During the so-called cycle monitoring, the doctor examines the female monthly cycle. By performing various examinations, the following can be established:
Cycle monitoring serves several purposes. The doctor can, for example, discover information on the cause of a couple’s involuntary childlessness and work together with them to find a suitable treatment.
Should the couple want to conceive a child naturally, cycle monitoring will tell the doctor what the optimal window for conception would be – i.e. the days on which they should have sexual intercourse.
Cycle monitoring can also be helpful for insemination with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This tells the doctor exactly when insemination can be done or eggs can be removed for assisted fertilisation. In this case, ovulation is usually triggered by hormone treatment. This makes for better planning and also increases the chances of a successful pregnancy.
Cycle monitoring is part of the diagnostic procedure for involuntary childlessness. In particular, for women whose cycle is irregular, periodic tests using ultrasound and laboratory analysis make it possible to determine whether a follicle is growing or if there is a problem with egg maturation. Follicular growth is also monitored in assisted fertilisation.
Depending on the reason for cycle monitoring, the doctor will monitor one monthly menstrual cycle of the woman. In addition, more ultrasound and hormone tests are conducted:
Should the woman’s menstrual cycle be longer or very irregular, further examinations are conducted – mostly in the space of a few days. A cycle examination can also be done over several cycles, if necessary.
Should the doctor establish via cycle monitoring that no follicle has grown or there is no ovulation, hormone treatment is usually recommended. This facilitates egg maturation and induces ovulation. In addition, the implantation phase can be supported through administration of progesterone. This treatment, in conjunction with sexual intercourse at the optimal point in time or insemination, is often sufficient to lead to conception. For cycle monitoring in hormone-stimulated cycles, your doctor will then plan the examinations aligned with this treatment together with you.