Find out how ovulation affects your sexual health.
Ovulation is a vital part of your menstrual cycle. Two reasons you might want to investigate ovulation are to understand more about how your menstrual cycle works and affects your body, and to understand the relationship your body has to your menstrual cycle, if you're trying for a baby and want to improve your chances of conception.
Let's dive into the facts about ovulation and why it plays a significant role in pregnancy.
Ovulation is the time in your menstrual cycle when one of your ovaries releases a mature egg (also known as an ovum).
Once the egg is released, it has the opportunity to be fertilized by sperm. If it is not fertilized, it breaks down and is shed alongside your uterine lining during your monthly period. For most women, ovulation happens once every month.
Small but noticeable changes occur in your body around the time of ovulation, including:
Let's first recap how the menstrual cycle works to understand when ovulation occurs.
On average, your menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, although it's perfectly normal to last between 25 and 35 days. You measure your cycle from the first day of your period to the first day of your next period.
If you have a regular cycle length, you may be able to work out roughly when ovulation will occur. Ovulation—the release of an egg from your ovaries—happens about 12 to 16 days before the start of your next period.
Ovulation happens just once a month. The actual process lasts only 12 to 24 hours. However, you can get pregnant in the days leading up to, or the day after, ovulation.
The fertile window of when you are most likely to get pregnant is the next few days preceding ovulation.
You are most likely to get pregnant if you have sex during ovulation or a few days before. This time frame is when you are most fertile. If you have unprotected sex every two to three days around the time before and during ovulation, statistics show there is an 8-in-10 chance you will get pregnant within one year if you are younger than 40.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest you should see a doctor if you are younger than 35 with no apparent health problems and have been trying to conceive for a year without success. Women older than 35 should see a doctor if they have spent six months trying unsuccessfully for a baby.
Ovulation testing or predictor kits are available to buy from most drugstores and are easy to use at home. They detect luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine, which surges 24 to 36 hours before you ovulate.
There are many different types of ovulation tests available, and it's important to follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. If you are unsure how to use your ovulation testing kit, you can ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice.
Using an ovulation test kit helps you identify your most fertile days. These tests can be particularly useful for women who have erratic cycles.
As mentioned earlier, basal body temperature changes slightly around the time of ovulation. This is your temperature when you are fully at rest.
To spot when your basal body temperature rises, you need to track it daily. Use an oral thermometer to take your temperature every morning before getting out of bed after a good night's sleep. Record this temperature every day.
Your basal body temperature increases very slightly during ovulation, typically, less than half a degree Fahrenheit or 0.3 Celsius. If it remains at this slightly higher temperature for three days or more, then ovulation has occurred.
You're most fertile about two days before your basal body temperature rises, and your window of fertility lasts for around six days.
Another way to identify ovulation is by keeping an eye on your cervical mucus, the fluid produced by your cervix and discharged out of your vagina. Fluctuating hormone levels throughout your menstrual cycle cause your cervical mucus to change.
Before ovulation, your cervical mucus can be yellow, white or cloudy. It's also not as stretchy. Around the time of ovulation, cervical mucus is typically clear (more transparent), stretchy and slippery, and there's more of it.
After ovulation, the quantity reduces, and mucus becomes thicker and stickier again.
You can keep track of your cervical mucus and how it changes by making notes throughout your menstrual cycle. This practice can help you notice the changes and pinpoint ovulation.
Fertility isn't always straightforward, and getting pregnant isn't easy for everyone.
Although ovulation is a crucial part of your menstrual cycle when it comes to getting pregnant, many factors affect fertility, including:
If you are concerned about fertility or have been trying for a baby and are having difficulty getting pregnant, speak to your healthcare provider.
When trying to get pregnant, you can work on a few strategies to give yourself the best chances:
It's also important to take a folic acid supplement every day if you are trying to conceive. It needs time to build up in your body and supports the healthy development of your baby.
Ovulation happens around 12 to 16 days before the first day of your period. You can find out when you are ovulating by using an at-home ovulation testing kit.
Other ways of identifying ovulation include tracking your:
You are most fertile in the two to three days leading up to ovulation. However, you can also get pregnant around the time of ovulation and for three days after.
Your window of fertility is around six days each month.
The average menstrual cycle is around 28 days, lasting from the first day of your period to the first day of your next period. However, it can range from 25 to 35 days and that's perfectly normal.
Ovulation occurs around 12 to 16 days before the first day of your period.
