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Ovulation is the release of one or more mature eggs from a follicle that
developed in the ovary. It usually occurs regularly, around day 14 of a 28-day
menstrual cycle. Once released, the egg is capable of being fertilized for 12 to
48 hours before it begins to disintegrate. These 12-48 hours are the most fertile period of
your cycle - during ovulation your chances of conception are highest.
The time of ovulation within the menstrual cycle is determined by the
luteal phase, which is usually 12 to 16 days long. You can calculate the time of
ovulation within your cycle by subtracting the length of your luteal phase from
the length of your cycle. For example, if your cycle is 28 days long and your
luteal phase is 12 days long, ovulation will occur on day 16 of your cycle
(28-12=16). The exact day of ovulation may vary within your cycle, because
ovulation can be delayed by a number of factors such as stress, illness, diet,
or increased physical activity.
Your fertile period starts about 4-5 days before
ovulation occurs, and ends about
24-48 hours after it. This is because sperm can live in your body for
approximately 4 to 5 days, and the egg can live for 24 to 48 hours after being
released. You are most fertile on the day before ovulation and the day of ovulation.
Knowing your fertile days can help you greatly increase your chances of getting
pregnant.
Ovulation may not occur each month in all
women, however there are symptoms and signs to help detect whether ovulation has
occurred, or if you are ovulating normally.
The most simple way to determine
whether you are ovulating normally is to chart
your daily BBT (basal body temperature),
which will show a rise in temperature after you have ovulated. You cannot predict ovulation ahead of time
with the BBT curve. As the result of ovulation, progesterone levels
increase which help prepare the lining of the uterus, where a possible
pregnancy will survive. The increase in progesterone causes an increase
in basal body temperature.
Other at-home methods to
determine if you are ovulating and/or when ovulation will take place
include using ovulation predictor
kits (OPKs) or performing saliva tests. As soon as an OPK test
turns positive, ovulation
usually happens within 12-36 hours. Visible "ferning" in a
saliva test indicates that ovulation should occur within the next 1-3
days.
About 20% of women feel discomfort or pain in their lower abdomen as the egg
leaves the ovary. The condition is known as "Mittelschmerz" and
can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. Many women
who have ovulation pain report that they can even tell which side, left
or right, ovulation is occurring on that cycle.
Cervical mucus changes during the
most fertile time of the cycle and egg-white cervical mucus (EWCM) is
generally a good indicator that ovulation is imminent, however EWCM
alone is not sufficient to determine that ovulation has actually happened.
Changes in cervical position can also indicate that ovulation is
near. Click here to learn how to chart
cervical mucus and position to help determine when and if you
ovulate and when your fertile days are.
Tests that are typically performed by a
physician to determine when ovulation has occurred include:
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An endometrial biopsy which
will show typical changes 7-10 days after ovulation
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Check blood progesterone level
which will be elevated about 7-10 days after ovulation
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Performing ultrasounds where
a follicle will be seen before ovulation, and after ovulation fluid
will be seen around the ovary and the follicle will have disappeared
if ovulation has occurred.
A regular
menstrual cycle of between 21 and 35 days is usually a good indication of
regular ovulation, but not always. One easy but very important way to detect regular ovulation
is to keep a menstrual calendar. When you see your doctor, the menstrual
calendar helps to explain your cycles.
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