Tracking ovulation may not be as easy as you think

跟踪排卵也许并非像你想的那么简单

1. Your cycle may change from month to month.

1、你的周期可能每个月都会变

The length of a normal menstrual cycle varies from 28 to about 36 days. These variations are based on a number of factors, including your natural body rhythms, stress levels, and weight gain or loss. Ironically, the stress of trying to conceive may throw your cycles off kilter. Monitoring your cycle through ovulation predictor kits (OPKs), charting basal body temperature (BBT), and/or examining cervical mucus can greatly increase your odds of becoming pregnant during a particular cycle.

正常月经周期的长度是28天到36天不等。这些变化基于很多因素，包括你的自然机体节律、压力水平、体重的增加或减少。具有讽刺意味的是，尝试怀孕的压力可能让你周期失衡。通过使用周期排卵预测工具(OPKs)监控你的周期、绘制图标记录基础体温(BBT)以及检查宫颈粘液可以在一个特定的周期里大大增加你怀孕的几率。

2. All cycles are not created equal.

2、所有的周期并非都是相同的

Even if you menstruate every 28 days without fail (and few women do), there's no guarantee that you'll ovulate exactly midway through your cycle. In fact, women with 28-day cycles may ovulate anywhere from day 12 to day 16 -- or, occasionally, not at all.

即使你月经周期从来都是28天(一些女性是这样的)，但不能保证恰恰在你月经周期的中间排卵。事实上，月经周期是28天的女性，其排卵日期可能是从第12天到16天的任何一天——或者，偶尔根本不排卵。

3. You're only fertile for 12 to 24 hours.

3、你的受精时间只有12到24小时

Once you ovulate, there's a small window of opportunity -- roughly 12 to 24 hours -- before the egg degenerates and is reabsorbed into your body. Fertilization must occur within this period. Yet sperm, which live for two to three days, can take eight hours or more to swim up the cervix and rendezvous with the waiting egg. (Like men, they're not always punctual!) Or the sperm can be waiting for the egg when it comes down. Monitoring your cycle helps you predict when you're going to ovulate at least 24 to 36 hours in advance, giving you more time to get the sperm started on their journey.

一旦排卵，其在卵子退化并被身体重新吸收前的有效期非常短——大约12到24小时。必须在这段时间内进行受精。而精子能存活2到3天，它要花费八个小时或更多的时间游到子宫去和等待的卵子会合——就像男人，他们并不总是守时!或精子等待还没到来的卵子。监测你的生理周期可以帮你提前至少23-36个小时预测你将何时排卵，从而给你更多的时间让精子开始他们的旅程。

4. You may have a short luteal phase.

4、你可能有一个短的黄体期

The second half of your menstrual cycle -- between the day you ovulate and your next period -- is called the luteal phase. Although the normal length of this phase is 12 to 16 days, for some women it is much shorter. If your luteal phase is shorter than this, you will need drug therapy to increase it before you can successfully get pregnant.

你月经周期的后半部分——在你排卵到你下一周期之间——被称为黄体期。虽然这个阶段的正常长度是12到16天，但对一些女性来说这个周期要短得多。如果你的黄体期短于这个时间，在你成功怀孕之前需要药物治疗来增加时长。

5. Cervical mucus may help -- or hinder.

5、宫颈粘液既可能帮助你也可能阻碍你

Cervical mucus (the vaginal discharge that accompanies ovulation) varies in consistency and appearance, from thick and cloudy to clear and elastic. In order to provide a fertile environment for the sperm, mucus should have the consistency of egg whites: clear, slippery, and slightly stretchy. It's important to monitor your cervical mucus around the time you ovulate and plan intercourse accordingly.

宫颈粘液(排卵附带的阴道分泌物)的粘稠度和外观总是变化，从既厚且浑浊到既清亮又富有弹性。为了为精子提供一个受精环境，粘液应该同卵蛋白拥有相同的特性：清亮、光滑并且有点弹性。在你排卵期和准备性交时，相应地监控宫颈粘液很重要。