My name is Maria Rudnik, I am a CEO of Mami.Clinic and a fertility coach and have been helping women get pregnant for many years. One of the first tasks that my patients receive at the start is to learn how to determine the days when they are most fertile – that is, they are ready to conceive and the probability of conception is as high as possible. Although from my experience I can say that almost half of the women keep track of their ovulation days in order to avoid pregnancy. In any case, I believe that every woman should learn to recognize ovulation at these days and their symptoms – in the future, this can help you monitor your women’s health and maintain it.
Why is ovulation so important for pregnancy planning?
Let me remind you what ovulation is. This is the period of the release of the egg from the ovary into the fallopian tube, after which it becomes available for “a date” with the sperm. A woman is born with millions of immature eggs waiting to mature and be released. Normally, one egg mature each month until menopause. According to clinical data, the egg lives for approximately 24 hours. Does this mean that during the entire menstrual cycle there is only one day on which a woman can conceive a child with a high probability? How can you predict this date? How to recognize ovulation? Let’s study this question.
You may have heard from friends that they got pregnant on a day when there were no symptoms of ovulation. In most cases, they are wrong: without a live and accessible egg, fertilization is impossible in principle. But there are nuances that should be taken into account. Firstly, sex that will cause pregnancy does not have to occur on the day of ovulation. Spermatozoa that have reached the cervix remain viable for up to 3-5 days. This means that they can wait until the egg “goes out for a walk”. This period is known as the “fertile window”. Secondly, the day of ovulation may not come in the middle of the cycle, but earlier or later due to the individual characteristics of the body, hormonal changes, stress and a number of other factors.
I propose to consider how to recognize ovulation the most important factors in turn.
The first factor how to recognize ovulation is time.
I think you have heard that ovulation usually occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle. In the literature, the 15th day from the beginning of the cycle usually occurs. But do not forget that this is only an average time calculated for those who have a cycle of 28 days. In fact, this is not always the case. The menstrual cycle of a healthy woman lasts from 28 to 32 days, and ovulation occurs between 10 and 19 days of this cycle.
Doctors often operate with such an average time: ovulation most often occurs 14 days before the onset of menstruation. That is, if your cycle lasts 30 days, then ovulation will most likely occur on the 16th day from the beginning. Can you count your ovulation date?
However, the time of ovulation can vary from cycle to cycle and from woman to woman, so I recommend that you keep a regular menstrual calendar and carefully mark the days of menstruation and ovulation.
And let me remind you that you can get pregnant in the so-called “six-day fertile window” – this is the five days preceding ovulation, and the day the egg is released. Of course, the day before ovulation and the day of ovulation itself is the peak of your opportunities when it is worth having sex with a partner if you have decided to have a baby. Next factor how to recognize ovulation.
The second factor how to recognize ovulation is the state of your body.
Unfortunately, ovulation may be irregular. Or there might be a glitch in the system. For example, pregnant women, women after menopause, those who regularly take birth control pills according to the scheme, do not ovulate. And that’s okay.
Also, if you have recently become a mother and are now exclusively breastfeeding (that is, your child does not receive any other food), then most likely you will not ovulate during such breastfeeding. But as soon as you start introducing complementary foods and giving your baby something else besides breast milk, the rule will stop working. In general, I believe that this method of contraception is not the most reliable: it is very difficult to track the beginning of your new ovulation period after the first baby birth, because menstruation comes only two weeks after the first ovulation in the mother’s state. It is better to use condoms or other barrier methods of protection until the doctor finds something more comfortable for you.
In addition, doctors around the world today are aware that certain female diseases, such as polycystic ovary syndrome and the like, can provoke a temporary cessation of ovulation.
Also, a number of medications and drugs can inhibit ovulation – for example, if a woman is taking antidepressants, anti-nausea pills, or has recently completed chemotherapy, then her ovulation may be impaired and it is worth contacting a doctor to find out for sure how things are.
Other factors in your lifestyle also affect your period, and therefore ovulation: smoking and alcohol abuse, severe stress, or problems with weight (both overweight and underweight). Next factor how to recognize ovulation.
The third factor is professionally distinguishable signs.
Did you know that your gynecologist can see the symptoms of ovulation even visually? During this period, the cervical canal is filled with the so-called cervical mucus, which protects the uterus from the penetration of foreign microorganisms, including spermatozoa. During ovulation, the mucus liquefies, becomes more fluid – only in this way will the spermatozoa be able to reach the egg.
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Also during ovulation, the cervix may become taller, softer, and more open. Your gynecologist can see these changes with the help of a gynecological mirror. At home, you can also learn to distinguish between periods preceding and following ovulation, but they require attention and training. Ask your doctor to teach you if this way seems attractive to you.
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There are other professional methods for detecting ovulation. The main instrument of gynecology and obstetrics is ultrasound. Unfortunately, not all women have the opportunity to visit a specialist for several days in a row in order to “catch” the release of an egg. But this is, of course, the most accurate option.
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Also, I think you have heard of such an ovulation tracking tool as basal body temperature monitoring. What is basal body temperature? During the day, the temperature of the human body changes, and it reaches its lowest point in the rest phase – during night sleep. This temperature is called basal, and by the dynamics of its change, you can see signs of ovulation.
