What is Ovulation?
- Ovulation occurs when a woman’s body releases one or more eggs from one of the ovaries. It mainly takes place around the middle of the period cycle. Conception occurs when the sperm cell from a fertile man swims up through the vagina into the uterus up to the fallopian tube of women. It then goes and merges into the woman’s egg cell as it travels down one of the fallopian tubes.
- The fertilized egg keeps moving down the fallopian tube and begins dividing into two cells, then four cells, and so on as the division continues. About a week after fertilization, the fertilized egg reaches the uterus to become a growing cluster of about 100 cells which is termed a blastocyst.
- The cells continue to divide, with some developing into the baby, and others forming the nourishment and oxygen supply structure called the placenta. Simultaneously, hormones are released in the body that signal that a baby is growing inside the uterus. The hormones also signal the uterus to maintain its lining rather than shed it. Therefore, if a woman does not have a period in that month, it may be the first way of knowing that she is pregnant. It is the presence of these hormones that helps ovulation tests do their job.
- Getting pregnant can get tricky at times, especially for women with pre-existing fertility issues. Be it critical gynecological issues or problems with irregular periods, even the smallest of conditions can negatively impact the chances of conception.
- However, for someone with predictable menstrual cycles, the ovulation timeline can be a pretty good indicator when it comes to enlisting the positive signs of pregnancy. Moreover, even for females with menstrual irregularities, there are a few techniques that can help track the ovulation cycle; thereby highlighting the most conducive period for getting pregnant.
How can I calculate my ovulation date?
Insights into Ovulation For a typical 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation usually starts at day 14 with the fertile days being the 12th, 13th, and 14th days, and for a 35-day cycle; day 21 is when ovulation usually happens.
Why is it important to know when you are ovulating?
- If you have decided to become a mother, then you need to know the bodily changes that are positive for getting pregnant. The ‘OVULATING PERIOD’ is important for getting pregnant; it gives you an idea to find out when is the right time for conceiving.
- Conversely, if you are not ready to conceive, it is good to know about the ovulation signs, to help you avoid unwanted pregnancy. But if you are a woman who has irregularities in menstruation, then it is difficult to predict your ‘OVULATING PERIOD’. So, you will probably need to see a fertility specialist.
Why is it important for a woman to know her fertility window?
- Pregnancy is technically only possible if one has sex in and around ovulation. The most fertile days are the 3 days that lead up to and include ovulation. Having sex in this time frame gives couples the best chance of achieving pregnancy.
- By 12-24 hours after ovulation, a woman is no longer able to get pregnant since the egg will no longer be in the fallopian tube. There’s almost zero chance of getting pregnant if a couple has sex before or after the fertile window. Although contraception is still preferable, to be safe.
How does ovulation influence the chances of getting pregnant?
- When you are planning to have a baby, it is important to mark your fertile period to conceive successfully. This fertile period is when you are ovulating. By narrowing down your fertile period, you can increase sexual activity during this period and your chance of conception increases as well.
- Most women think that they can get pregnant any time they have sex, but that is not the case. In a month, there are only 5 to 7 days when a woman can conceive. For pregnancy to happen, ovulation must occur wherein your ovaries release a mature egg and it travels through the fallopian tubes. If the egg is fertilized by the sperm, pregnancy occurs but if there is no egg present when you have sexual intercourse, fertilization cannot occur.
- The mature egg dies within 12 to 24 hours of being released, if not fertilized by sperm, which is why having sexual intercourse at the correct time is very important for conception. The sperm can live up to 5 days in a woman’s body.
Explore more about Ovulation Issues in Female Fertility
What are the Signs of ovulation pregnancy? How to Know if You Are Ovulating?
There are Six Ways to Know If You Are Ovulating, they;
Mark And Track Your Calendar
- Keeping track of your menstrual calendar for at least a few months would help you identify the right dates and predict the ovulatory period. It is advised to have sex every other day, especially during the ‘FERTILE WINDOW.’ This period is during the 5 days before your ovulation starts. This helps the sperm wait for your egg to get them fertilized.
- If your menstrual cycle is of 28 days pattern, your ‘FERTILE WINDOW’ begins on day 10 and you are most likely to ovulate on day 14, the chances for you to get pregnant would be higher if you have sex, at least, every other day between 10 and 14 days of your cycle.
Observe ‘Mittelschmerz’
- In German, ‘MITTELSCHMERZ’ is nothing but ‘middle pain’. It is a medical term for ‘ovulation pain’ or ‘midcycle pain’. You will feel pain and discomfort in your lower abdomen; this can be the monthly reminder that reminds you or indicates that your eggs are getting released from the ovary, and you begin the fertile period.
