ovulation

Supporting your mood holistically 

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IVF test

What is IVF, ICSI & IUI? 

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What is IVF, ICSI & IUI?

IVF, ICSI and IUI are common procedures that can assist you to have a baby when natural conception is not working. They are all very different fertility treatments, and clients always wonder which would be the best option for them.

What are the differences between IVF, ICSI and IUI?

IVF In-Vitro Fertilisation

What is IVF treatment?

IVF involves using fertility drugs to gently stimulate the ovaries to produce good quality mature eggs, which are then retrieved and fertilised in the clinic’s laboratory with sperm from your partner (or a donor). The Sperm and eggs are placed together in a special dish and eggs monitored for signs of fertilisation.

The embryo of greatest quality is selected for transfer, where it is then placed into the uterus to implant and grow for pregnancy.

Advantages of IVF treatment

IVF maximises the chance of fertilisation by placing eggs with sperm. Your clinic can select the embryo with the highest potential for pregnancy. Many clinics have an advanced embryo selection method, which include time-lapse monitoring and Preimplantation Genetic Screening. If you have more than one good embryo from your cycle, you can also choose to freeze the remainder to use in future treatment cycles if you so wish.

Why IVF may be advised

IVF is intended to overcome issues that can prevent sperm from fertilising an egg, such as fallopian tube issues (scaring or blockages). It may also be advised in some cases of unexplained infertility, or in mild ‘male factor’ fertility cases.

ICSI Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

What is ICSI?

Instead of sperm being mixed with the egg in the laboratory, the best single, healthy sperm is extracted from the sample and injected directly into the egg to fertilise it.

Advantages of ICSI

ICSI can help achieve pregnancy when male factor fertility issues are seen. Due to the sperm being injected directly into the egg it bypasses the other stages of early fertilisation. Only the best quality sperm is used for fertilisation, which is identified by an embryologist.

Why ICSI may be advised

ICSI is designed to overcome male fertility issues, such as

  • low sperm count
  • poor sperm mobility,
  • surgically-retrieved sperm
  • High levels of DNA damage.

IUI Intrauterine Insemination

What is IUI?

It involves inserting sperm (or donor sperm) into your uterus at the time you are ovulating, in the hope the egg is fertilised for pregnancy. This is often referred to as artificial insemination.

Advantages of IUI

IUI can be carried out with natural cycles, without using fertility drugs, relying on the egg you naturally ovulate that month. However, as the outcome of IUI closely mimics natural conception, you may need more than one insemination attempt to achieve pregnancy.

Why IUI may be advised

Those who need donor sperm to conceive choose IUI as it can be a quick, simple way to try to achieve pregnancy.

For IUI to be successful, fallopian tubes must be clear, sperm must be healthy, and an egg must be mature to fertilise. If you have irregular ovulation, fertility drugs can be used in combination with IUI. Otherwise, IVF may be advised as an alternative.

IVF, ICSI or IUI: Which is best?

The results of your fertility tests will help your fertility clinic decide which type of fertility treatment is best for you. An individualised approach is vital to give you the highest chance of success.

The clinic will take into account factors such as your medical history, age, and response to any previous cycles of treatment you may have previously had.   

You may be given the option to try IUI, or they may recommend you go straight to IVF or ICSI, if your partner’s semen analysis test reveals a sperm abnormality.

IVF cost

The cost of private treatment can vary, but 1 cycle of IVF can cost up to £5,000 or more. There may be additional costs for medicines, consultations and tests.

All treatment decisions should be made in consultation with you, so you’re fully aware of what your treatment path involves and your likely outcome, along with transparent costs.

Remember that everyone’s fertility journey is different, and what may be advised for one person may not be right for you.

Finding a fertility doctor near me

If you are asking yourself ‘How do I find IVF near me that is trustworthy’? Use this reputable link to choose a fertility clinic service that’s right for you. If you’re an NHS patient, use it to research the clinic you’ll be having treatment at.

https://www.hfea.gov.uk/choose-a-clinic/clinic-search/

thyroid-blog

How Your Female Hormones Affect Your Thyroid

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How Your Female Hormones Affect Your Thyroid

Do you suspect thyroid issues are behind your health concerns?

