Posts Tagged ‘Fallopian Tube’

Ovulation Predictor Kits – Find Your Window of Opportunity For Conception

Comments: 0September 22nd, 2011 by admin



Determining when you ovulate is made easier with the use of ovulation predictor kits — or ‘OPK’s’ for short. Of course, ovulation is essential for conception to occur!

Ovulation occurs when a ripe egg is released. Ideally for conception to occur, sperm should be ready and waiting for that egg — or at least arrive before the egg is gone. Using OPK’s helps to determine when ovulation will most likely occur during your cycle.

How Ovulation Predictor Kits Work

The egg is forced out of the fallopian tube with the assistance of a hormone, called luteinizing hormone (or LH). LH surges just before ovulation, and OPK’s detect this surge. Thus, if an LH surge is detected, ovulation will most likely occur within 12-36 hours.

Unlike charting your basal body temperature or cervical mucous, these kits PREDICT ovulation. Charting simply tells you that ovulation has just taken place. Charting is effective when it’s done for a few consecutive months to give an indication of what day during a woman’s cycle ovulation occurs.

Tips On Using Ovulation Predictor Kits

– It’s helpful to test daily at the same time every day, preferably in the early afternoon. If, for example, you measure one day in the morning, and then not until the late afternoon the next day, more than 24 has passed. The LH surge doesn’t last very long, so you may actually miss the surge if you let more than 24 hours pass;

– Test in the early afternoon – around 2pm is best. LH is usually produced in the morning, so you will be more likely to detect the LH surge in the afternoon;

– Start testing with ovulation predictor kits on approximately Day 8 of your cycle. If your cycle is long — such as 32 days or more — start testing around Day 11 or so. If your cycle is short — such as 21 days — start testing around Day 5. This will minimize the risk of missing the surge of LH.

Optimize Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant!

Don’t forget that once the LH surge is detected, ovulation will most likely occur within 12-36 hours.

This ovulation “window” is short — the unfertilized egg generally has a 24-hour life-span — and only happens once a month. It’s imperative to take advantage of this opportunity and have sex within this time frame.

Please note that it is possible not to ovulate on a given month, despite detecting an LH surge. Ovulation doesn’t necessarily happen every cycle. Also, there may be some women who don’t ovulate at all. This is something that should be followed up with a doctor.

Maximizing Chances of Conception With OPK’s

– If you start testing on Day 8, start having sex on Day 6 – a couple of days beforehand;

– Have sex every other day until your OPK turns positive. This will give your partner’s sperm a couple of days to build back up the next time you have intercourse, and it won’t dry out your cervical mucous;

– Start having sex every day for 3 days straight days once the LH surge is detected.

If you have intercourse just before you ovulate, sperm will already be present in your body when the egg is released. This is optimal for conception!

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3 Potential Ovarian Cancer Treatments

Comments: 0January 8th, 2011 by admin



Ovarian cancer is a condition that develops when the ovary cells start to grow in a rapid and uncontrollable way. This then leads to the formation of a cancerous tumour which can have a number of undesirable side effects including constipation and stomach pain. It is most prevalent in women aged 50 years and older and is very rare in young women. Fortunately, it is very treatable if caught early. In this article I will be discussing three of the possible ovary cancer treatments.

1) SURGERY:- Most ovarian cancers require surgery. If the cancer is contained within one ovary then the surgeon may be able to remove just that ovary and the connected fallopian tube. Following this type of surgery you will still be able to conceive as you will have one ovary and one fallopian tube remaining. However, if the ovary cancer has become more advanced then the you will need to have the womb, both ovaries and both fallopian tubes removed in a surgical procedure called a hysterectomy. Following a hysterectomy you will not be able to conceive and will enter the menopause immediately.

2) CHEMOTHERAPY:- This type of treatment involves using anti-cancer medication to shrink or kill the ovarian tumour. Chemotherapy is not as effective as surgery but is generally used to reduce the chances of the ovary cancer coming back after surgery. Unfortunately there are a number of side effects associated with this type of treatments including hair loss and vomiting. However, these side effects are only temporary and subside once the course of chemotherapy ends.

3) RADIOTHERAPY:- This type of treatment involves aiming high energy radiation beams at the ovarian tumour. Like chemotherapy, radiotherapy is not as effective as surgery but it is useful following surgery to reduce the chances of the ovarian cancer coming back. There are a number of side effects associated with radiotherapy including skin reactions and tiredness but these should disappear once the treatment ends.

