Image from Unsplash/Joey Thompson

It’s easier than you think…

If our bodies ran like clockwork, the contraception industry would go bang. Unfortunately, keeping track of when your egg pops out each month is pretty hit and miss. Here are some ways you can predict if you are in your fertile phase, but only using a reliable contraception will have you really covered…

But most women feel pretty secure knowing that when their period comes each month they can indulge their desires knowing that baby-making is off the cards. Here’s the catch: “A post-coital bleed or an ovulation bleed can sometimes be mistaken for a light period,” says fertility specialist Dr Sascha Edelstein.

Track Your Temperature

By taking your temperature over a couple of months (using a sensitive ovulation thermometer, available from chemists), you’ll be able to get a better picture of when you ovulate each month. Plot these (www.fertilityfriend.com offers a great service), and you’ll soon know when your safer days are.

READ MORE: The Crazy Thing You Didn’t Know The Pill Could Do

Use An Ovulation Predictor Kit

These pee-on-a-stick gadgets work the same way as preggie tests, but will tell you when you’re ovulating. Use them for the few days before you anticipate ovulating and track when you get a positive. Again, after a few months you’ll get a broad idea of your fertile period.

Watch For Changes In Your Cervical Mucus

A little bit of a messy method, but it’s low-tech and cheap. As your body gets ready to ovulate, it produces a thin, clear cervical mucus, a substance that smoothes the way for the sperm to meet the egg. On your days just before ovulation, it will become clear, stretchy and slippery. After ovulation, it becomes thicker, then gradually dries up.

Expecting but still working out? Here here 6 things to know if you’re pregnant and exercising.