In the first days of the menstrual cycle, the basal temperature is kept at approximately the same level. The day before ovulation, it decreases by fractions of a degree, and on the main day for future pregnancy it increases, and above the level of the beginning of the cycle. It is important to understand that all these “jumps” are barely noticeable: the temperature after ovulation is only 0.2-0.6 degrees higher than the temperature before it. However, with a high-precision thermometer and keeping a temperature diary, these signs can be recognized.
So, for the method how to recognize ovulation, follow the rules:
– Only a very accurate thermometer is suitable for measuring that temperature. We are talking about the need to track changes in tenths of a degree, so its error should be minimal.
– Measurements should be taken immediately after waking up, without getting out of bed. Even if you decide to run to the toilet quickly or to run to the locker for a thermometer, the basal temperature will rise and the symptoms will be blurred.
– Measurements are taken rectally: other methods may give significant deviations from the actual basal temperature.
– To achieve the required accuracy, it is desirable to take measurements at approximately the same time of a day. Before that, you should have at least three hours of restful sleep without waking up.
You know, this method is only suitable for disciplined women with a clear daily routine. Does it suit you?
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A more convenient and easier option is a luteinizing hormone test, which you can buy at a pharmacy or even in any supermarket and do at home. Such a test can also be done in the clinic: they will take your blood for analysis, and laboratory equipment will measure the hormone level in numbers and confirm ovulation with greater accuracy than a pharmacy test.
How does it work? The concentration of luteinizing hormone increases significantly shortly before ovulation and then drops just as sharply. This feature is the basis of the principle of operation of the test strips I mentioned. The ovulation test is very similar to the pregnancy test and has the same mechanism of action: you need to wet the strip with urine and wait for the result.
However, unlike a pregnancy test, an ovulation test shows more accurate results during the daytime, since at this time the concentration of the hormone increases.
If you “dilute” the urine, the test may not reveal the symptoms of upcoming ovulation, although in fact they already exist. Therefore, it is recommended that a woman drink a minimum amount of liquid from the moment she wakes up until the test.
Testing should begin a few days before the planned ovulation, which you calculated from your menstrual calendar: it is important to understand the dynamics and not miss the right signs. At first you will see that the cherished second strip has only slightly faded, and with one of the following measurements it will become clear and bright. Then measurements can be stopped – these are sure signs that ovulation will occur within 24-48 hours. Last factor how to recognize ovulation.
The fourth factor how to recognize is the signs that you can track by yourself.
Some women claim that they experience special feelings during the period of approaching ovulation and on that very day. It immediately becomes clear to them: a wonderful time has come in which they can give rise to a new life. Medicine treats pregnancy planning based on one’s own feelings with caution and believes that it is impossible to feel the moment of ovulation itself – the body does not send any strong signals (pain, spasm, a sharp release of hormones).
Often, during the period of ovulation, plus or minus a few days, a woman experiences an increased sexual desire. Studies confirm that such a connection does exist, for example, it is during this period that women tend to choose the most sexual dresses from their wardrobe. Of course, your feelings will not tell you the exact day – only an approximate period. And anyway, who knows why today you want love and a mini? Maybe these are signs of ovulation, or maybe you fell in love with your partner all over again.
Also, along with libido, one can observe an exacerbation of other feelings. Some of my female clients say that in the second half of the cycle their sense of smell is aggravated – unpleasant odors are especially annoying, and male odors (associated with the pheromone androstenone) can attract more. Taste and tactile sensations are less often amplified. Here you should observe yourself for several months and draw conclusions.
Swelling of the nipples or increased sensitivity of the breast can also indicate ovulation: it’s all about hormones. Be aware, however, of the approximate nature of this symptom: some women experience soreness just before ovulation, while others may feel it only after ovulation.
Sometimes mild pain occurs in the lower abdomen, usually on one side or the other (depending on which ovary “worked” this month). This pain is called “Mittelschmertz” and lasts from a few minutes to several hours. Not everyone feels it. If the pain during ovulation is severe, consult a doctor: it can be a signal of endometriosis or ovarian cysts.
Also during this period, some women experience a slight brown or bloody vaginal discharge: the follicle that surrounds the egg matures, grows and then ruptures, which leads to a little bleeding. But if blood doesn’t go away after a couple of hours, see your doctor to rule out an infection or ectopic pregnancy.
Also, you can independently observe how the quality of your cervical mucus has changed. When ovulation approaches, the female body produces more estrogen and this mucus becomes more elastic and transparent – It helps the sperm “run” to the egg. To check the quality of the mucus, insert a clean finger into the vagina, and then try to “stretch” the extract between your thumb and forefinger. If it is sticky and looks like raw egg white, then you are in the fertile phase.
Another symptom of ovulation can be nausea and headaches: estrogen and progesterone levels change, and your body may react to this.
Well, sometimes a desired pregnancy makes you wait. Some women begin to listen to their body in order to feel the special sensations during ovulation. Others resort to the help of specialists and medical technologies. Of course, if something is bothering you, be sure to go for a consultation with a doctor and do a professional examination.
In any case, when you know the symptoms of ovulation, you feel more aware of what is happening with your body – you begin to listen to it and trust it. And that in itself is wonderful and now you know some steps how to recognize ovulation!
