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The introduction to Cycle Variations illustrated
that the length of the pre-ovulatory phase may vary considerably,
and that the time from ovulation to the beginning of menstruation
in a fertile woman is between 11 and 16 days, or about 2 weeks.
The examples linked to this page illustrate in some detail how
these variations can be classified through the observations of the
Billings Ovulation Method (BOM). A colour encoding based on the
coloured stamps of the BOM is used.
Ovulation is identified through its relationship to the Peak, which
is denoted by an X on a white background in these graphics 
.
The pre-ovulatory phase usually includes a Basic Infertile Pattern
(BIP), either of dry days or of days of unchanging discharge. Dry
days are identified by green 
and infertile days of discharge (BIP, or from the 4th day past the
Peak) are identified by yellow 
. Bleeding is identified by red 
, and light bleeding or spotting by 
.
Days on which possibly fertile signs are observed are identified
by white 
, and if mixed with blood by 
.
The three days following a change are always enumerated because
they are possibly fertile, e.g.   
.
Other pages on the Billings Ovulation Method give a fuller explanation,
e.g. Teaching the Billings Ovulation Method, Part
1 and Part 2.
There are six examples included below. Each example* depicts a set of ovulation cycles
sequencing from shorter to longer cycles, and within a set there are similarities in the build up to ovulation.
The one woman may experience all these example cycles during her fertile life.
* The concept for the graphics on these pages originated in a teaching
aid called the "slide rule" that was designed
by Bernadette de Bruyn of Melbourne.
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