How to track ovulation: the best ways

When trying to concieve, one of the most important factors to consider is timing. There is a sweet spot a couple of weeks after your period, which is where your egg is released - called ovulation - when you are most fertile and is the best time of the month to try for a baby.

To maximize your baby-making chances, it’s advised to clue up on the different ovulation symptoms and to have sex on the three days before you ovulate and on the day of (if you can!).

If you're concerned about knowing exactly when you are ovulating, there are lots of different ways and products that can you help you to find out this key information. Here are the different ways to understand and track your ovulation.

How to track ovulation

Ovulation calculator

An ovulation calculator is an easy and fast way to find out when you’re ovulating. You just need to add the first day of your last period and what is usually the length of your cycle. If your periods are irregular, however, it’s wise to take your results with a pinch of salt.

Ovulation apps

There are plenty of ovulation apps available which can help you determine when the best time to try for a baby. Usually, you will need to input your basal body temperature and your discharge changes. These apps will learn with your cycle — the more you use them, the better!

Ovulation test kit

These ovulation test strips are very similar to pregnancy tests, but instead of telling you if you are or aren’t pregnant, they tell you when you are ovulating. These test sticks or strips react with the urine, and you will get a result based on colour changes or digital readings. One of the hormones detected by these tests isthe luteinizing hormone, which indicates your body is trying to release an egg.

Here are a few options you can buy...

Your basal body temperature

To create an accurate basal body temperature charting, you will need to take your temperature every morning using a basal thermometer. It’s important to do this when you’re resting, to not skew results.

The higher your basal temperature, the more likely you are ovulating and possibly getting pregnant. You will need a specific thermometer for this, to ensure accurate results.

Check your ovulation discharge

What you’re looking for is the mucus that is a bit like raw egg white. "It becomes more watery and if you put it between your thumb and finger and pull it apart it has a stringy appearance," explains Helen Kendrew, matron at the Bath Fertility Centre. This abundant watery mucus is nature’s way of making it easier for the sperm to swim up through the cervix to the waiting egg. You should be able to spot the changes by keeping an eye on the toilet roll as you wipe.

Use a saliva ferning test

Saliva ferning tests are not well-known, but definitely worth a go for some women. This type of ovulation tracker is an at-home test that uses a microscope to check your saliva. your time of estrogen levels increase near your time of ovulation and dried fern-like crystals appear in your saliva.

These kits come with a lens and viewing scope. You drop some saliva onto the lens then, after a few minutes, check to see if the fern-like crystals are present.

Once you've worked out when exactly you should be doing the baby dance, you may want to think about trying the best sex positions to conceive...