38 day cycle is it normal

To boost your chances of getting pregnant, you should have sex at least every other day beginning on cycle day 19 through cycle day Knowing when you ovulate and having sex around ovulation time increases your chances of conception. Several signs can help you track when your body is gearing up for ovulation. Predicting ovulation begins by tracking each period on a calendar and identifying the day you expect to ovulate based on your day cycle length.

Then, you can use other methods to confirm ovulation is approaching:. Charting your basal body temperature can identify your ovulation day after it has occurred, which can help you discover a pattern of when you typically ovulate.

This hormone increases as ovulation approaches. A positive result on one of these kits indicates that this hormone is surging, meaning ovulation should occur within 12 to 36 hours. Barbie Carpenter worked as a technical writer and editor in the defense industry for six years. She also served as a newspaper feature page editor and nationally syndicated columnist for the Hearst Corp.

Some specific causes for a short cycle include:. The later into their cycle a person ovulates, the later their period will be. A long cycle may mean that a person ovulated very late, or did not ovulate at all. According to the OWH , specific causes for a long menstrual cycle include:. A person with these symptoms should speak to their doctor. If a person has not had their period, they should also consider whether they might be pregnant. Period tracking can help a person predict their next period.

It can also help a person determine whether their cycle is regular or irregular. There are a few ways a person can track their period, including mobile applications or in a diary or calendar. Some people also use period tracking to monitor when they might ovulate.

However, according to an article in npj Digital Medicine , period tracking alone is not reliable, since the day of ovulation can change month to month. Additionally, a typical cycle length does not necessarily mean a person ovulated. According to an article in Bioengineering and Translational Medicine , if a person wants to find out when they ovulate, they should also monitor:.

Because an irregular period sometimes means a person is not ovulating, very long or short cycles could be a sign of a hormonal imbalance that may make it difficult to conceive.

However, it is not necessarily the case that someone with irregular periods will not get pregnant, or that someone with regular periods will. The OWH lists several causes of infertility in males and females. People who have irregular periods who want to get pregnant may want to see a doctor before trying to conceive.

People should also inform a doctor if they experience sudden changes in their cycle or have symptoms of an underlying condition, such as severe cramps or heavy periods. The average number of days between periods is 28— Hormonal birth control contains progestin or a combination of progestin and estrogen. These hormones stop ovulation and prevent pregnancy.

Hormonal contraceptives include:. Some hormonal birth control causes a false period known as withdrawal bleeding. But if you keep taking the contraceptive without the hormone-free week, you might have some light spotting or no period at all. Your thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck. Usually, it takes a few years for things to settle down. Perimenopause is the transition from the reproductive years to menopause. This transition might take a year or two, or it could take several years.

And during this time, your cycle might be all over the place. It could be 25 days one month and 29 the next. The average age of menopause is 51, so perimenopause often begins in your 40s or 50s. Usually, perimenopause comes with other symptoms, too, such as:. Keep a period diary in your calendar or get an app designed for that purpose.