Yoga and Pregnancy

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Congratulations on your decision to get pregnant! Trying to conceive (TTC) is an exciting process, but there are some things you should know about ovulation cycles in order to predict your ovulation and maximize your chances of getting pregnant.

Generally, we start counting a menstrual cycle from the first day of your period, so that would be Cycle Day 1 (CD1). For several days your body will be shedding the uterine linings that were built up in the previous cycle in preparation for a possible embryo; since you didn’t yet get pregnant, that lining is now going away in the form of your menstrual flow so you can start fresh.

Ovulation gets triggered by the release of a hormone called the Lutenizing Hormone, often abbreviated as LH. The level of LH increases dramatically previous to ovulation, so most ovulation tests check for ovulation by testing the level of LH in your blood stream via proxies such as urine or saliva, thus the “pee sticks”. An egg then gets released from the ovary 12-24 hours after the LH surge, so monitoring the hormone levels is a good way of predicting when the ovulation will occur.

Charting, which involves checking the basal (resting) temperature of the woman as soon as she wakes up, preferably at the same time every day, also relies on the changes in the normal body temperature related to the hormone levels for indications of ovulation. However, as the fluctuations involved is rather small, usually only a degree or two at the most, it can be difficult to accurately read the charts.

When are you most fertile? Well, the sperm can survive in a woman’s body for up to 3 days, so it is possible for you to get pregnant anytime from 2 days before ovulation occurs until about 3 days later. This means that well-timed sex during those five days can maximize the chances for getting pregnant. During that time the mature egg is traveling on its way from the ovary down to the uterus; too early and the sperm won’t be around when the egg is ripe, too late and your body will be ready to clean house again with the next menstrual period.

Predicting your ovulation can be a complicated and frustrating process if you are not used to it or if your body doesn’t behave 100% like the textbook says, so for an easier way to determine your fertility level, you may want to consider a digital ovulation predictor such as the Clearblue Fertility Monitor that will do all the thinking for you.

Click here to purchase "The Yoga Tutor", which is an innovative 21 lesson online training program. It has been designed to help you learn the fundamentals and benefits of yoga and to build confidence in the practice of Yoga... at home, work, or anywhere you like.