I hope this article has given you an insight into the possible ovarian cancer treatments. If you have any reason to believe that you have contracted this condition then go and see your doctor right away. They will then be able to discuss your concerns, provide you with proper testing and if necessary go through the above treatments with you. Ovary cancer is a terrible disease but if caught in the early stages it can be treated very effectively.

Whilst every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative, it is intended for general information only. Ovarian cancer is a very serious, life threatening condition and you should discuss any concerns, treatments or lifestyle changes fully with your doctor.

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Signs of Ovulation

Comments: 0August 25th, 2010 by admin



Ovulation is what happens during the menstrual cycle, whereby an egg is released from the ovary, then travels through the fallopian tube, where it is then available to sperm in order to be fertilized. The ovulation of a woman is very important in order to understand pregnancy and the menstrual cycle. Having the knowledge of your ovulation period will assist you in becoming pregnant, along with understanding the correct time to test if you are pregnant.

There are a few ovulation signs that a woman can look for, when trying to decipher which day of their cycle starts their ovulation process.

Counting the days is the most popular and simplest way. For the average woman, the ovulation process occurs 14 days before the first day of their period. These 14 days are in actual fact a very good indicator as to when ovulation has started and does not generally vary largely between women. However, it can be difficult to indicate as to when your next ovulation will happen, as the time span between your period and next ovulation can vary enormously between women and also between cycles. Therefore, counting days is a very retrospective indicator.

The consistency of your cervical mucus can also be a sign of ovulation. Cervical Mucus Monitoring is one of the most instant ways in which to indicate whether a woman is ovulating or not. The cervical secretions can be tested by gathering a sample of the mucus that it present around the lips of your genitalia. This should be tested by placing the discharge between your index finger and thumb and stretching, to observe its consistency. The consistency of cervical mucus can in actual fact change after menstruation, immediately before ovulation, during and after ovulation. Therefore, looking at the consistency will be a sure way of predicting whether you are in your cycle.

Most women, at the beginning of their cycle, the days after menstruation, do not have cervical mucus that they can test and may also feel dry around their vulva. This is the period whereby women are less likely to conceive.

As the cycle advances, a discharge will again start to appear, which should be white or off-white in color. As this period advances before ovulation, the discharge will begin to have a more substantial consistency. This is when it can be tested between your finger and thumb, whereby it will not break immediately.

The cervical mucus will appear to be more opaque in color during ovulation, and it can be stretched a couple of centimeters when testing without resulting in breakage. This is also the period when the discharge is very abundant. When the cervical mucus is more substantial and most abundant, then a woman is at her peak of ovulation, which is the highest chance for conception.

It is after ovulation that the discharge will revert back to a state similar to that before ovulation and return to a dry state similar to immediately after menstruation. Once this has happened you should be very near to your next period.

One of the other signs of ovulation is the increase in your basal body temperature. Although this is yet another retrospective indicator, it is a very good predictor. It is just after your period of ovulation that your temperature can rise to approximately 0.4 to 0.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature will remain until the end of your cycle, rising up and down. However, the steep increase of temperature after ovulation is the indicator or such ovulation. It is advised to keep a log of your temperatures throughout a few cycles, so that you can begin to predict when your ovulation will begin.

You may also experience other signs of ovulation which include an increase in sex drive, tenderness of the breasts, bloating of the abdomen, heightened senses as well as an elevated level of LH (luteinizing hormone), which can be detected with the use of ovulation kits.

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3 Types of Ovarian Cancer Explained

Comments: 0November 10th, 2009 by admin



The ovaries are part of the female reproductive system. There are two ovaries (a left one and a right one) and when women get old enough to have children one of the ovaries releases an egg each month. These eggs then pass down the fallopian tube to the womb where they can be fertilised with sperm. If the eggs are not fertilised they exit the body during the woman’s monthly period. Aside from releasing eggs, the ovaries are also responsible for producing oestrogen and progesterone.

Ovarian cancer develops when something goes wrong with the cell division process in the ovaries causing them to grow in a rapid and uncontrollable way. It is the fourth most common type of cancer in females with around 7,000 women contracting it in the UK each year. This condition is most prevalent in menopausal women and is rarely diagnosed in women under 40. There are three main types of ovarian cancer and I will be discussing each of them in greater detail below.

1) EPITHELIAL OVARIAN CANCER:- This type of cancer occurs when the cells that line the ovaries (the epithelium) start to grow in a rapid, out of control way. Between 70% and 80% of ovary cancers are this type and it is almost always diagnosed in women who have been through the menopause.