You couldn’t survive without your thyroid gland, so it’s worth looking after. It can be affected by many lifestyle factors– nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, stress and lack of sleep, as well as exposure to toxic metals and pollutants. But one unsuspected cause of thyroid issues can be an imbalance in female hormones.

How does your thyroid work?

The thyroid produces thyroxine, literally controlling how quickly your cells produce energy. Not enough thyroxine and the brakes are applied to your metabolism and everything becomes sluggish.

Your thyroid is asked to make thyroxine by your brain’s pituitary gland. This constantly measures the amount of thyroxine in your blood and sends a message to your thyroid to make more when levels drop. It’s a well-ordered system, but it’s not infallible.

Symptoms of low thyroid

  • Tiredness
  • Dry skin
  • Constipation
  • Weight gain
  • Feeling the cold

Because the gland affects every cell in your body, if it is not functioning well, it may cause a huge array of other symptoms. Some of these are very similar to those caused by female hormone imbalances, like irregular or heavy periods.

Oestrogen, Progesterone and Thyroxine

Inside your body, your hormones are constantly talking to and influencing one another, so if something affects one hormone, it will affect the others too.  Your female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone have a particularly close link with your thyroid, and they all affect each other.

Oestrogen Dominance

Thyroid health can be affected when oestrogen becomes excessively high compared to progesterone. Oestrogen tends to increase the levels of a protein-binding thyroxine, making it less accessible to cells and therefore less able to influence them. High oestrogen levels increase inflammation, impairing thyroid function, encourage antibodies to be produced against your thyroid and block the messages coming from your pituitary gland.

Progesterone on the other hand increases the availability of thyroxine by making sure it’s not bound up with protein.

Too much oestrogen relative to progesterone is called oestrogen dominance. This situation is very widespread, particularly in perimenopause, the period running up to menopause. At this stage in your life, you often won’t ovulate every month. If ovulation doesn’t happen, no progesterone is released in the second half of the month. Because progesterone prevents oestrogen levels from climbing too high, there’s then nothing to oppose oestrogen.

Environmental factors: the environment is awash with synthetic chemicals able to mimic oestrogen by latching onto cells’ oestrogen receptors and fooling them into thinking they’re your body’s oestrogen. These substances, found in plastics, personal care products and pollutants are considerably stronger than your natural oestrogen.

Stress: anxiety and tension can make oestrogen dominance worse because it steals progesterone, dominating oestrogen. An unhealthy gastro microbiome also tends to increase oestrogen levels because good gut bacteria can play an important role in excreting unwanted oestrogen. In a vicious cycle, when your thyroid is struggling you can’t process oestrogen well in your liver and gut, making oestrogen dominance worse.

Even though you don’t make as much oestrogen after menopause, it can still remain high relative to progesterone, especially if you’re stressed. Progesterone is made in your stress glands after menopause, and they won’t prioritise making it if they’re busy making stress hormones.

Functional Testing

Your GP may test your blood thyroid hormones, but these tests don’t always measure how much of the hormones are in an active form. So, it’s impossible to tell whether your hormones are affecting your cells in the way nature intended. Because not all thyroid issues show up on a GP’s blood test, it might look like there’s nothing wrong even though your symptoms shout otherwise.

To look at the whole picture, functional tests examine the levels of both your female hormones and your thyroid hormones and reveal the quantities of active and inactive hormones you’re producing.

Combine these test results with an in-depth consultation examining your nutritional status, lifestyle and health history and it becomes much clearer what’s behind your health issues. Only by understanding the route cause, we can make appropriate strategies to put things right. 

 Contact Me

blood-test

When to have your lab tests done?

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Getting your blood drawn at the appropriate time in the day and in your cycle can be really helpful, to determine what’s really going on in your body.

Some lab tests you should be fasting for, others don’t really matter if you have eaten or not.

Some of the lab tests recommended should be taken in the morning after fasting overnight, such as: blood glucose, insulin, and am cortisol. The cortisol is more a timing issue of taking the lab sample within 30-60 minutes (or as close as) of waking and not so much because you need to have fasted.

LH and FSH are helpful to look at during the beginning of your cycle. Day 3 is optimal.

Male hormones don’t change too much depending on your cycle. If they are elevated, they are typically elevated, doesn’t matter if you are on your period, ovulating, or about to bleed.

