Understanding when you are ovulating is the foundation of efficient TTC. There are several methods available, some high-tech, some low-tech, and all of them useful in different situations. Here is how they work and which might suit you best.

Method 1: Calendar tracking (basal method)

If your cycles are regular, you can estimate your ovulation by subtracting 14 days from the expected start of your next period. If your cycle is 30 days long, ovulation is likely around day 16. If it is 26 days, around day 12.

This is the simplest method but also the least reliable for women with irregular cycles. It works as a rough guide alongside other methods but should not be used alone.

Method 2: Basal body temperature (BBT) charting

Your resting body temperature rises by approximately 0.2–0.5°C after ovulation, due to the progesterone released by the corpus luteum. By tracking this temperature every morning before getting up — using a basal thermometer, which is more sensitive than a standard one — you build a picture of your cycle over several months.

• Take your temperature at the same time every morning, before any movement, after at least 3 hours of sleep.
• Record the reading in a dedicated app (Kindara, Fertility Friend, or a simple spreadsheet) to see the pattern emerge.
• BBT charting tells you that you have ovulated after the fact — the temperature rise confirms ovulation has occurred. It is most useful for understanding your pattern over several months, not for pinpointing the fertile window in real time.
• Accuracy is affected by illness, alcohol, disturbed sleep, travel, and stress — all of which can cause anomalous readings.

Method 3: Ovulation predictor kits (OPKs)

Ovulation predictor kits detect the surge of luteinising hormone (LH) that precedes ovulation by approximately 24–36 hours. A positive OPK tells you that your LH has surged and ovulation is imminent.

• Available at Mauritius pharmacies and online. Strip-based OPKs (less expensive) and digital OPKs (easier to interpret) are both effective.
• Test from approximately day 10 of your cycle (earlier for shorter cycles), once or twice daily.
• A positive result means ovulation is likely in the next 24–36 hours — this is your cue to have sex in the next 1–2 days.
• Women with PCOS may have persistently elevated LH, which can cause false positives with standard OPKs. Advanced digital monitors that measure both LH and oestrogen may be more useful.

Method 4: Cervical mucus observation

Your cervical mucus changes predictably throughout your cycle in response to oestrogen and progesterone. Learning to observe and interpret these changes — called the Billings Method or Creighton Model — gives you a real-time indicator of your fertility status.

• After your period ends: dry or minimal discharge.
• As oestrogen rises toward ovulation: mucus increases and becomes creamy, white, and opaque.
• At peak fertility: mucus is clear, slippery, and stretchy — often described as resembling raw egg white. This is your most fertile mucus. Ovulation typically occurs on the last day of this type of mucus or the day after.
• After ovulation: mucus becomes thick, sticky, and opaque again as progesterone rises.

Cervical mucus observation takes practice and a few cycles to understand your personal pattern. It is free, requires no equipment, and (once learned) is one of the most accurate natural fertility awareness methods available.