How Do I Calculate Menstrual Cycle Length

For all married women who are keen on conceiving and girls who've just joined the group of 'fertile women', this piece of information would be of great importance. The menstrual cycle that each woman undergoes is the most important aspect of femininity. However, this natural reproductive process becomes a major issue whenever women are encountered by it once a month. This holds especially true for women who are trying to get pregnant or those who are on birth control pills but simply do not know how to count their menstrual cycle or ones who are just not able to calculate due to the irregular periods. As a result, they end up having two periods in one month. Thus, keeping a track of the menstrual cycle and knowing when you ovulate can be of great help. Let's find out how you can calculate your menstrual cycle so that you can plan your next love making well in advance.

How Do I Calculate My Menstrual Cycle

- Note down the first day of your menstrual period and circle the date on the calendar. This date is regarded as day No. 1 in your menstrual cycle. Continue circling each date on the calendar during which you are having your periods.

- Mark all the dates that fall between the first day of your current period and the first day of your next period. To count the cycle, include the date before the next period and not the date of the period since this will be counted in the next menstrual cycle. For example, your periods start on June 3 and last for 5 days. Your next period starts on June 27. Count the number of days from June 3rd to June 26th, including both the dates. Since the next period starts on June 27, it will not be included as it starts a new cycle. Here, the menstrual cycle length is 24 days, irrespective of the duration of your periods.

- Generally, the normal length of a menstrual cycle is 28 days and can last from 3 to 7 days. However, depending from woman to woman, this cycle can be as long as 31 days and as short as 21 days.

- To find out the average menstrual cycle length, sum up all the individual cycle durations and divide it by the total number of cycles.

- But if you planning to get pregnant or avoid pregnancy, you need to calculate your ovulation cycle. Count 14 days from the first day of your menstrual cycle to get an idea of your ovulation day. This day is when you would ovulate. Though this is the general ovulation day, it can fluctuate a day before or after. So if you trying to have a baby, it is best to know your fertile days. Check out for signs, such as egg-white cervical mucous and a one-degree increase in basal body temperature to know the exact ovulation day.

Count 3 to 5 days before and 3 to 5 days after you ovulate. These are your fertile days when you can have sex with your partner and hope for getting pregnant. While the egg is active for only 24 hours, the sperm can live up to 3 to 5 days in the vagina. Now that you have a cycle length to work with, use your calculations to predict fertility more accurately and enjoy healthy sex.