Though many couples will be able to conceive by simply having sex on a regular basis, those with fertility problems or who have had issues trying to conceive should begin by tracking ovulation. There are a few different methods to determine your ovulation date, some of which are more accurate than others. It may take a few months of tracking your menstrual cycles before a clear idea of your ovulation date begins to emerge, though if your monthly cycle is fairly regular, it is much easier.
One of the simplest ways to discover your ovulation date is to count backward two weeks from the day you expect your period to start. For this to work, you need to know how long your cycles are; some women may have a 28-day cycle, while others have shorter or longer cycles. This is more effective than counting up 14 days from the start of your period, since everyone's cycle is a different length, and not everyone ovulates on the 14th day. A woman can also predict her ovulation date by observing the consistency of the cervical mucus, which will change into an egg-white consistency around the time of ovulation.
Another common method is the basal body temperature method. To determine your ovulation date this way, it is necessary to purchase a basal body thermometer, and take your temperature every day when you wake up, before even getting out of bed. Keep a chart listing your temperature, which should remain relatively the same for most of the month.
Your body temperature will then rise abruptly, by up to approximately 0.4 to 0.8 degrees, immediately after ovulation. It will remain at that higher temperature until your period, when it will drop back down. Tracking basal body temperature for a few months will allow you to see at what point in the month you ovulate, or even if you ovulate at all. Additionally, if conception has taken place, the temperature will remain higher, which can be the first indication of pregnancy.
In addition to these methods, ovulation testing strips and other types of fertility monitors can be found in drugstores. These predict ovulation through a daily urine test that tracks the level of hormones in the body. For this method to work, it is best to have a general idea of when you expect to start ovulating, because it is necessary to take the tests over the span of a few days.