How do I determine how long my cycles are?

Question

I have been ttc for a while, but I may have my cycle length wrong. I usually expect my period exactly one month after the last one. It usually shows up a 4 or 5 days later. How long would that make my cycles?

Any tips on TTC. home remedy's to be more fertile or anything?

Answer 1

Your menstrual cycle has three phases. In each of these phases the body produces different hormones that have distinct functions. The first phase of your cycle is called the follicular phase. This begins on Day one of your cycle, which is the first full day of menstrual bleeding when the lining of the uterus starts to shed. When an egg isn't fertilized during the previous cycle, the body must shed the uterine lining to prepare for the next cycle. For most women this lasts from 3 to 5 days, but can be more or less. Immediately following the shedding of the uterine lining, your body begins to prepare for the next phase in the cycle, the ovulatory phase.

But first, hormones must prepare your body for ovulation before this phase can begin. The pituitary gland releases two hormones, FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) and LH (Luteinizing Hormone). A follicle is one of the many tiny sacs within an ovary that contains a developing egg. FSH stimulates a follicle to grow and the egg within it to ripen. LH stimulates the follicle to manufacture and secrete estrogen.

You wpuld be in the ovulatory phase now, increasing estrogen levels cause the lining of the uterus to re-nourish with nutrients and blood. The heightened levels of estrogen also produce a change in cervical mucus, causing it to thin and take on a slippery consistency. The change in cervical fluid makes it easier for sperm to make their way toward a waiting egg. All of this usually takes place between days 7 and 11 in a woman's cycle.

When the amount of estrogen produced in your body reaches a certain level, it causes the pituitary gland to release a surge of LH. 24 to 36 hours after the LH surge, the follicle will burst, releasing the completely ripened egg into the Fallopian tube. The LH surge is what triggers the almost-ripened egg to become fully matured and break through the follicle. The release of the egg is what is known as ovulation.

The liberated egg now floats down the fallopian tube toward the womb. If it isn't fertilized, it has a survival window of about 24 hours. Sperm can live longer and may already be present before the egg is released. Or sperm may arrive in the 24 hours after the egg has been released. Therefore, the day before ovulation and the day of ovulation are the two days in your cycle when you are most fertile - the two days you are most likely to conceive. Since the LH surge always precedes ovulation, detecting this hormone is critical in predicting your two peak fertility days.

So out of all that jumble my advice is learn your cycles. Start taking your temps and charting. Or like me take the easy way out -Ovulation predictor kits - start taking them the day you stop bleeding just to be sure. These are what detect the LH surge. Usually they will give you a positive 24-36 hours before you actually ovulate.

This was as said above you will know the days you can get pregant.

There is more to a cycle then most know.

That is why I posted all that above.

There are som herbal things thought to help conevieng.

Like a natural fertility blend maybe.

Or you could just take folic acid - like prenatles.

Good Luck in TTC

Stay relaxed!

Answer 2

Count the days - dont use weeks - count the actual days from the day you start bleeding ( day #1) to the day you start bleeding next time 28, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35 days - whatever day - thats how long that cycle was.

Do this EVERY month for 6 months to get an average monthly cycle length.

Thats how long your cycles are.  

PS  I just mark day #1 in my diary each month - its easy to count through the month and see how long each cycle weas that month.