Patient's question:
My wife's menstrual cycle is basically around 58 days. The last time she had her period was on September 9th, and the previous time was on November 4th. We are now trying to have a child. Could you please tell me how to roughly calculate the ovulation time with such a menstrual cycle?Doctor's answer:
Hello:Ovulation generally refers to the 14th day before the menstrual period.
The following methods can be used to detect it:
1. Cervical mucus observation method (must be done at a hospital).
2. Basal body temperature measurement method. That is: the temperature measured after the body has been asleep for a long time (usually in the morning) and before any activity or speech has occurred is the basal body temperature. Under normal circumstances, the basal body temperature of women of childbearing age is lower in the first half of the menstrual period and even lower during ovulation. After ovulation, it can suddenly or gradually rise by 0.3—0.6℃ within 24 hours to a few days.
Therefore, it is best to start measuring basal body temperature on the first day of menstruation, persist in measuring every day, and record it on coordinate paper for observation and analysis.
3. Menstrual date calculation method. That is: it is believed that each ovulation should occur around 14 days before the menstrual period, so the 5 days before ovulation to the 5 days after ovulation are called the "ovulation period." However, this method is not very reliable because most women do not have very regular menstrual cycles. Compared to the first two methods, this method is more reliable but also more troublesome. Here, we introduce a simple and relatively reliable calculation method, hoping it will be helpful to you.
The calculation formula is:
First day of ovulation period = Shortest menstrual cycle days minus 18 days
Last day of ovulation period = Longest menstrual cycle days minus 11 days
Before using this formula to calculate, it is required that the individual observe and record their menstrual cycle for 8 consecutive times to determine the longest days of their menstrual cycle.