Ovulation (A Monthly Cycle)

Ovulation – Ovulation is a natural and important part of the menstrual cycle and It happens when your ovary releases an egg. The release of the egg does not guarantee that sperm will fertilize it. The fertilized egg might go to the uterus where it would implant and become a pregnancy. The uterine lining sheds during your menstrual cycle and the egg disintegrates if it is not fertilized. Knowing when and how ovulation occurs can help you become pregnant or avoid getting pregnant. To know more about ovulation, read the entire article.

Ovulation is the process of releasing mature eggs from the ovaries. It occurs with the correspondence with the menstrual cycle and plays its role in pregnancy. Eggs are released by the ovaries every month, which may or may not be fertilized with sperm. If the egg is fertilized, it will make an implant in the uterus wall and if not, it causes periods which occur every month, which consists of a typical cycle of 21-35 days.

The menstrual cycle also has a breakdown of its different phases:

Menstrual Phase (DAY 1-7): When the uterus lining breaks ; it causes menstruation, if no pregnancy has happened.
Follicular Phase(DAY-13): It is when the lining of the womb thickens to prepare the eggs. This phase also works side by side with the menstrual phase in which the pituitary glands releases follicle stimulating hormones(FSH), which makes the ovaries release follicles ( a small sac containing fluid in which it stores an immature egg in the center ), in which one follicle matures into an egg, if pregnancy has occurred.
Ovulation Phase(DAY-14): When the ovary releases a mature egg, it is caused by a surge in luteinizing hormone(LH). It typically occurs on day 14 only.
Luteal Phase(DAY 15-28): If a mature egg is released, the remaining follicle transforms into corpus luteum, the corpus luteum is the main element of the luteal phase. Corpus luteum produces progesterone which is a hormone,essential for supporting early pregnancy and secretes smaller amounts of estrogen and if fertilization doesn’t take place it breaks down after 14 days, with progesterone and estrogen levels dropping, causing hormonal imbalance and premenstrual syndrome also known as PMS and triggers menstruation and it’s new cycle.

Ovulation – Fertile Window:

The egg is ready for fertilization a few hours after release, the sperm also has a limited time to survive in the female tract, which is up to 5-6 days, which makes the “fertile window”.

It is the most likely time to conceive and best for natural family planning and increases the chance of pregnancy. It occurs on the 14th day, which makes the fertile window for day 9-15(for a 28 day cycle), it makes the tracking of the menstrual cycle easy and plan healthily; after the eggs are in the fallopian tube, the eggs are viable for 24 hours and later the fertile window closes.

How to know you are ovulating?

The following changes may occur when you are ovulating.

Mucus change

Ovulation will cause cervical mucus change, which will look clear, stretchy, slippery and might also resemble raw egg whites.

It can also cause:

Light bleeding/ spotting
Breast tenderness
Ovary pain or slight discomfort
Increased sexual drive because of the hormonal fluctuations

Before you read further, let’s know a little about ovulation pain and how serious it is:

Ovulation pain is also known as “Mittelschmerz”, which is a German word meaning middle pain. It is a common experience, at least nearly 40% of women face this in the ovulation process.

This pain comes through every month, causing discomfort in either the right or left portion of the abdomen; as only one ovary is responsible for production of egg in a month, the pain moves depending on which ovary is producing the egg, for that particular month. The pain depends from woman to woman, as of different pain resistance and structure, for some it might not even be existent and for a sharp cramp.

If the pain is very sharp and occurs every month with same intensity, it is important to refer to a gynecologist, because it might be cause of some underlying disease, such as:

PCOS
Endometriosis
STI
Scar tissue

It is very fairly very common to have menstrual pain, but it is necessary to seek a doctor if there is discomfort.

Always remember: “Precaution is the best prevention”

Basal body temperature(BBT)

The body temperature slightly rises during ovulation because of the hormone “progesterone”, which is about 0.3-0.7°C or 0.5-1.3 ° F. It isn’t necessary that the BBT will change in every woman. BBT can be influenced by many factors, such as:

Stress
Sleep cycle
Illness
Working structure
Gynecological disorders
Medications
Etc.

Basal body temperature is the temperature of the body’s lowest resting temperature,it is measured right after waking up, without doing any physical activity, it can be used to track the hormonal fluctuations during ovulation; it doesn’t cause a huge difference in the temperature but minimal.

By measuring your BBT, you can calculate the pattern of your menstrual cycle. Check your temperature at the same time everyday, at least with a minimum of 3 hours of sleep, without any interruption; using a basal body thermometer is more accurate than regular thermometers, as they are more sensitive and record it to your own convenience, preferably in a BBT chart.

If someone wants to plan pregnancy, then it should be planned accordingly with safe measures on the most fertile days, it is the best way to plan naturally, without much problems, and also medical advice can also be taken and performed.

If you are trying to avoid pregnancy, then also keep a track of the menstrual cycle and perform safe and protected sex.

Note: Don’t perform sex from day 1 of cycle, to the end of the ovulation cycle and marking and measuring functions is the best way.

Learn More: Is Masturbation good or bad? – Benefits, Addiction, Disadvantage

How to track your ovulation?

To track your ovulation, follow the following instructions.

Charting: Charting your cycle and tracking your BBT can also help in noticing the changes in your cycle and later for confirmation, other tests can be conducted, clinically and at home.
Clinical Test: Ovulation can be confirmed and is the best way, is to by doing an ultrasound or hormonal tests conducted by a doctor.
Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs): these kits are present over the counter, in a pharmacy, which can detect ovulation at home, they detect it by the presence of LH in your urine sample, which means you will ovulate.
Fertility Monitors: these are also available over the counter in drugstores. They track two hormones estrogen and LH which helps to identify your fertility window. Fertility monitors are pricier than OPKs but these are claimed to be more accurate.

A note from kamarth

Ovulation is a crucial process in the menstrual cycle, facilitating the release of mature eggs from the ovaries for potential fertilization. This monthly cycle, typically spanning 21-35 days, involves distinct phases: menstruation, follicular thickening, ovulation triggered by luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, and luteal phase supporting early pregnancy. Understanding one’s fertile window—typically days 9-15 for a 28-day cycle—enhances natural family planning efforts. Monitoring ovulation signs like cervical mucus changes and basal body temperature fluctuations aids in pinpointing this window.

Some Additional Questions

Question: What is ovulation?
Answer: It is the release of a mature egg from the ovary, which is essential for conception.

Question: When does ovulation typically occur?
Answer: It usually occurs around the middle of a woman’s menstrual cycle, approximately 14 days before the next expected period.

Question: How can I track ovulation?
Answer: It can be tracked using methods such as tracking menstrual cycles, monitoring basal body temperature, using ovulation predictor kits, or observing changes in cervical mucus.

Question: What are the signs of ovulation?
Answer: Signs of ovulation can include changes in cervical mucus (becoming clear and slippery), slight increase in basal body temperature, and mild pelvic or abdominal pain (mittelschmerz).

Question: Can medicine help you ovulate?
Answer: Yes, It can be induced with fertility medicines. Discuss further with the doctor.

Reference Link

Ovulation (A Monthly Cycle) – 04 Phases, Timeline, Pain and Essential Symptoms

Table of Contents