It's a great practice for couples to know how to track a fertility cycle if you want to be pregnant soon, or even if you are not ready quite yet. You need not just to know your own self or body but also to get into the habit of being patient and disciplined.

• Be patient. If you want to identify your pattern, you must follow these steps from 3 months or so until you can see the pattern.

• You also have to discipline yourself too.

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using the information presented here.

Family planning is good for every family especially now that most countries are encountering financial crisis. In some places, people are not aware of using contraceptives and just measure the days in their fertility cycle. If you want to conceive, you must also be aware of when is the right time by following the rhythmic cycle of your fertility. In some cases, this doesn't work because they fail at one step or so.

Tracking your own fertility cycle is a serious matter. In order to prevent miscalculation and error, follow the simple steps below.

1. A Basal body temperature thermometer (ordinary clinic thermometers won't work). This can be helpful in checking your temperature.
2. Calendar or planner. You can use this to jot down notes about your cycle or write some marks or other information that could help you.

For most women, each cycle consists of 29 days starting from the first day of menstruation. A women would not be able to conceive for the first 14 days for each cycle. BUT this happens for those who have normal cycles. There are people who have irregular cycles. If you have irregular menstruation, then it means you fall for the other category and the one specified won't work on you. Here's where researching comes in.

Research about your cycle. Try to count the days on your last menstrual cycle. When did you last have your menstruation? If you didn't have the next one on the 29th day, then this count how many days it passed. Then if next month you still got the same number then good. Now you know how many days your cycle goes on. But if you have irregular days of cycle, then we'll try other alternatives.

For the women who have normal cycles, after the 14th day of your cycle, your ovulation will start. Using the Basal body temperature thermometer, measure your temperature during these days especially those who doesn't have a regular cycle. Sometimes the post-ovulation temperature increase is less than 0.1 degrees.

To get the most accurate body temperature, measure it as soon as you wake up just before you get out of bed.

Everyday, check your other fertility signs like your cervical mucous. You can just look on your toilet paper after wiping. To be sure, check internally if you can.

With your calendar or planner, mark dates such as your last period, when it ended, where you have different body temperature (though you're not sick), as well as when you excrete cervical mucous. You can also use online calendar and applications such as FertilityFriend.com to guide you.

If you'll be tracking your cycle for how many months, you'll notice a particular pattern. Once you do, this could serve as your guide on your monthly cycle. This will help you one, know when you can conceive a child, and two, know when is the right time for a sexual intercourse if you are not ready to be pregnant.