Observe For Body Changes
- Ovaries give off estrogen. When there is an increase in your estrogen levels, your ovaries release an egg, and the body starts making progesterone which raises your body temperature.
- By tracking the temperature every day before you get out of bed, you will be clear about the pattern that shows when you ovulate and when you are fertile.
Observe the Changes in Your Mucus
During the period of ovulation, you can observe your cervical mucus be clear, and slippery, as the consistency of an egg white. This is the best sign that tells you when you are ovulating.
Try an Ovulation Predictor Kit
- Start testing with an ovulation predictor kit before the estimated day of ovulation. Suppose, your cycle has a typical 28 days pattern, and then you can start testing from day 11. If the result turns out to be positive it is obvious that you are going to ovulate within the next 24 to 36 hours.
Observe Your Cervical Position
- Your cervix changes its position when you are fertile. It does not remain in the same position throughout the day.
- Therefore, it is best to check the cervix at the same time each day. When you are not fertile, you would feel the cervix low and hard. If you are fertile, your cervix is soft, high, open, and wet.
- These signs may indicate when the correct days to have sexual intercourse are. The couples can plan their activities around these days. Sheena and Vivek were not infertile; they simply lacked awareness about their bodies and their systems. Before seeking infertility treatment, the couples should explore their potential for becoming fertile. Awareness can prevent a lot of emotional trauma and of course cost!
Signs of Ovulation: How to Identify Your Most Fertile Days?
- You would also notice some changes in your body when you’re about to ovulate or are currently ovulating such as increased sex drive or a mild pain in the abdomen.
- The cervical mucus has a thick, egg-white-like, sticky consistency when you are ovulating and your basal body temperature also rises slightly when ovulation is about to occur.
- Observing these changes can help you identify your most fertile period so that you can time sexual activity and maximize your chances of getting pregnant.
- If you’re not able to determine this, you can also use ovulation predictor kits but these may not be completely reliable.
What are the best ways to track ovulation to get pregnant?
However, for females with irregular periods, it is necessary to opt for certain methods to gain proper insights regarding the exact time of ovulation.
- Checking for Basal Temperature
While this is one of the oldest techniques to get a considerable idea regarding the supposed time of ovulation, it is still quite effective, in terms of a manual approach. It is important to understand that when a woman ovulates, the body temperature shoots up by almost half a degree under normal circumstances. The best indicator, however, is the fact that until the period surfaces, the higher temperature is expected to persist. Therefore, it is advisable to check for the same each morning upon waking up, to get an idea regarding ovulation.
- Checking for Cervical Mucus
The ever-changing consistency of Cervical Mucus, during the entire menstrual month, is a decent indicator as well. In most cases i.e. during non-fertile days, the cervical mucus is usually opaque and thick which eventually changes to slippery and clear, in case of approaching or existing ovulation cycle. The consistency, at times, matches that of egg whites.
- Charting out the Menstrual Cycle
Individuals who can chart out the irregular period cycles are better off when it comes to ascertaining the benefits of this approach, regarding finding the exact ovulation timeline. At present, there are a host of fertility applications in the market that are also capable of doing the job for the concerned individuals.
- Using Ovulation Sticks
For those who are looking to stay away from the intricacies of the aforementioned manual approaches, ovulation sticks can be great companions. Firstly, during the initial phases of the ovulation cycle, the LH or Luteinizing Hormone levels start surging inside the body. The sticks, therefore, perfectly detect this surge and give out positive results or rather indications. However, multiple sticks can be required by women with irregular cycles. Inference while these are some of the most effective strategies for addressing the ovulation timeline, some companies are slowly coming up with dedicated applications and gadgets for helping couples with conception.
How to Calculate Your Fertile Window for Successful Conception
- The first day of your menstrual cycle is when you get your period. For a woman with a cycle of 28 days on average, ovulation would usually occur on day 14. So if ovulation occurs on the 14th day, you have time till the 15th to conceive. But since the sperm can live up to 5 days in the woman’s body, your fertile window would be from day 11 to day 15. Thus, you can get a general idea of your fertile window.
- Ovulation doesn’t necessarily occur on the same day each month, thus there is no point in marking a date in the calendar. You would have to calculate it using different techniques such as charting your basal body temperature, observing changes in the cervical mucus, and calculating ovulation by the date of your first period.