You really only make an appreciable amount of progesterone if you have ovulated or are pregnant. So, if you have it tested early in your cycle before ovulation would take place, it won’t tell us much. Likewise, if you have a longer cycle, more than 35 days, getting a day 21 progesterone won’t tell you anything more than you didn’t ovulate “yet”. I always recommend women get progesterone tested seven days after ovulation. See my blog on ‘The power of ovulation’ and ‘Truth about getting pregnant on day 14’

Getting any other tests done like oestrogen, prolactin, AMH, SHBG, vitamin D or vitamin B12…. these are also tests you can have taken any time. Something like oestrogen is helpful to know what point of your cycle you were in during testing, and based on symptoms, your practitioner might request it to be drawn at a specific time.

power-of-ovulation

The power of Ovulation

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Ovarian hormones, oestrogen, and progesterone are beneficial for health. This indicates natural ovulatory menstrual cycles are beneficial for health because ovulation is how women make hormones.

Men make testosterone every day, so you might think women do something similar, but we don’t. Instead, women make hormones as a surge of oestradiol leading up to ovulation and an even bigger surge of progesterone after ovulation.

It’s an elegant system that sometimes results in a baby. Even when ovulation does not result in a baby, it’s still worth doing because regular ovulation delivers the beneficial hormones that the body absolutely expects to have.

Benefits of ovulation

Every monthly dose of oestradiol promotes muscle gain, insulin sensitivity, and the long-term health of bones, brain, and the cardiovascular system.

Every monthly dose of progesterone reduces inflammation, regulates immune function, and supports the thyroid, brain, bones, and breast tissue.

The benefits of ovarian hormones are both short-term by making women stronger, and long-term by building metabolic reserve and health.

Obstacles to ovulation

Hormonal birth control

Hormonal birth control stops ovulation, which is, of course, its purpose. It switches off ovarian hormones and replaces them with contraceptive drugs like ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel which can cause hair loss and other side effects.

Tip: There’s no progesterone in any type of birth control.

The physiological difference between our actual hormones and the contraceptive drugs of birth control affects every system in the body. Compared to women who cycle, women who take contraceptive drugs have altered brain structure and a greater risk of depression and autoimmune disease.

Undereating (to include carbohydrates)

Losing ovulation and periods because of undereating is called hypothalamic amenorrhea. It’s not a disorder, but rather a smart, adaptive decision by the brain to pause reproduction when there’s not enough food to safely make a baby.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

The hormonal state of excess androgens or testosterone can cause anovulatory cycles (cycles with no ovulation) and is usually associated with insulin resistance. Reversing insulin resistance with diet, exercise, and natural supplements such as inositol can help to restore ovulation.

Tip: Before you embark on any kind of calorie-restricted or carb-restricted diet for PCOS, take care that your diagnosis was not based solely on an ultrasound or an AMH blood test. Those tests are not reliable and may have resulted in you being told you have PCOS when you actually have hypothalamic amenorrhea.

In conclusion, ovulation is so important for women of childbearing age, but not just to make a baby.

menstrual-cycle

The truth about getting pregnant on cycle day 14

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You do not need to ovulate on day 14 to get pregnant.

Only 10% of the population of women with a 28-day cycle even ovulate on day 14, this means a 21-day progesterone blood sample is likely to be misleading for many of us.

If you are ovulating you are likely doing so 10-14 days before the end of your cycle when your next period would start. That means if you have a 40-day cycle length, ovulation is most likely to occur between days 26 -30. If you have a 60-day cycle then it would be days 46 – 50. If you average 35 days, then you are likely to ovulate from day 21-25. See my blog on ‘Ovulation is what makes progesterone’.

I have seen plenty of women conceive when they ovulated late into a long cycle. If you have been told you don’t ovulate because your cycle is longer, then you were told something based on incomplete data. If you were told you don’t ovulate because they drew progesterone levels on day 21 of a longer cycle, the same thing applies.

So how can you tell if you are ovulating?

Many women move straight to ovulation predictor kits – also known as OPKs. This isn’t recommended for a few reasons, but especially for PCOS, where you can see a lot of false positives. I recommend instead learning what cervical mucus is and investing in a basal body temperature thermometer. Starting to collect data on the mucus your body makes and when your temps go up and down can literally tell us not only “if” you are ovulating, but also “when”.

