An unwanted pregnancy can cause many serious problems to your body, including stress, anxiety, and depression, especially if you are not socially, emotionally, or financially prepared to become a mother.
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How to Calculate Menstrual Cycle
There are various birth control measures that you can follow in order to have a safe intercourse.
However, determining your safe period days is the best and most reliable method of avoiding an unwanted pregnancy in a natural way. Here is how to make a safe period days calculation in order to protect yourself from getting pregnant.
How to Determine Your Safe Period Days?
The menstrual cycle is calculated from the first day of your period to the first day of your next period. Your safe period lasts from day 1 to day 7, as well as from day 21 to the end of the cycle.
During this period, the chances of getting pregnant are barely existent. Nevertheless, this period is not the same for every woman because it depends on the length of the menstrual cycle.
This method of calculating the safe period days can only be applied to women who have a regular menstrual cycle, one which lasts from 25 to 32 days.
If you are dealing with irregular period problems, you should avoid determining your safe period days because this method will fail to provide you with a correct calculation.
What Are the Stages of Your Menstrual Cycle?
Your menstrual cycle consists of three stages, pre-ovulatory or follicular stage, ovulation stage, and post-ovulatory or luteal stage.
The length of these three phases varies from one person to another, as well as from cycle to cycle. However, the average total duration should be 28 days. Knowing these three stages will help you to avoid an undesired pregnancy.
1. The Pre-Ovulatory or Follicular Phase
This phase occurs somewhere between day 2 and day 14 of the menstrual cycle when the body releases hormones which encourage a growth of the eggs in the ovaries.
The hormones are also responsible for thickening the uterus lining in order to receive a fertilized egg. The pre-ovulatory stage is controlled by the estradiol hormone.
2. The Ovulation Phase
This stage takes place in the middle of the menstrual cycle when a mature follicle releases an egg for fertilization. During this phase, the chances of getting pregnant are the highest.
3. The Post-Ovulatory or Luteal Phase
This is the last stage of your menstrual cycle, which starts after ovulation and ends either in the next menstrual cycle, or pregnancy.
During this phase, there is a formation of an endocrine structure called corpus luteum. This structure assists in the production of estrogen and progesterone, hormones that are essential for maintaining the inner coating of the uterus.
In an average menstrual cycle of 28 days, the ovulation occurs on the 14th day. If your cycle lasts from 26 to 32 days, it can occur between the 12th and the 19th day.
Nevertheless, the infertility period is dependent on the lifespans of the egg and the sperm. While the egg is alive for only 24 hours, the sperm can remain active for 3 to 5 days in the reproductive tract, meaning that there is a high pregnancy possibility if you have an unprotected intercourse five days before ovulation.