Understanding Ovulation
Understanding our menstrual cycles isn’t always easy and for many women, it can take years to track and understand them accurately. In this article, we are going to be focusing on the ovulation phase: what it is, how to recognize when it’s happening, and the common symptoms you might notice during this part of your cycle.
Ovulation is the part of your menstrual cycle when one of your ovaries releases an egg. This egg is then available to be fertilized by sperm so it’s typically the time of the month when you’re most fertile. Ovulation usually happens halfway through your cycle, around day 14 if you have a 28-day cycle. Every woman’s body is different and so are our cycles. Because of this people may experience ovulation earlier or later in their cycle. To understand ovulation better it is important to understand when in our cycle it occurs.
Menstrual cycle phases:
- Menstrual phase (bleeding, shedding of uterine lining)
- Follicular phase (egg development, rising estrogen)
- Ovulation (egg release triggered by luteinizing hormone surge)
- Luteal phase (progesterone supports possible implantation)
What happens during Ovulation?
- The luteinizing hormone (LH) spikes signaling to your body that now is the right time to ovulate. The luteinizing hormone stimulates the ovary to produce progesterone which is a hormone that prepares the uterus for pregnancy.
- This hormonal surge triggers an ovary to release an egg for it to be fertilized.
- The egg travels down from the fallopian tube towards the uterus where it can meet sperm and become fertilized.
- If the egg isn’t fertilized, the egg will naturally be reabsorbed into the body, signaling the uterine lining to shed during your period. If the egg is fertilized then it will begin implanting into the uterus, meaning you’re pregnant!
Ovulation Symptoms:
Some women can tell when they’re ovulating because of noticeable symptoms, while others don’t feel any different at all. Both experiences are completely normal. With that being said, you might notice some of the following signs during ovulation:
- A slight rise in body temperature: Taking your temperature first thing in the morning before getting out of bed is the best time to notice changes in your body temperature.
- Changes in cervical mucus: One of the most common signs of ovulation is cervical mucus that becomes clear, stretchy, and similar in texture and appearance to raw egg whites. Some women check its “stretchness” between their fingers as an indicator of fertility.
- Mild pelvic or abdominal pain: Often felt on one side, these cramps can be a sign that an ovary has released an egg. Around 1 in 5 women report experiencing pain during ovulation and the pain can happen before, during, or after the ovulation phase.
- Increased sex drive: Another common symptom, many women experience a boost in libido around ovulation. This is a natural response to your body's rise in hormones.
- Breast tenderness: Some may notice their breasts feel slightly sore or more sensitive during this time.
- Heightened senses: A more sensitive sense of smell or taste can also occur due to hormonal shifts.
Knowing common ovulation symptoms can be helpful in cycle tracking if you're planning to get pregnant, trying not to get pregnant or for other health reasons and conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or Endometriosis. Tracking our cycles is also helpful to know what our bodies are doing so that we may properly care for them.