You can ovulate with PCOS. Many of us can do so with a simple diet, lifestyle, and supplement tweaks. Many of us, it’s that simple to go from “infertile” to “fertile”, just getting us to ovulate. Then there are other things to learn, like how to time intercourse, how to support progesterone levels, and so on. But, be assured, you can get pregnant at different points in your cycle. Remember, it is possible to be a mum even if you have PCOS – I’m living proof and would love to support you on your journey.

ovulation-progesterone-blog

Ovulation is what makes progesterone

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If you have been told you have low progesterone, you may not be ovulating, or they may be testing you at the wrong time of your cycle.

Symptoms of low progesterone include:

  • irregular periods
  • spotting between periods
  • vaginal dryness
  • sore breasts
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • lack of sleep/insomnia
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Women regularly tell me that they have low or no progesterone, based on this they have been told they aren’t ovulating. Well, this may be true, but it also may not be the entire story.

To understand this, you have to understand when most medical tests for progesterone. The typical day for this is day 21 of your cycle. This is based on assuming you have a 28-day cycle. If you have a 28-day cycle you would ovulate sometime around day 14, so about a week later is day 21, and is the typical testing time.

Now, what does that mean for you?

Do you have a longer cycle? Longer than 35 days? Well, if they test a day 21 level, it will be 0 or very low, because either you haven’t ovulated yet or you may have just ovulated and not enough time for levels to increase.

So, what do I need to do?

Figure out when you are ovulating, request a “21-day progesterone level” and then go in 7 days after ovulation.

You may have low progesterone. You may not be ovulating, but if they told you that based on a 21-day progesterone, they may have just tested the wrong day.

Low progesterone is something that is common in PCOS. And arguably we could be talking about low progesterone because with PCOS you may just never ovulate or we could be talking about it because they tested the wrong time, or it is legitimately low after ovulation (which should then be addressed). It should be addressed whether you are trying to get pregnant or not because progesterone is so much more than a pregnancy-saving hormone, it promotes bone health, mental health, sleep quality, mood, and so much more.

maximising-fertility

Maximising my fertility

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Whether you want to get pregnant tomorrow or in a year, there are some actionable steps I can guide you with to maximize your fertility potential.

Lab work

It is never too soon to make sure your thyroid function is on point, inflammation is well managed, nutrients look good, hormones are in a healthy range, glucose is normal. This I can guide you through via your GP and functional testing.

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Start tracking your menstrual cycle

Depending on your goals, this could mean anything from tracking your cycle in an app to collecting all the information with basal body temperature and ovulation predictor kits. The more familiar you are with your unique patterns, the easier it will be to determine if something is off, and the quicker we will be able to zone in your fertile window. See my blog on ‘Do you know when you’re ovulating?’. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Focus on nutrient density

I can guide you each step of the way. As a rule, eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables is the best way to ensure broad-spectrum antioxidants, phytochemicals, and micronutrients. A Mediterranean-style food plan that is antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory, and full of healthy fats is a good choice for many people. During a 3 month programme, we will create a food plan together which is specifically tailored to you.

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Supporting your emotional mindset

You are deserving. You are capable. You are full enough to give to another. This journey can seem such an emotional rollercoaster, your note alone, I’ve been there and completely understand your pain. It doesn’t have to be this way, let me support you, as a Freedom Fertility Formula Specialist I am trained to support you with the emotional aspect of your journey. Freedom Formula Specialist

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Clean up your cleaners and beauty products.

One hormone that is very relevant to reproductive health is oestrogen and some chemicals (xenoestrogens), or foods and plants (phytoestrogens), mimic the action of oestrogen produced in cells and can alter hormonal activity.

Hormone disruptors get into our bodies when we breathe, eat, drink and have skin contact with them.  There is no way to avoid them entirely, but reducing your exposure to them to the extent that it is within your control should help.  Some of the worst offenders when it comes to hormone disruption are:

  • BPA Plastics- Bisphenol A (BPA) is commonly used in some plastic products such a food storage containers, plastic drinks bottles and linings of canned food, and
    Phthalates – used in cosmetics, fragrances and other personal products.

Emphasize non-toxic products – you are what you eat, breathe, and absorb.

