My cycle is 34 days. Is that normal? When do I ovulate? When is my fertile window?
This was a recent question that I received from a follower on my YouTube channel
Here was my answer to her:
Knowing when you ovulate is THE most important thing you need to know when trying to get pregnant. While there are many fertility apps out there, my video All About Ovulation simply and clearly explains how to calculate YOUR ovulation date.
We learn in school and in books that a woman's menstrual cycle is 28 days in length. The menstrual cycle is the time between the first day of one period to the first day of the next one. While 28 days is the average, each woman is different and for the woman who emailed me, her cycles are always 34 days in length. Even though they are longer than 28 days, the fact that her period always comes every 34 days means that there is a regularity to her menstrual cycle. This is a good sign.
The first step in calculating your ovulation day is to work out how long your menstrual cycle is. Once you have that, then you can move on to the next step. This follower already has a headstart because she knows that her period comes every 34 days. Based on that information, we can estimate that her ovulation day is 14 days BEFORE her period. Which means that if her cycle is 34 days in length, then ovulation is occurring on day 20 approximately (34 - 14 = 20)
Let's put this on a calendar. Let's say the reader got her period on September 2nd. If we count forward 20 days, we can estimate that she will ovulate on September 21st.
September 2nd = 1st day of menstrual cycle
September 3rd = 2nd day of menstrual cycle
......
September 21st = 20th day of menstrual cycle
Now for the important part. If you are trying to get pregnant, it is important to have sex a few days BEFORE ovulation, the day of ovulation and the day after. This is known as the fertile window.
So in this reader's case, her fertile window is September 16th to September 22nd. Remember, this is approximate as we can't know exactly when ovulation is occurring. However, this gives the reader a good idea of when to time intercourse. She could also opt to use an ovulation predictor kit (OPK) to confirm she is ovulating. In her case, I would recommend that she start testing around 5 days before she expects to ovulate.
Questions about ovulation or trying to conceive? Let me know in the comments below.
