Important notice to customers — product packaging changesLearn More

NEW FOOD PACKAGING IN STORE NOW

From August 2018, customers will notice our rebranded food packaging start to appear on shelf in all major stockists.

  • CURRENT Packaging
  • new Packaging

We are excited to announce our new packaging will start to appear on shelf from August 2018. This transition to new packaging will occur over a number of months. During this time there will be a mix of current and new packaging on shelf.

There are no major changes to these products, in some instances there is a small name change or slight recipe improvement, see below for the full details.

Products purchased via the website will be delivered to customers in our old packaging until the end of October. From November, products ordered from the website will be delivered in the new packaging.

Please note, our Infant Formula packaging will not be rebranded until later in 2019.

For any questions, connect with our team of accredited practising Dietitians on +61 3 6332 9200

Product name changes

  • Cereal Name Changes
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Baby Rice
  • NEW Packaging Organic Rice with Prebiotic (GOS) Note: Our Baby Rice recipe has been upgraded to now include GOS Prebiotic
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Vanilla Rice Custard
  • NEW Packaging Organic Milk & Vanilla Baby Rice
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Apple & Cinnamon Porridge
  • NEW Packaging Organic Apple & Cinnamon Baby Porridge
  • Ready To Serve Name Changes
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Banana, Pear & Mango
  • New Packaging Organic Banana, Pear, Apple & Mango
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Mango, Blueberry & Apple
  • New Packaging Organic Blueberry, Mango & Apple
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Peach & Apple
  • New Packaging Organic Grape, Apple & Peach
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Pumpkin & Tomato Risotto
  • New Packaging Organic Pumpkin, Sweet Potato & Tomato
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Broccoli, Beef & Brown Rice
  • New Packaging Organic Beef & Vegetables
  • Note: We have also upgraded some of our RTS recipes to remove added sugars and to remove some of the more complex ingredients that are not required for young children such as Tamari.
  • RUSKS NAME CHANGES
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Milk Rusks Toothiepegs
  • New Packaging Organic Milk Rusks
Home/Nutrition & Recipes/Articles/Understanding Your Ovulation Cycle

Understanding Your Ovulation Cycle

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Understanding your unique ovulation cycle is key to understanding your fertility and menstrual cycle. In other words, knowing about ovulation can help you fall pregnant, and can enable you to pinpoint when your period will occur and for how long.

From day 1 of your menstrual cycle (when your period begins) until ovulation, your ovaries’ follicles are maturing – a process called the follicular phase. Throughout the entire follicular phase, rising estrogen levels in the blood stimulates growth of the endometrium and myometrium of the uterus. It also causes endometrial cells to produce receptors for progesterone, which helps prime the endometrium to respond to rising levels of progesterone during the next menstrual phases.

The end goal of this follicular/proliferative phase is to produce (usually) just one egg for fertilisation. This occurs about two weeks into your menstrual cycle. From here, you enter the ovulatory phase – otherwise known as your “fertile window”.

The ovulatory phase begins as a hormone surge, forcing the dominant egg to break free from its follicle and nest in a fallopian tube. Here it will disintegrate if not fertilised within 12 to 24 hours. Ovulation is the only phase in which a woman can get pregnant, however as sperm can live for up to five days in the vagina, intercourse during the time leading up to your “fertile window” can also result in conception.

Following ovulation, your menstrual cycle enters the luteal phase, a time when the follicle that released the egg is transformed into a corpus luteum – a structure that produces the pregnancy hormone progesterone. By increasing progesterone, the lining of the uterus thickens, readying itself for the fertilised egg to make its home for the next nine months. If conception occurs, the corpus luteum continues to produce progesterone to maintain a healthy pregnancy. If the egg is not fertilised, the corpus luteum ceases its progesterone production after about two weeks. This drop in progesterone signals for menstruation to begin.

