1. A 28-day cycle is always healthy
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Unfortunately False! The decisive factor for your cycle health is not the cycle length, but primarily the presence of ovulation and a second cycle phase with a length of 12-16 days. This so-called luteal phase begins directly after ovulation and ends with the onset of your period. If this phase is permanently shorter than 10 days, the reason could be a weakness of the corpus luteum.
For example, if you ovulate on the 18th day of a 28-day cycle, your second cycle phase will be only 10 days long. This cycle is not healthy, because no pregnancy could occur! In addition to a luteal weakness, too much stress or exercise can also lead to shortened second cycle phases. By the way, a healthy cycle is not only important for getting pregnant, but also essential for your breast, bone and heart health due to the release of estrogen at ovulation! With OvulaRing you can find out whether your cycles are healthy and fertile, regardless of your cycle length.
2. Ovulation is always on the 14th day of your cycle
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The myth that ovulation always occurs on the 14th day of the cycle is long outdated. We have found out that this is the case for just under 7% of users! An anonymous evaluation of our OvulaRing pregnancy curves also showed that 50% of all pregnancies with ovulation occurred after the 19th day of the cycle. In addition, 25% of users with ovulation after the 24th day of the cycle became pregnant. Your cycle is as individual as your fingerprint. This also means that not only the cycle length, but also the ovulation day can vary from woman to woman.
3. Short cycles can’t be healthy
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Also False. We often hear that short cycles < 25 days automatically have no ovulation. But this is not true! Ovulation from the 8th day of the cycle is actually not uncommon. With a healthy second cycle phase of 12- 16 days, you get a cycle length of 20-26 days! With OvulaRing you can find out if you too are ovulating early and if your cycles are still healthy.
4. A regular period is a sign of a healthy cycle
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It is actually not that simple, because a regular period is not a sign of a healthy cycle. Regular bleeding can also occur in cycles without ovulation or in cycles with shortened second cycle phases.
Fundamental to the interaction of ovulation and menstrual bleeding are cyclical hormonal changes in the body. However, it is possible that the hormonal changes do not trigger ovulation, but are sufficient for changes in the endometrium. Thus, menstrual bleeding may occur without prior ovulation. To be sure that you ovulate regularly, you can use OvulaRing. This will reliably show ovulation and fertile phase regardless of your period.
5. You can’t get pregnant if you have sex during your period
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This is also wrong! If you ovulate early, your fertile days start as soon as your period stops. For example, if you ovulate on the 9th day of your cycle, your fertile period starts as early as the 5th day of your cycle. If your period lasts 6 days, you can get pregnant during your period if you have unprotected sex. This is where your period and fertile phase overlap.
6. Severe period pain is normal
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We can’t say it often enough – severe period pains are not normal! They can be a sign of adenomyosis or endometriosis, for example. However, affected women often hear that their pain is normal and that they need to “get a grip.” No! In the case of severe period pain, the cause must be clarified urgently. It is best to get advice from your doctor right away and possibly contact the endometriosis association or a certified endometriosis center!
7. You are most fertile on ovulation day
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In fact, this is false! The chances of pregnancy are highest with unprotected sex 2 days before ovulation. This is because sperm can survive in the uterus for up to 5 days. However, the egg is only capable of fertilization for 12-24 hours after ovulation. So if you want to have a baby, the right timing is crucial! OvulaRing shows you your highly fertile phase safely and reliably, so you won’t miss it again.
8. Long cycles are not healthy
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Wrong. Unfortunately, women with a cycle length of >35 days often hear that their cycles are automatically not healthy. This is not true. The decisive factor for a healthy cycle is not the total length, but primarily the length of the second cycle phase. As long as this is about 12-16 days long, a natural pregnancy can occur and the cycle is healthy. Moreover, long cycles with late ovulation are not uncommon. By the way, in 25% of the pregnancy cycles recorded with OvulaRing so far, ovulation was after the 25th day of the cycle.
9. Ovulation is always in the middle of the cycle
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This is also false! This misconception is based on the assumption that the standard cycle is always 28 days long, with ovulation occurring on the 14th day of the cycle. However, we have found that 70% of all women do not meet this standard. Their cycles are shorter or longer and yet perfectly healthy. The first phase of the cycle, called the follicular phase, goes from the first day of the cycle until ovulation and is very variable in length. The second cycle phase begins after ovulation and is usually 12-16 days long. So, in a healthy second cycle phase, ovulation occurs about natural pregnancy can occur and the cycle is healthy. Moreover, long cycles with late ovulation are actually not uncommon. By the way, in 25% of the pregnancy cycles recorded with OvulaRing so far, ovulation was after the 25th day of the cycle.
9. Ovulation is always in the middle of the cycle
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This is also false! This misconception is based on the assumption that the standard cycle is always 28 days long, with ovulation occurring on the 14th day of the cycle. However, we have found that 70% of all women do not meet this standard. Their cycles are shorter or longer and yet perfectly healthy. The first phase of the cycle, called the follicular phase, goes from the first day of the cycle until ovulation and is very variable in length. The second cycle phase begins after ovulation and is usually 12-16 days long. So, in a healthy second cycle phase, ovulation occurs about 12-16 days before the onset of the next period. Especially with long cycles >35 days, the ovulation day is therefore by no means in the middle of the cycle. With OvulaRing, you can find out what your cycle is like and if or when you ovulate, regardless of your cycle length.
10. You can’t get pregnant while breastfeeding
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False. For most women, their cycle has to slowly settle down after giving birth. However, the hormones during breastfeeding are different for each woman. The most decisive factor here is prolactin, which is responsible for milk production. Prolactin levels rise during pregnancy and are maintained during breastfeeding. Nevertheless, it slowly decreases in the months after birth. If it falls below a certain level, estrogen and progesterone regain the upper hand and your cycle returns.
While for some it can take quite a while for the cycle to regain its balance, others have their first ovulation just a few weeks after giving birth. This first ovulation often occurs before the first menstruation. However, when this happens varies greatly from individual to individual. Therefore, be careful: You can have a “normal” cycle again just a few weeks after giving birth and become pregnant despite breastfeeding. Breastfeeding alone is therefore not sufficient for reliable contraception.
