Fertility is a strange thing. When we are teenagers, hearing that a friend is pregnant is the worst news ever. When we are 20 years old, we dedicate ourselves to taking contraceptives to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.
Then suddenly we're trying to get pregnant and fertility concerns are everything, in the opposite direction. Suddenly, we hope to be as fertile as possible.
So how can you know (beyond the obvious) how fertile you are and whether or not you're ready to be? Below are some signs that you're fertile, and some of them, from age to cycle, will make sense.
But there will be other items, straight from the mouths of medical experts and studies, that will really surprise you.
Here are 7 signs that you are fertile.
1. You are in your early 20s.
«The peak (highest) age of fertility in a woman is approximately between 20 and 24 years old,» says Dr. Aaron Styer, a leading reproductive endocrinologist and co-medical director of CCRM Boston.
As with other medical conditions, the age range for peak fertility is not the same for all women and can be variable. As age advances, fertility gradually decreases.
2. You have regular periods.
Yes, we should all have semi-regular periods. If we don't, there may be a problem.
But if you are one of those people who are punctual to the minute, this is just one of the signs that you are fertile.
3. You have symptoms of PMS.
We hate to consider it, but having PMS symptoms means your body is working the way it's supposed to work.
That means you are fertile. In fact, a study in Evolution and Human Behavior found that women go «a little wilder» during the most fertile days of the month. In fact, that's the time of the month when we're most likely to hook up with a stranger or do friends-with-benefits situations.
4. You have the right genes.
“When thinking about their own fertility, many women will refer to the ease or difficulty of getting pregnant from one of their close female relatives (e.g. mother and/or sisters).
Some patients will ask 'are there signs that I have normal fertility, above average fertility or that I am hyperfertile?' Unfortunately, it is difficult to accurately estimate how fertile (the likelihood of getting pregnant per menstrual cycle) a woman is based on family history or symptoms,» Styer says.
5. You have cervical mucus.
«There is a common belief among many women that increased cervical mucus around the time of ovulation or regular menstrual cycles are signs of normal fertility and/or hyperfertility. In reality, there are no symptoms or signs of hyperfertility or that someone has normal fertility,» says Dr. Styer.
6. You do not experience frequent hot flashes.
«In contrast, women with hot flashes and frequent menstruations that occur at intervals of less than every 24 days may be at risk for reduced quantity and quality of eggs and below-average fertility (subfertility).
«If a woman has concerns about fertility or wants to evaluate her fertility potential, she can meet with her OB/GYN or a fertility specialist (reproductive endocrinologist) for testing,» says Dr. Styer.
7. You impact other people's cycles.
We've all heard of those dorm situations where girls who live very close end up regulating their cycles.
This is actually due to pheromones. If yours are strong enough, they affect each other's cycles, which means you're probably quite fertile.