2) GERM CELL OVARIAN CANCER:- This type of cancer develops when the germ cells (the cells responsible for making eggs) start to grow rapidly and uncontrollably. Approximately 15% of ovary cancers are this type and unlike the other forms of this disease, germ cell ovarian cancer normally affects younger women.

3) STROMAL OVARIAN CANCER:- This type of cancer develops when the connective tissues of the ovaries become cancerous and start to grow in a rapid, uncontrollable way. Between 5% and 10% of ovary cancers are this type. This variation normally only affects one of the two ovaries.

Although there are three main kinds of ovarian cancer the risk factors, symptoms, tests, treatments and survival rates are similar for each. Women who contract this type of cancer have a five year survival rate of around 75% if it stays within the ovaries although this drops to about 20% if the cancer spreads to other areas of the body. It is not known exactly what causes this disease but age, obesity and family history are all thought to have an influence. The symptoms of ovary cancer are often very mild or non-existent but when they do surface they include bloating, constipation and stomach pain. If you are diagnosed with this condition surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the three most common treatment options.

I hope this article has given you a brief overview of this condition. Whilst being diagnosed with cancer is never going to be a pleasant experience this type of cancer is very treatable if caught early. If you have any concerns regarding ovary cancer then go see your doctor and explain your concerns. They will be able to answer your questions and give you a professional, qualified opinion.

Whilst every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative, it is intended for general information only. Ovarian cancer is a very serious, life threatening condition and you should discuss any concerns, treatments or lifestyle changes fully with your doctor.

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Getting Pregnant During Ovulation – 5 Surefire Ways to Predict Your Ovulation Dates

Comments: 0June 3rd, 2009 by admin



Ovulation is the time during a woman’s menstrual cycle when an egg is released from an ovary and travels down the fallopian tube. Once the egg is released, there is a 24-hour period during which the egg is viable for fertilization. If sperm does not fertilize the egg during that time, conception will not occur. Therefore, the most important task in timing a planned pregnancy is to predict the dates you are going to ovulate. Because you do not have a window into your uterus, you can’t see when that egg has been released. However, there are some pretty accurate methods to figuring out when you will be ovulating.

Ovulation Predictor #1 – Count the Days
Women with regular periods can predict their dates of ovulation fairly accurately. Usually, ovulation occurs 10 to 14 days after a woman begins the first day of her period. Marking down day one of the start of your period and then counting 10 to 14 days after that is the simplest way to predict when you are going to ovulate.

Ovulation Predictor #2 – Take a Home Test
Your local pharmacies now carry ovulation predictor tests. They work in much the same way as a pregnancy test does. You hold a stick in your urine stream and the stick will then give you a positive or negative ovulation result. These tests are useful if you have fairly regular cycles and you want extra reassurance for scheduling intercourse for conception. You take a test around the time that you think you are ovulating, and the test can confirm your prediction. However, the accuracy of these tests sometimes leaves something to be desired, as they can provide false negatives. Additionally, the ovulation predictor tests can be very costly if your cycles are irregular and you have no idea approximately when you will ovulate.

Ovulation Predictor #3 – Check Your Basal Body Temperature
Taking your basal body temperature with a basal thermometer is a more accurate and less expensive way of predicting ovulation. Basal thermometers are inexpensive and can be purchased at pharmacies. Because basal temperatures rise ever so slightly, you cannot monitor them with a regular thermometer. Take your temperature as soon as you wake in the morning, and keep track of the daily recordings. When you see the temperatures start to rise you’ll know that you are getting close to ovulating.

Ovulation Predictor #4 – Note Any Type of Body Discomfort
Many women can feel a change in their bodies when they are getting ready to ovulate. Some women can feel a slight swelling in their ovaries when they gently press on that area. Other women feel a slightly uncomfortable, bloating-type of feeling when they are getting ready to ovulate. If you fall into this category, consider yourself somewhat lucky because you can tell without a whole lot of effort when you are ovulating.

Ovulation Predictor #5 – Evaluate Your Cervical Mucus
While this may be the least desirable of the prediction methods, many women are convinced this is the best way to predict ovulation. When you are close to ovulation, the cervical mucus changes in consistency. It will go from cloudy to clear and it will become stretchy. If you check the mucus every day, you will become skilled at noting the changes and you can tell when you are ovulating.

Predicting ovulation cannot always be done with 100% accuracy, but you can get close to determining the dates so that you can time your intercourse and massively increase your chances of pregnancy faster!

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