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Supplementation

Nutrition is the key to laying down the foundations for the health of your conception, pregnancy and baby. Nutrients play an essential role in creating and maintaining healthy eggs and sperm that will go on to fertilise, implant and grow a healthy baby. There is so much conflicting advice around diet and supplements when trying for a baby naturally, together we can develop a personalised and targeted nutritional plan which includes supplementation that is right for you.

Together we can work towards nourishing that new life

endo-blog

Gut health and endometriosis

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Gut health and endometriosis

Key reasons why keeping your gut healthy is so important?

Weight management

Firmicuates, a classification of bacteria, are able to extract more calories from food, meaning if you have an overabundance, you may be storing fat, even if you’re not overeating. Fat tissue can be a source of inflammation with endo, as it can produce oestrogen. This in turn can contribute to more serve symptoms of endometriosis.

Mental health

Beneficial gut bacteria produce butyrate, which reduces anxiety and depression. Fermentation of some foods (high in sugar diet or high refined carbohydrate diet) result in the release of toxins and chemicals that make you feel foggy, groggy and fatigued – symptoms we don’t want to be indemnifying with endometriosis.

Protection

Having a healthy gut maintains a heath pH. Having a healthy pH prevents an overgrowth of toxin-producing bacteria that can be a source of inflammation (and pain) in endometriosis.

Healthy Hormones

An imbalance in the gut, common with low fibre diets and constipation, favours the reactivation of beta-glucuronidase. This is an enzyme that reactivates oestrogen otherwise destined for removal through the stools. Since oestrogen is a source of inflammation and can contribute to prefoliation of endometriosis, we want to be eliminating oestrogen as much as possible through daily stools.

Immunity

If the GALT – a communication system between the gut, nervous system, and immune system – is impacted by things like inflammation, this too impacts immunity. A dysfunctional immune system can result in serve and unpredictable symptoms of endometriosis.

Barrier Maintenance

A healthy gut prevents a leaky gut. When leaky gut occurs due to dysbiosis, gut inflammation, or stress, large molecules can enter the general circulation and promote an immune reaction. This in turn may contribute further to the immune system dysfunction we already experience with endometriosis, and intensify symptoms of autoimmunity, or results in the development of an auto-immune condition.

ovulation-blog

Factors that suppress ovulation

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There are many habits in our daily lives that can hinder ovulation and disrupt our cycles. But with simple adjustments, we can make a major difference in our fertility and future. Consider healthier alternatives to the following ovulation suppressing culprits: ⁠

1. Hormonal Birth Control: BC pills work by suppressing our natural production of hormones and preventing ovulation (i.e., stopping the release of eggs from the ovaries). But if we want to get pregnant, an egg must be present in the fallopian tube for the sperm to fertilize.

Consider non-hormonal birth control (such as the copper IUD) or utilizing fertility tracking apps⁠

2. Over-exercising: pushing your body to extreme exhaustion can increase cortisol (stress) hormones which can disrupt natural ovulation (one of the reasons gymnasts & marathon runners are notorious for not having periods).

Consider alternating low-intensity exercises like walking, Pilates, swimming, and yoga with cardio and strength training.

3. Chronic stress can affect ovulation by altering signals to the hypothalamus, the centre of the brain that regulates the hormones that trigger the ovaries to release eggs each month.

This is why regularly making time for self-care and stress management techniques (deep breathing, meditation, walks, journaling) is key.

4. Restrictive Diets: undereating, not consuming adequate nutrients and/or omitting entire food groups can lead to skipped ovulation and irregular/ absent periods. (Note: our female sex hormones need protein and healthy fats to regulate our cycles + feed fertility).

5. Cigarette Smoke is found to disrupt normal ovarian function, reducing the concentrations of key female sex hormones and the number of mature eggs that can be fertilized.

6. Excess Alcohol- heavy drinking can cause changes in ovulation, cycle regulation and ovarian reserves.

Do you know when you are ovulating?….

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The importance of tracking ovulation

Understanding and getting to know your cycles is so important, not only for women wishing to conceive but to understand your body even before you decide it’s time to start a family.

