When you first read the heading above, did you think that I was just being nitpicky? Actually, there is a significant and practical difference between the two.

An “anovulatory cycle” is, by definition, a cycle in which ovulation didn’t occur. But it’s typically transitory, occurring now and then in most women at some point in their lives. For example, you might have developed food poisoning from eating undercooked chicken from the county fair just before you were about to ovulate, preventing the egg from being released that cycle. Or perhaps you tried a completely nutso diet of eating only deep-fried pickles one month, which basically caused ovulation to shut down until you came to your senses. Or you traveled to, say, Antarctica for seven weeks, and didn’t resume ovulating until you got back. These are all examples of temporary causes of ovulation suppression in any given cycle.

“Being anovulatory,” on the other hand, means that you don’t ovulate altogether, or go perhaps months on end, and it may or may not resolve itself. This is caused by everything from simply breastfeeding or being underweight to having a medical condition such as PCOS or hypothyroidism.

Regardless what the reason is for your not ovulating, charting allows you to know whether or not to seek medical assistance. And as you certainly know by now, knowledge is power.