What is your fertile window?
(And how to understand what it's telling you)

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6 days. You're fertile for only 6 days of your entire cycle every month. 

That's it! 

I imagine you may have heard that before somewhere, especially if you've been on a fertility journey or practiced Fertility Awareness / cycle tracking in any form. 

It's probably the most important part of the cycle to be aware of... but what IS it exactly? 

What's happening in the body in that time?

And why is it important, even if you're not trying to conceive?

The truth is your cycle is a vital sign.

And your fertile window is one of the markers that give information about what the heck is going on "down there" and also overall in your menstrual cycle, your hormones, and even your whole body health. 

The fertile window is often characterized by an abundance of cervical mucus for 5 days leading up to and on the day of ovulation. 

It's a time that is FULL of sensual energy, because you're likely to experience the natural lubrication of your vaginal tissues, and you're often more oriented towards desire and connection with others. 

It's also a window into how healthy your estrogen levels are, and how your body is changing over time. 

And because it has SO MUCH to do with ovulation, it's also impacted by everything from stress to travel to blood sugar dysregulation to prolactin levels to thyroid function. 

Because it's ALL connected. 

Even though it's talked about a lot, I still think the interconnection of all our systems (and particularly the interweaving of our hormones) is underrated.

Which is why I see the fertile window as a powerful mirror of your whole body health.

I share all about this, and wax poetic about my love of cycle tracking, in this episode.

Listen to learn:

• what the fertile window is (actually)
• why cervical mucus does NOT equal fertile window
• how different fertile windows can be person to person
• why it's important to start tracking your fertile window if you're not already
• what other body systems / imbalances may impact ovulation
• why you can't count on apps or charts online to tell you when you're fertile
• some nerdy studies I found on the topic of the fertile window and cervical mucus

Resources:

• Want to learn more? Save your spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlist
• Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (+ benefits)
• Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
• Episode 78: Your cycle superpowers
• Episode 98: All about your cervix

References (research)

Davoudi Z, Araghi F, Vahedi M, Mokhtari N, & Gheisari M. (2021). Prolactin level in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): An approach to the diagnosis and management. Acta Biomed., 92(5), e2021291. doi: 10.23750/abm.v92i5.9866.

Ecochard R, Duterque O, Leiva R, Bouchard T, & Vigil P. (2015). Self-identification of the clinical fertile window and the ovulation period. Fertil Steril., 103(5), 1319-25.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.01.031.

Najmabadi S, Schliep K, Simonsen S, Porucznik C, Egger M, & Stanford J. (2021). Cervical mucus patterns and the fertile window in women without known subfertility: a pooled analysis of three cohorts. Hum Reprod., 36(7), 1784-1795. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deab049.

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.

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Learn to track your cycle and listen to your own body wisdom - Track Your Cycle Simply in 3 Easy Steps Guide (click here)  

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