Monitoring our cycles can indicate when you’re most fertile and how that can change over the course of your menstrual cycle. For women which are ready to conceive, knowing when ovulation is approaching and being able to detect exactly when ovulation happens is key for maximising your chances of conception. Likewise, with the right training, monitoring your cycles correctly can support those who are trying to prevent pregnancy when taught correctly (rather than use synthetic birth control).

When trying to conceive, detecting ovulation is critical and this is a very short window after your period, where your egg is released and is the best time to try for a baby. To maximise your baby-making chances, it’s advised to have sex on the three days before you ovulate and on the day of (if you can!).

Detecting ovulation can be an incredibly detailed process or fairly easy depending on the tool chosen.

Methods to track ovulation explained

Ovulation Calculator 

An ovulation calculator is an easy and fast way to find out when you’re ovulating.  There are many websites that provide an ovulation calculator free of charge. You just need to enter the first day of your menstrual period and the length of your cycle (how many days are in your cycle) into the pre-programmed calculator. The ovulation calculator will then estimate your fertile days and is able to estimate your due date if you get pregnant during this time frame. However, if your periods are irregular, it’s wise to take your results with a pinch of salt.

Basal Body Temperature (BBT) 

You can time ovulation by charting your menstrual cycle.  Combining multiple methods of charting can greatly help you to determine if you are ovulating. Charting helps know if and when you may be ovulating, which will help you know the best time to conceive. In addition to detecting your most fertile days, it can help with the timing of your supplements or seed cycling, while also helping you keep on track. You can also monitor your progress. Keeping a chart, either written or online will help you to map out your entire cycle. This gives you a window into the inner workings of your fertility, especially your hormone fluctuation.

How do you use a BBT chart to detect ovulation?

This does require a little bit of dedication. You’ll need to use a digital BBT thermometer, a special type that tracks temperature changes to a tenth of a degree).

  • Take your temperature:

To create an accurate basal body temperature chart, take your temperature first thing every morning at the same time (plus or minus no more than 30 minutes). Use a digital BBT thermometer as soon as you wake up. You need to have had at least three to four straight hours of sleep before taking your temperature. If you stayed up all night, or you woke up and walked around at night repeatedly, it will throw off your results. Do it while you’re still lying down and resting before you do anything else — even sitting up, talking, or taking a sip of water, to not skew results. You should use the same thermometer throughout the cycle. (If you buy a new one, start using it on day one of the next cycle.)

  • Record your temperature:

Plot your temperature on the BBT chart or record the data in a BBT app. If you’re using a smart BBT thermometer, your temperature can be stored on your phone automatically. The higher your basal temperature, the more likely you are to be ovulating. Your BBT rises about half a degree immediately after ovulation, so if the increase has held steady for three days or more, it’s safe to assume that you’ve ovulated.

  • Look for a pattern:

Once you have been charting for a few months you should start to detect a pattern of temperatures which includes highs and lows. You can use this information to predict when you’ll ovulate during your next cycle. 

Ovulation usually happens a day or two before your BBT rises. (For instance, if your BBT increase happens on day 16 of your cycle each month, you’re probably ovulating on day 14 or 15.) Plan to have intercourse one or two days before, during, and after ovulation. (Sperm can hang around for a few days waiting for the egg to show up.)

Fertility Apps 

There are plenty of fertility apps available which can help you determine when the best time to try for a baby. Usually, you will need to input your BBT and your discharge changes. These apps will learn with your cycle – the more you use them, the better!

Tests are available that include a BBT thermometer and tracking mechanism. Examples include the Femometer Vinca and Natural Cycles. The most sophisticated among them include a Bluetooth thermometer and app that allow for easier tracking.

Simply using the thermometer you have at home and an ovulation-predicting app, may be a solution as well. Some apps include Kindara, Fertility Friend, Ovia, Glow, Flo, and Clue.

What if my cycles are irregular, have PCOS, or I work night shifts?

In addition to my personal experience with PCOS, I recommend you look into OvuSense, developed by fertility specialists for use in home and clinic. OvuSense technology is backed by 3 clinical studies, 9 peer-reviewed publications, and 10 patents. OvuSense is the only fertility monitoring solution on the market with full regulatory approval in USA (510k), Europe (CE), Canada, and Australia.

The OvuSense choices

If you’re looking for the ultimate in ovulation monitoring accuracy, or you know you have an ovulatory issue, OvuCore sensor might be the choice for you.

