Do you know what the signs of ovulation are? Or better said, what is ovulation and how do you know when it’s happening?
Knowing that information about yourself is useful to know when you can get pregnant and when you cannot? Would you like to know about your fertile and infertile periods in order to have better control of your sexual relations with your partner?
It’s very interesting to know and take control of our body, because we live each month with a wonderful process that only women can experience. That’s right; we own the process of menstruation, ovulation, fertilization and pregnancy. Of course, with the help of our partner the process of fertilization takes place. Imagine all that in a single month. Why not know exactly what happens in our body and have the control of whether fertilization occurs by knowing the signs of ovulation?
What is ovulation?
Ovulation occurs when an egg is released from the ovary and falls to the fallopian tubes, where it is possible that a sperm fertilizes an egg and start the process of life. Isn’t that amazing, signs of ovulation play an important role in this process.
The eggs are regulated by the menstrual cycle that occurs roughly between 28 and 30 days. If there is no fertilization, the ovum dies and is eliminated from the body through the menstrual period that occurs each month.
The periods of ovulation are considered the most fertile to conceive a baby. For that reason is so important to know the signs of ovulation.
Ovulation is considered important when you want to get pregnant. Therefore it is the best time to have intercourse and conceiving a baby.
Remember that the egg (ovum) can live in the woman’s body from 12 to 24 hours per month and sperm up to 5 days. So during this time you have very good chances of getting pregnant.
Feel free to use our Ovulation Calculator.
When do I need to have intercourse to ensure get pregnant?
You do not have to have a schedule for intercourse, if you can have sex the whole month, that’s great, congratulations, except for the days of menstruation, plus 3 days more because these days are very dry and penetration can hurt.
If you have sex 2 days before ovulation is better. Remember, the egg only lasts about 24 hours and sperm around 3 days, in the best case 5 days.
What are the signs of ovulation, and when am I most fertile?
Ovulation usually occurs about two weeks after the first day of your last period, so pay attention for the signs.
These are the most frequent signs of ovulation:
Increased cervical mucus:
Cervical mucus is generated at the woman’s cervix with different changes that indicate when ovulation is coming. The cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it joins with the vagina. During the first days of menstruation most women report limited amounts of cervical mucus. As the cycle continues, the cervical mucus increases and is cloudy and sticky. During ovulation, cervical mucus is most abundant and becomes clear and slippery and stretches like egg white, and you will be at your most fertile days for getting pregnant. This cervical mucus allows easy transport of sperm through the cervix on the way to the egg. In fact this fluid can make sex easier because you don’t require other type of lubrication.
See how it is very important to know the signs of ovulation, even to have a pleasant sex.
Increased body temperature (Basal Body Temperature):
The body temperature increases immediately following ovulation of around 0.5 to 1 degrees Fahrenheit. You have to take the temperature, the first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. Basal Body Temperature increases as a response to hormone (progesterone) levels. Therefore if you can find out when this temperature increases, you can determine when you ovulate.
Abdominal cramps (middle pain: Mittelschmerz):
Signs of ovulation sometimes are painful. Usually during ovulation, Mittelschmerz occurs. Mittelschmerz is German term used or translated to “middle pain”. This pain symptom can appear suddenly and usually subsides within hours, although in some women it may sometimes last two or three days.
Cervical position:
The cervix can be detected by inserting one or two fingers into the vagina. When reaching back, you should be able to feel the cervix. A sign of ovulation is the change of position and moisture of the cervix.
During the first half of your cycle, the cervix will feel relatively firm and dry. The cervix will be positioned low and easy to reach. The entrance of the cervix will feel closed. Before ovulation, the cervix will become soft and moist. The entrance of the cervix will feel open. During peak ovulation, the entrance of the cervix will increase to its maximum and it may be difficult to reach with your fingers.
Breast Tenderness:
Some women notice breast tenderness when they are ovulating. These signs of ovulation are not that common so I recommend you to complement with another ovulation test.
Increase in sexual desire:
Some women feel more sexual desire when they are ovulating. Due to this, it is also the wettest period, intercourse is more enjoyable because there is a natural lubrication.
How do ovulation tests work?
Signs of ovulation can be detected with ovulation tests. There are different ovulation tests:
Those that are for free, but require basic training, these are:
- Cervical Mucus
- Middle pain: Mittelschmerz, and
- Cervical Position
And those that you have to pay and can be bought at the pharmacy, these are:
- Basal Body Temperature. For best results you can buy a thermometer to take daily measurements of temperature.
- Ovulation Predictor
What is the Ovulation Predictor?
An ovulation predictor can be very useful in determining when your ovulation cycle will begin and end. Ovulation predictor kits measure the amount of luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine, which can help determine when ovulation will occur. If used correctly, an ovulation predictor can often predict whether ovulation will occur 24 to 36 hours in advance.
How to use it?
The predictor kit is so accurate but it is not infallible. For greater precision, follows exactly the information contained in the package of the test. However, although the directions say that you should analyze the first urine of the day, you may want to analyze the second. Like luteinizing hormone tends to concentrate too much urine at night, the first sample of urine in the morning could yield a false positive result.
Your cycle begins on the first day when having your period. If you have a 28 day cycle, you can start with the test on day 11 and continues for six days or days recommended by the manufacturer. If your cycle lasts between 27 and 34 days, ovulation may occur between 13 and 20. Start the test on day 11 and continues until 20 approximately. If you have an irregular cycle, surely it is not the most convenient way to detect ovulation, because some packages include testing for five or nine days only. So maybe you need to buy more than one package per month.
Finally, if your goal is to try to conceive, consider any of these signs of ovulation to know the precise moment when you can get pregnant. Moreover, once you know when you are ovulating, try having sex daily, if possible, or at least every other day. Enjoy this third part of the month as much as possible with your partner.
Recent Comments