Ovulation is that period in a woman’s menstrual cycle when a mature egg is released from her ovary and moves to the fallopian tube. There, the egg waits to be fertilized. If it is not fertilized, the egg breaks down and the uterine lining is shed during a woman’s period.

The ovulation calculator can help determine when you are likely ovulating. Knowing your fertile days can increase your chances of conception. That said, the ovulation calculator is an estimate – it cannot 100% guarantee that you will get pregnant.

The ovulation calculator is not recommended to be used as birth control. While the calendar method or rhythm method is regarded as a form of natural family planning, it is one of the least effective methods of birth control at 76%. The calendar method tracks your menstrual cycle to predict your fertile days and ovulation date.

Women’s menstrual cycles are different, so fertile windows may vary from person to person. Women may be fertile for six days, but ovulation happens only once and lasts between 12 to 48 hours.

You are most fertile on the three days leading up to, and including the day of ovulation.

In general, we do not recommend using the ovulation calculator to try conceiving for a boy or a girl. Several studies have been made over the years on whether you could influence your baby’s sex. One of the most popular conception ideas, the Shettles method, claims that you can determine your child’s sex through several factors, including the time of conceiving. That said, this method lacks medical or scientific data to guarantee its efficacy.

While your cycle, fertile days and ovulation can vary from period to period, there are certain signs and symptoms that could likely tell you that you are entering your fertile window. Some of these may include:
– Wet, clear, slippery cervical mucus
– Slightly higher and sustained basal body temperature
– Breast tenderness
– One-sided pain in the lower abdomen
– Increased libido

If you notice these symptoms around 10 to 16 days before your next period begins, then you are likely ovulating.

When you have an irregular menstrual cycle, it can be more challenging to tell when you’re ovulating since you may not ovulate regularly, or your ovulation period may vary each month. You can try other methods to predict fertility and ovulation, such as charting your basal body temperature (BBT).

Gestational age. MedlinePlus US National Institute of Health. Retrieved 8 June 2021 from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002367.htm

Why is 40 weeks so Important? New York Department of Health. Retrieved 8 June 2021 from https://www.health.ny.gov/community/pregnancy/why_is_40_weeks_so_important.htm

Baby due date. Better Health Channel Victoria Department of Health. Retrieved 8 June 2021 from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/baby-due-date

Know Your Terms – Full Term Pregnancy. US National Institute of Child and Health Development. Retrieved 8 June 2021 from https://www.nichd.nih.gov/ncmhep/initiatives/know-your-terms/moms

ACOG Committee Opinion No. 764: Medically Indicated Late-Preterm and Early-Term Deliveries. US National Institute of Health National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 8 June 2021 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30681545/