When does ovulation occur?

This is a million dollar question for many young women out there who are prospective mothers.

Motherhood is an evolving journey; the hardest but perhaps the most beautiful journey of a woman’s lifetime. It is for every woman to decide whether she is ready to embark on such a journey. A thorough knowledge of the ovulation cycle, ovulation symptoms, when does ovulation occur, and how long does ovulation last, ease her way through this process.

Through this article, we will help you know more about ovulation and help you maintain your ovulation calendar. This can be your own period and ovulation tracker, or even a period and ovulation calculator, which will keep a track of your ovulation and help you plan your motherhood! After all, knowledge about one’s body is very essential!

Let us quickly go through what we already know about  ovulation.

The female ovaries

Already packed with millions of eggs at birth, release one egg per month after a woman attains puberty. This release of the egg usually occurs between days 12-17 of her cycle and is mediated by many hormones, the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and the luteinizing hormone (LH) being the key ones. These are undoubtedly the most fertile days as well. Release of the egg from the ovary is due to the “LH surge” associated with increase in amounts of LH present in the blood. The test for levels of these hormones in the blood or other body fluids is one of the clinical procedures to identify ovulation. Kits that predict ovulation with the help of LH in urine sample are also available in pharmaceutical stores.

However, here are a few other simpler ways of knowing whether ovulation has occurred.

Change in basal body temperature

The hormonal rush causes minute changes in the body temperature, causing the body temperature to dip a little bit as you get closer to ovulation. You can monitor your body temperature using a simple digital thermometer during the fertilization window that typically lasts from days 12-17. When you observe a mild dip and a rise, you can be sure that it is one of the ovulation symptoms. However, it is only indicative, as temperature changes could also be climatic.

Check your Fertile Days on BabyChakra’s Ovulation calculator.

Mild abdominal pain

Some women feel ovulation as a mild cramp in their abdomen followed by a little bit of vaginal discharge. A few women also report tenderness in their breasts and increased sexual drive following the cramps.

Cervix and cervical discharge

Most times, the mucous discharge from the cervix changes in composition, appearance, and texture closer to ovulation. This change can be observed physically. In a study conducted in 2003, it was observed that changes in mucous characteristics peaked on days 1 and 2 after ovulation. The cervix also felt stiffer and thicker during ovulation.
Just like the variations in the ovulation cycle of every woman, these signs and symptoms could vary based on individual body conditions and are an approximate measure to understand when a woman ovulates. Now that you understand ovulation better, you can calculate your cycle and plan your  motherhood!

Also read: 10 Mistakes You Shouldn’t be Making While You Are on Your Period

#momhealth