So, you want to become pregnant! Congratulations on yours and your partner’s decision. I am sure that the two of you have many questions and concerns regarding your decision to become parents. First off, RELAX! And when I say RELAX, I mean just that. Conceiving a healthy baby encompasses many intricate details. Of course the first step is to conceive. Sounds easy huh? Well for most couples it is. But for some, nature takes a little longer. Some women have a hard time distinguishing when they are ovulating and when they are not. And maybe for good reason! We’ll get into reasons why in another article. 

This article is about learning how to read your body’s signs and signals to pregnancy. I can’t tell you how important that is for conceiving and conceiving a healthy baby. There are certain tools that can make it easier for you to determine what your body is trying to tell you. We will discuss them throughout this article as well. Ladies, our bodies are like a fine piece of machinery. Every intricate part of that machine, including all the way down to every nut and bolt has a precise job. A good mechanic understands how that machine works and knows how to read the signs and signals to make a proper diagnosis and fix the problem. If just one part of that machine is not working properly, the whole precision for that machine will be off or will possibly shut down completely. Our bodies are the same way! So let’s get started. 

The first thing that women should do is start keeping good and ACURATE records of her cycle. For some of you who are detailed oriented, this will be a breeze. What I mean by this, is to invest in some tools (as mentioned earlier in the article) that will make it easier for you to recognize the changes in your body and when they occur. Such tools include a simple calendar or daily planner that is only used by you, preferably a daily planner so that you can make notes. Another good and very helpful tool is a fertility cart or ovulation chart. They both are one in the same. One reason I recommend having a planner as well as fertility chart is because if you lose one, more than likely you will have the other. But even more so, if you are on a special diet or taking certain fertility medications you can accurately record your activity. Sometimes even having a personal diary and writing down your thoughts and feelings can help with the anxiety you maybe feeling. The purpose of the fertility chart is to record your body’s activity such as when you started and completed your period, body temperature as well as a few other things, depending on how sophisticated your chart is. Writing things down on a daily basis and studying what changes take place and when over a few months will help you see what your body’s pattern is. 

Another sign that you need to pay attention to are the changes to your cervical mucus. Your mucus will change dramatically over the course of your monthly cycle. As you approach ovulation, your mucus will be clear instead of cloudy and with more elasticity (stringy) instead of flaky. For most women, right after ovulation they will see a significant decrease in discharge (meaning their cervical mucus). 

Now let’s talk about your body’s temperature. As women get closer to ovulation her temperature will suddenly rise at least .2 degrees and will last about three days. I recommend that you invest in basal thermometer from your local drugstore or Wal-Mart that can be purchased very inexpensively. Each morning as you awaken and before your feet hit the ground, take your temperature and record it in your planner or fertility chart. Again over the course of a month you will begin to see a pattern. 

As ovulation gets closer some women will also experience tender breast, mood swings, headaches, swelling and sudden sharp pains in the abdomen. All of these are signs that ovulation is approaching. 

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