The document discusses ovulation, menstrual cycles, and calculating a woman's fertile period. It explains that ovulation usually occurs between days 10-18 of a 28-day cycle. To calculate the fertile period, subtract 20 days from the total cycle length. The document recommends having intercourse daily or every other day from days 8-18 to maximize chances of conception without relying on ovulation prediction kits. It also notes that using this method of timing intercourse helped many of the author's patients achieve their goal of having a family.

1. Ovulation calendar

2. What is ovulation?
• The egg or oocyte is formed in the ovary of the female. It is housed in
a follicle in the ovary. The egg matures through the menstrual cycle.
When the egg is mature enough, it is ready for the next process of
reproduction – fertilisation. For this the egg has to come out of the
follicle and meet the sperm in fallopian tube. The process of release
of the egg from the follicle is called ovulation. Once the egg ovulates,
it is taken up by the fallopian tube.

3. What is the length of a menstrual cycle?
• The normal duration of a menstrual cycle is between 22-35 days. The
average menstrual cycle is about 28 days.
• The first half is called the follicular phase. This is when the egg grows
and ovulates. The cervical mucus starts to thin around the time of
ovulation. After ovulation occurs, it is the second half of the cycle and
is called the luteal phase.
• The second half of the cycle is a constant 14 days. The variation in the
menstrual cycle is attributable to the differences in the number of
days of the follicular phase.

4. When does ovulation occur?
• In a woman with a 28 day cycle, the ovulation is expected to happen
any day between day 10 – day 18. This is called the fertile period. This
period may vary depending on the length of the menstrual cycle but it
is easy to calculate.

5. How to calculate ovulation time or fertile period?
• The starting day of period is called day 1. All the calculations are from
this day. The fertile period depends on the length of the menstrual
cycle. If is a 28 day cycle, it is between 11-18 days. If it is a 30 day
cycle, it could be between days 13- 20 of menstrual cycle.
• As a rule of thumb, if you subtract 20 days from the menstrual cycle
length that would approximately be the start of the fertile period.
And usually the fertile period extends to about 7-10 days. As most
women would have a cycle length of 28-30 days, the easiest way
would be to consider day 8 – day 18 of the menstrual cycle as the
fertile period. Ovulation usually happens during this time.

6. How to make use of the fertile period?
• The fertile period as the name suggests is the period in which a
woman has the best possibility of getting pregnant. Hence it is
advisable to have intercourse daily or at least on alternate days during
this period.

7. How effective is the use of ovulation calendar?
• The possibility of a pregnancy is about 33% in each cycle in humans.
This is called fecundity. Following the ovulation calendar and using
the fertile period maximises the chances of conception in a couple
but is by no means a fool proof method.

8. Practical tips
• Ovulation calendar and fertile period is something I always suggest to my patients on a
regular basis. As in most fertility clinics I would ask patients to use LH kits to check for
ovulation and have timed intercourse. But over a period of time I observed that there
were quite a number of couples who came back and said that they were unable to have
intercourse around the time of LH detection in urine using the LH kits. One of the most
common reasons was that the male partner was stressed and hence could not perform
on that particular day. There was another difficulty couples faced. When asked to have
intercourse on a daily basis, the male partner again had difficulty in performing. The
moment this situation arises, the couple feel upset for two reasons – 1) they could not
use that particular cycle optimally 2) They are afraid that a new problem has risen.
• The first thing that I do when couples come in this situation is to reassure them that this
is quite normal for any person and that there is no need to be alarmed. Counselling is the
key. And it has always helped the couple to regain confidence in them
• With due course of time, I changed my protocol. I suggested to couples to have
intercourse daily or at least alternate days from day 8 – 18, without bothering about any
LH kits or ovulation. This has hugely helped my patients and needless to say that many
couples have achieved their dream of a family with this small step.

9. About the author Dr Priya Kannan
• Dr Priya Kannan, MMed MCE (Australia)
• Designation: Director of Embryology
• Dr Priya Kannan, after completion of MBBS in India, trained in Reproductive Health and
Human Genetics from University of Sydney, Australia and has also got a Masters Degree
in Clinical Embryology from the reputed Monash University, Australia. All throughout her
academic career, she has been a student of excellent calibre, bagging medals, awards and
research grants.
She has been practicing in the specialized fields of Infertility and Genetics since 2003. She
is a qualified Clinical Embryologist (the person who takes care and is in charge of the
wellbeing of the eggs, sperms and embryos in the IVF Laboratory). Her Expertise in the
field of Embryology is well known and she is on the Advisory board of many IVF Clinics
around the Country. Apart from Infertility and Genetics, her other special interests are
Adolescent health Care, PCOS and “NO-Hysterectomy” options for many gynaecological
conditions. She has also been trained in Ultrasound, not only in 2D but also in 3D and 4D
as well. She keeps herself abreast with all the recent innovations in her chosen fields of
interest.

10. She is also Assistant Professor in Medical Genetics in the Tamil
Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University and conducts free genetic
Clinic in Govt. RSRM Hospital on a weekly basis.
She is an active member of the Academy of Clinical
Embryologists of India (ACE) and is presently the Joint
Secretary of ACE, India. She is also active in FOGSI activities.
She is also the Director of GIFT academy, which conducts
teaching programs and regular courses in Reproductive
Medicine and Clinical Embryology.
She maintains her busy private practice as well as regularly
teaches medical and postgraduate students and presents papers
at national and international conferences. She is an avid teacher
and her passion for teaching embryology is evident by her
association with many courses around the country.
She combines her medical expertise with a compassionate,
caring and attentive approach to individual patients. Her patients
greatly appreciate her approachability, accessibility,
cheerfulness and friendly nature.

12. Blog: http://drpriyakannan.com
Websites: http://centrepointclinic.com
http://gfcindia.com