The Importance of Cycle Tracking to Successfully Conceive

I know how exhausting it is to feel like you’re doing everything right and still getting negative tests. When I was trying to get pregnant, it felt like my body was failing me every month. Like I was missing something, some critical clue.

Truth is, many of us never really got a full education on our reproductive health. And what we did learn? It was probably more about how not to get pregnant. Not how to make it happen when your heart is ready, but your body isn’t cooperating.

So, let’s rewind and relearn some of the most important things you should know.

You can only get pregnant during your fertile window.

You’ve probably heard this before, but it bears repeating: You can only get pregnant during ovulation, and that window is surprisingly brief– about three days– and can be elusive. Even more elusive is the fact that, within those 3 days, there are only 24 hours when the egg is viable.

Here’s where it gets tricky: our bodies aren’t robots. Even if you have a “regular” cycle, ovulation can shift month to month. That’s why tracking your cycle isn’t just helpful, it’s essential.

That means even the best insemination kit or the most loving, well-timed sex won’t work if it doesn’t line up with those 24 hours of egg viability.

It all comes down to one egg.

When you ovulate, your body releases one precious egg. It only lives for about 24 hours. That means sperm have to be there at the right time to meet it.

This tiny 24-hour window is part of a larger “fertile window” (usually about 3 days) that includes the lead-up to ovulation. This is because sperm can survive inside you for up to five days, but only if they reach the cervical mucus. If they come in contact with the vaginal microbiome they will die very quickly. In fact, only 1% of sperm get there naturally. That’s why we provide 3 attempts in our at-home insemination kit– we want to ensure you have sperm closer to the egg covering your entire fertile window, including those 24 hours when it matters most.

Okay, so how do you track your cycle?

1. The Calendar Method (Good Place to Start)

This is the first step that everyone should be doing at a minimum.

What to do:

Mark the first day of your period each month on a calendar - the first day of your period (not the last day) is called Cycle Day 1.
Count the days between periods– that’s your cycle length.
Write down any symptoms you are having throughout the cycle. This can be headaches, cramping, or anything else that might give us clues into your unique cycle.

2. Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs)

These test your pee for luteinizing hormone (LH), which peaks 12-30 hours before you ovulate.

What to do:

Start testing at least once a day on day 5 of your cycle. These are my current favorite LH tests.
As you start to see the line darken, test 3 times a day.
When the test line is as dark as the control line, you are close to or at your LH peak. The next three days are your most fertile, and somewhere in that time is your 24-hour window of egg viability. That’s why I recommend having sex or using one PherDal syringe per day to inseminate these crucial three days.
Keep testing–one positive doesn’t mean it’s your peak. Everyone’s “peak” is a different shade of dark, so keep testing to ensure you don’t have a secondary peak.

3. Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

Your body temp actually rises slightly (0.5 – 1.0 degrees) after ovulation, but there is a huge catch to using this method–it’s almost impossible to consistently do correctly on your own.

What to do:

You need a special BBT thermometer that can measure your temperature to the tenth of a degree and needs to be taken under your tongue before you sit up out of bed in the morning.
Chart it daily – you'll start to see a pattern emerge.
You can use apps or graph paper to spot your ovulation window.

Good to know: BBT won’t predict ovulation, but it helps confirm it after the fact, which is useful for planning future cycles. It’s important to know that it is incredibly difficult to accurately predict ovulation based on temperature, so it’s important to use other methods.

4. Cervical Mucus Monitoring

Yep, we’re going there. It’s a little personal, but powerful.

What to do:

Before you go there, a quick heads up: If you can’t feel your cervix, you might have a tilted cervix. This is a common condition that can make it difficult for you to feel your cervical position; another method might be better for you.
Check your cervical mucus daily. Make sure your hands have been thoroughly washed.
When it becomes clear, stretchy, and slippery (like egg whites), you’re likely ovulating soon.

Why it works: This type of mucus helps sperm survive and swim; it’s your body’s way of saying “now’s the time.”

So which ovulation tracking method is best?

Honestly? The one that works for you.

Some people combine multiple methods (such as OPKs and mucus), while others keep it simple. There’s no one-size-fits-all here. There’s only what feels manageable, informative, and doable.

And if you want a deeper dive, our Ovulation Tracking Course walks you through all of this, step by step.

Why I Created PherDal

I started PherDal as a woman who cried after over a year of negative tests. As someone who was diagnosed with unexplained infertility and handed a loan application instead of answers.

So I took my science brain and engineering husband, and created PherDal:

The only 100% sterile, FDA-cleared intracervical insemination kit
Designed to pair with cycle tracking
Safe, simple, and used right at home

PherDal isn’t a miracle. But it’s a tool. One backed by science and born from real-life experience.

I know how heavy this can feel. How each cycle comes with a flicker of hope, and the fear of getting crushed again. But understanding your cycle isn’t just about timing; it’s about taking back a little control when so much feels uncertain.

So if you’re here, learning, trying, hoping… I see you. I’ve been you.

You are not behind. You are not broken. You are not alone.

Here’s an action plan to move forward:

Pick one tracking method to start this cycle, and commit to it.
Track your fertile window consistently for 2–3 months. This doesn’t mean you can’t start trying to conceive. This is simply a step to take simultaneously.
Time your insemination or intimacy during that fertile window.
Be kind to yourself. This journey isn’t linear, and knowledge is power.