Menstruation is the phase in which you will be most familiar with, as it carries the most obvious sign – blood. Menstruation is essentially the end of your menstrual cycle, as it signifies the end of an opportunity for one egg and the beginning for millions more. With progesterone production ceased, the uterine lining is encouraged to shed, a process results in a bit of blood waste. The length, blood flow and intensity of a period varies from woman-to-woman, but generally you can expect it to last between 4-6 days. Once the bleeding stops, the follicular phase begins once again.

How long does all this last?

Women’s cycle lengths vary, however the most common cycle length is somewhere between 23 and 35 days. Any variation in length is most likely to occur during the part of the cycle before you ovulate (the follicular phase), meaning that if you can recognise when you are ovulating, you can generally expect your cycle to be complete 12 – 16 days later. Despite what many women believe, the day of ovulation determines your cycle length (not the first day of your period), and your ovulation day doesn’t always sit in the middle of your menstrual cycle.

In regards to the “fertile window”, conception is only possible five days before ovulation, through to the day of ovulation. This gives you a window of six days in which you can fall pregnant.

As the timing of cycles differ, the only way to really know when you are ovulating is to pay attention to the length of your cycle. If on average you have a period every 28 days, you most likely ovulate around day 14, and your best chance at conceiving is between days 11 and 14. If you have a period every 24 days, ovulation happens around day 10, and your “fertile window” is between days 7 and 10. If your period appears every 35 days, your baby making days would be between days 18 and 21.

If you’re unsure of when you are ovulating and wanting to conceive, your best bet is to have sex every two to three days. You should also start keeping track of your cycle by keeping an ovulation calendar, which will give you a greater understanding of your regular pattern. To do this:

  • Circle the first day that you bleed.
  • Make note of PMS symptoms, how long you bled for, and what your flow was like.
  • Write down the first day of the next time you bleed.
  • Count the difference in days.

Are there any symptoms of ovulation?

There are several ovulation symptoms you may pick up on during your menstrual cycle. These include:

Ovulation pain

The most uncomfortable ovulation symptom for women is a sudden pain in their lower abdomen. This pain should be mild, so if the pain you experience is crippling, talk to your doctor.

Drop in basal body temperature

If you are trying for a baby, a basal thermometer can be a great investment. These are specifically designed for measuring slighter than normal fluctuations in temperature. A slight temperature drop will indicate you are about to ovulate.

Cervical mucus

Cervical mucus is one of the most reliable ovulation symptoms, and it pays to monitor it. Your cervical mucus changes in response to the fertile and infertile stages of your cycle, and a change in mucus can be a good indicator that your fertility has returned following having a baby.

Mucus in its most fertile state will be clear, slippery and stretchy, almost like raw egg white. This best aids the sperm on its passage to the egg, and provides an alkaline protection from the vagina’s acidic environment. As you get older, you will have fewer days of egg-white cervical mucus (EWCM).

Cervical position

The cervix changes position to optimise chances of conception, and a fertile cervix will sit high, open and wet. When you’re not fertile, you’ll notice your cervix feels low, hard and dry. Checking the position of your cervix is best done at the same time each day, as it doesn’t always stay in the same spot throughout the day.

Other possible symptoms (while not as reliable as those above) include:

  • Breast tenderness and sensitivity
  • Increased libido
  • Increased energy level
  • Heightened sense of vision, smell and taste
  • Water retention
  • Spotting

Having trouble conceiving?

Menstrual cycle irregularities are common, but can complicate matters when trying to conceive. If you’re experiencing irregularities in your menstrual cycle and you’ve been trying to conceive for 12 months, speak to your GP or consider booking an appointment with a fertility specialist.

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Important Notice to Parents and Guardians

  • Breast milk is the best for babies. The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Unnecessary introduction of bottle feeding or other food and drinks will have a negative impact on breastfeeding. After six months of age, infants should receive age-appropriate foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Consult your doctor before deciding to use infant formula or if you have difficulty breastfeeding.
  • The content on this website is intended as general information for Singaporean residents only and should not be used as a substitute for medical care and advice from your healthcare practitioner. According to recommendations from the Singapore Health Promotion Board, solid food should be given to babies only after 6 months.