The Nest

Normal is relative, but when it comes to your period there are six phases that are considered part of a healthy and regular cycle.

Some may only be tipped off to a potential pregnancy by their missing menstrual period, while others might notice multiple symptoms or new discomfort.

It’s possible to have PCOS and still regularly ovulate (reflected by regular cycles), but this isn’t the case for a lot of people, which can make tracking ovulation complicated.

While there’s no single guaranteed indicator of fertility (and remember, it takes good healthy sperm, too!), here are seven things to look out for.

The luteal phase is the second half of a menstrual cycle, from ovulation until the day before your next period starts—and a defect in the luteal phase can impact fertility.

If you’re trying to get pregnant, knowing when you ovulate—the once-per-cycle event when the egg is released—is key. Otherwise, you leave the meet-up between egg and sperm to chance.

If you’re trying to get pregnant, a handy skill you’ll want to nail down is the ability to figure out when you’re ovulating.