increase in hormones, ovulation is not to be expected immediately.

slime peak

As part of the symptothermal method , the temperature development is evaluated depending on the condition of the cervical mucus. Because only when this is at the mucus peak does a possible rise in temperature become relevant for the calculation of the fertile period.

Mucus peak does not mean the day with the most mucus production, but the last day of the phase in which the cervical mucus has the best quality. The mucus peak can therefore only be determined afterwards, namely after relegation to a worse category. You can read more about mucus quality in the cervical mucus section.

pregnancy test

If you took a pregnancy test during the current cycle, you can use your cycle sheet to record whether the result was positive or negative.

Pregnancy test possible

You can find out whether you are pregnant with an early test about nine days after ovulation. You can either carry out a special urine test, which is very sensitive to the hormone hCG, or have a blood test carried out by your gynecologist. The latter usually offers more reliable results than a urine test in this early phase.
You can find out more about this in our article “ Pregnancy test: 10 frequently asked questions ”.

Pregnancy test possible

Your cycle sheet shows you when you can expect your next period to start. If your menstruation does not start on this day and there are no symptoms or spotting, you can carry out a pregnancy test. It can give you fairly reliable results on whether an egg cell has been fertilized and you are pregnant from the day you missed your period.

Note: Since our calculation of the next menstrual period is based on an average, the actual start of the period can be delayed by up to two days. Therefore, if the first test is negative, it makes sense to repeat it on day 16 after ovulation.

Tip: With the help of the temperature method, you can even do without a pregnancy test altogether. If your waking temperature remains in the high temperature range for 18 days or more, you are definitely pregnant. So it pays to fill out the cycle sheet to the end.

sex

If you have had sex with your partner, you should record this on your cycle sheet. This way you can later better understand whether you had sexual intercourse during your fertile period and whether pregnancy was possible at all.

This information is also useful for calculating the exact due date in the event of pregnancy. Since the first cycle phase varies greatly in length, but many gynecologists still assume a length of 14 days, the exact date of the birth can be determined individually by recording the exact dates.

temperature

In order to reliably perceive temperature changes during your cycle, it is best to measure your basal body temperature every day. This is the temperature that your body assumes when it is absolutely at rest, i.e. while you are sleeping. Since you cannot measure your temperature while you are sleeping, the temperature is measured immediately after waking up, i.e. the waking temperature. It is then important that you measure before you sit up or get out of bed in order to falsify the values ​​as little as possible.

You should also make sure that you always measure under the same conditions and at around the same time in order to get reliable comparative values. You should also always use the same thermometer to rule out technical differences.
Tip: Experts recommend using an analogue thermometer.

temperature curve

By creating a temperature curve, you can determine afterwards when ovulation probably took place in your current cycle. If you use the temperature method carefully and over time, you can see regularities in your cycle over time, which can help you better assess the fertile time in your next cycle.

The female cycle has two phases. The first phase lasts until the time of ovulation. Then the transition to the second phase of the cycle takes place, which is announced by a slight rise in the waking temperature. In this context, one speaks of a low temperature in the first phase of the cycle and a high temperature in the second phase of the cycle.

The increase in your body temperature is used to calculate the fertile period. If this is higher for three consecutive days than the highest value of the previous six days, you probably ovulated in the 48 hours before the third high value. It is important that the third value is at least 0.2°C higher than the highest value of the low temperature range.

Since the temperature method is primarily suitable for retrospectively determining the fertile period, but you may want to determine the expected period of ovulation in advance, you can also analyze the cervical mucus using the Billings method . A third method that combines the two parameters of temperature and cervical mucus and interprets them in relation to each other is the so-called symptothermal method .

time measurement

In order to be able to reliably compare the temperature values ​​that you take daily to create the cycle curve, you should try to take the temperature at around the same time each day. By using the same conditions, you can minimize the risk of the measured values ​​being influenced by external factors. If you enter the time of the measurement every day, you can directly link unusual temperature deviations to a different measurement time.
Note: Deviations of up to one and a half hours are usually harmless and do not have a major impact on the measurement results.

cervical mucus

Cervical mucus is secreted by glands inside the cervix. At the beginning of the cycle, the vagina is usually rather dry because the glands produce very little mucus. Most of the mucus that is present sits as a solid plug at the entrance to the uterus and acts as a natural barrier, so to speak, preventing both the penetration of germs and sperm. You are not fertile during this time.

In the course of the cycle, the nature and amount of cervical mucus change due to hormonal influences. You can use a mucus analysis to determine your fertile days more precisely. With the increase in estrogen in the first phase of the cycle, mucus production increases and the mucus plug liquefies. You can then usually perceive it clearly at the vaginal exit.

As the date of ovulation approaches, the cervical mucus becomes more fluid and clearer. The altered texture allows sperm to easily cross the mucus and survive in it for several days. So you are fertile. At the peak of mucus, which is around the time of ovulation, cervical mucus is usually very watery and elastic. Like raw egg white, it can then be spun between two fingers into threads several centimeters long. The chances of conceiving a child are highest at this time.

As soon as ovulation is over and the second cycle phase begins, the cervical mucus changes again under the influence of the hormone progesterone to a rather tough, white, opaque mass, which finally forms a plug again in front of the entrance to the uterus.

Note: The quality of cervical mucus differs from woman to woman. Not every woman goes through all of the phases described. However, this is not a cause for concern, because of course women whose cervical mucus can never be described as liquid can also become pregnant. Therefore, observe your body very closely to determine which mucus quality is best for you. This is particularly important when using the sympto-thermal method, since the fertile period is evaluated there depending on the mucus peak. For better understanding of the development of mucus, you should therefore also enter on your cycle sheet if you have not found any mucus.