If you’re already talking to a doctor or functional practitioner or plan to see one soon, then adding the OvuSense Pro will help screen for common ovulatory issues and track any treatment you may receive.

  • Measure what matters

Unlike monitoring with luteinizing hormone (LH), by measuring the minute fluctuations in temperature caused by progesterone, OvuSense is able to both track when you are about to ovulate and confirm that you did. By measuring with OvuSense you don’t need to use other devices at home for your fertility tracking.

  • Tested and Trusted

I am living proof of this! In addition to implementing nutritional therapy, OvuSense was such a valuable part of my journey whilst trying to conceive, it took out so much guesswork. Apart from my personal success with OvuSense, many users (to include my clients) have been successful and have learnt so much about their bodies.

  • 8-day fertile window

OvuCore is ideal if you’ve been trying for some time, giving you 99% accuracy for confirming the exact day of ovulation, and also provides a full 8-day fertile window at the start of the next cycle.

  • Live 24-hour advance ovulation prediction

OvuSense offers a range of monitors from just starting out to remote monitoring by the clinic. The unique OvuCore sensor can be used to alert you up to 24-hours before you ovulate based on your in-cycle data, meaning it works even if you have irregular cycles or PCOS. OvuCore is clinically proven to correctly predict ovulation in cycle 96% of the time.

To find out more visit ovusense.com
If you are interested in this product please complete the signup form below and you will receive your 30% off discount code.

OvuSense 30% discount

Charting cervical mucus 

Before you started trying for a baby, you probably paid absolutely no attention to monthly changes in your vaginal discharge. But this is actually a very important sign that your body is ready to conceive. Your vaginal discharge changes from being cloudy and quite thick or even non-existent after your period to clear and slippery, increasing in volume and wateriness as you near ovulation.  What you’re looking for is the mucus that is a bit like raw egg white. An abundant watery mucus makes it easier for the sperm to swim up through the cervix to the waiting egg.

  • Ovulation predictor strips

These ovulation predictor tests are very similar to pregnancy tests, but instead of telling you if you are or aren’t pregnant, they tell you when you are ovulating. These test sticks or strips react with the urine, and you will get a result based on colour changes or digital readings. One of the hormones detected by these tests is luteinizing hormone (LH), which indicates your body is trying to release an egg.

Using an ovulation test kit to help pinpoint fertile times for conception may not give you reliable results if you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The problems with the accuracy of these tests for women with PCOS stems from what all PCOS challenges do—abnormal hormone levels.

It is important to note, if you have PCOS, you may have a constant high level or multiple peaks of luteinizing hormone or oestrogen for the expected peaks around ovulation. Therefore, results can falsely reflect whether or not you have ovulated.

  • Saliva ferning test;

Saliva ferning test is not well-known, but definitely worth a go for some women. This type of ovulation tracker is an at-home test that uses a microscope to check your saliva. It relies on a phenomenon in which dried saliva may form a fern-shaped pattern when your oestrogen level is high, as can happen around the time of ovulation.

If you have a consistently high level of oestrogen due to PCOS, this test may be even less likely to be useful for predicting ovulation.

Fertility Awareness Method (FAM)

The Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) offers a natural alternative to medical contraception methods that is both safe and very effective. The Fertility Awareness Method teaches women how to develop a deep awareness of their fertility by observing their personal menstrual cycles, identifying their most fertile time, all while committing to building a respectful relationship with their body. Rather than suppress and ignore the menstrual cycle, the goal with FAM is to teach women how to recognize their hormonal signals in order to become experts on their fertility. Appropriate training by a specialist is required.

What If You’re Not Ovulating?

One of the advantages of charting is you can see whether you are ovulating. Signs on your chart that may indicate that you’re not ovulating include…

• Irregular cycles

• Cycles that are abnormally long or short

• No sustained rise in temperature

• Extremely short “luteal phase” (like less than 9 days)

• No fertile cervical mucus days (though there may be other reasons for this)

If you’re not ovulating or you are ovulating irregularly, it may indicate a possible infertility risk. 

The good news is, in addition to seeking medical advice, as a fertility Nutritional Therapist, I can support you on a personal level in order to assist you on your journey whilst trying to conceive. I would love to be part of your journey. Contact me link

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