What Is Ovulation?

Ovulation is the release of an egg from one of a woman's ovaries. After the egg is released, it travels down the fallopian tube, where fertilization by a sperm cell may occur.

Ovulation typically lasts one day and occurs in the middle of a woman's menstrual cycle, about two weeks before she expects to get her period. But the timing of the process varies for each woman, and it may even vary from month to month.

If a woman is hoping to become pregnant, she will want to keep track of when she may be ovulating. Knowing when a woman is ovulating each month is helpful because she is the most fertile — or able to become pregnant —around the time of ovulation.

A couple will be more likely to conceive if they have sex a day or two before a woman ovulates and the day of ovulation, according to the March of Dimes.


Menstrual cycle and ovulation.

At birth, a female fetus has 1 to 2 million immature eggs called oocytes inside her ovaries, which is all the eggs she will ever produce, according to the Cleveland Clinic. By the time a girl enters puberty, about 300,000 of these eggs remain. Approximately 300 to 400 of the remaining eggs will be ovulated during a woman's reproductive lifetime.

A likely sign that a woman is ovulating is that she is having regular, predictable periods that occur every 24 to 32 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

With every monthly menstrual cycle, a woman's body prepares for a potential pregnancy. The cycle is regulated by hormones, including the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, as well as follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. Hormones play a key role in all stages of the menstrual cycle, allowing the ovum (egg) to mature and eventually be released.

When a mature egg leaves a woman's ovary and travels into the fallopian tube, a sperm cell can fertilize the egg. Sperm can live inside a woman's reproductive tract for about 3 to 5 days after sexual intercourse, according to the Mayo Clinic. For pregnancy to take place, a sperm cell must fertilize the egg within 12 to 24 hours of ovulating, according to the Mayo Clinic. The fertilized egg then travels to the uterus, or womb, where it can attach to the lining of uterus and develop into a fetus.

During ovulation, the walls of the uterus also thicken to prepare for a fertilized egg. But if the egg is not fertilized, the uterine lining is shed about two weeks later, causing menstrual flow to begin. But simply having her period does not always indicate that a woman is ovulating.

"The most misunderstood thing about ovulation is the idea that if you are menstruating, it means that you are ovulating; and that is indeed not the case at all," said Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the Yale School of Medicine.

Many women have an ovulatory cycle — the buildup of the lining of the uterus — because they are making estrogen. But when the buildup gets to a certain level, the lining just sloughs off, and a woman can bleed quite heavily, said Minkin. When a woman ovulates, she also makes the hormone progesterone, which results in a more controlled bleed.

Timing / ovulation clues

Many people mistakenly believe that ovulation always happens exactly 14 days after a woman's last period. But the timing of ovulation varies for each woman and depends on the length of her menstrual cycle.

If a woman typically has 28-day menstrual cycles, she usually ovulated between days 13 to 15; If her cycle ranges between 27 and 34 days, ovulation usually occurs between days 13 to 20, according to The American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

"Most women have no idea when they ovulate," said Dr. Christina Ramirez, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Garden City, New York.

Beside charting the timing on a calendar, a woman may have other clues that she could be ovulating. Her body may have one of the following three signs:

1. Change in vaginal secretions.

A few days before a woman ovulates, her cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus, produces a type of mucus that is thin, clear, slippery and stretchy. This change in cervical mucus occurs when ovulation is approaching and her ovaries are getting ready to release an egg. The day after ovulation occurs, cervical mucus undergoes another change and it becomes thicker and cloudy.

2. Change in basal body temperature.

Keeping track of a woman's basal body temperature, which is taken in the morning before she gets out of bed, for two to three menstrual cycles may help predict when she is fertile. Shortly after ovulating, many women show a slight increase (about 1 degree F) in early morning body temperature. A woman is most fertile during the 2 to 3 days before her temperature rises, according to the Mayo Clinic.

3. Rise in luteinizing hormone.

About 24 to 36 hours before a woman ovulates, her levels of luteinizing hormone increase. A rise in luteinizing hormone is a signal for the ovary to release an egg. This hormone increase can be detected by using an ovulation predictor kit, which can test a sample of urine in the days leading up to ovulation. When a rise in luteinizing hormones is detected, the test will show a positive result.

Fertile window

A woman is fertile — able to become pregnant — only during a certain part of her monthly cycle. The "fertile window" spans a 6-day period, the 5 days before ovulation and the day a woman ovulates, according to The American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Studies suggest that intercourse is most likely to result in a pregnancy when it occurs in the three days leading up to and including the day of ovulation.

Home ovulation test

If a woman is getting her period on a monthly basis, but not getting pregnant, it may be because she is not ovulating. An ovulation predictor kit can be helpful to see whether a woman is, in fact, ovulating.

Ovulation problems.

There are many reasons why a woman may have ovulation problems. Some women, for example,
have blocked fallopian tubes due to pelvic inflammatory disease,
endometriosis or surgery for an ectopic pregnancy, according to theU.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.


An abnormal level of hormones can cause ovulation to be irregular or not occur at all, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. For example, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), is a condition in which levels of certain hormones are abnormal and a woman does not get her period or it is irregular. Thyroid problems can also make the ovaries less likely to release an egg.

A woman who is underweight with a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 or less may have irregular menstrual cycles and it could also cause ovulation to stop, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. At the opposite end of the weight spectrum, obesity may also lead to irregular periods and irregular ovulation.

In addition, the timing of ovulation can be affected by factors, such as stress and excessive exercise. Emotional or physical stress may delay ovulation or prevent a woman from ovulating. Getting too much intense physical activity can also inhibit ovulation

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What are the early signs of pregnancy before a missed period?

Until you’ve produced a positive pregnancy test, there’s no way to know for sure you’re expecting. But experiencing any of these early pregnancy symptoms before your period normally arrives could mean you’ve hit baby bingo:

Tender breasts.

Breasts are often the first body part to get the message when sperm meets egg. Some women’s breasts may feel tingly, sore, full and even painful to the touch within days of conception as estrogen levels start to rise. That said, these changes may not feel a whole lot different from PMS breasts — the changes simply stick around after your missed period.

Darkening areolas.

Here’s one change in your breasts that can’t be confused with PMS: You may notice that your areolas (the circles around your nipples) darken and increase in diameter in the weeks following conception. You may also spot tiny goosebump-like bumps on your areolas (glands that will eventually lubricate your nursing nipples). Both of these changes can only be chalked up to pregnancy. That said, these early pregnancy signs can take weeks to show up, and not all women will notice them.

Fatigue.

With all that work that goes into baby-making, plus higher levels of pregnancy hormones, the first four months of pregnancy can leave you feeling sluggish and sleepy. Keep in mind, though, a case of the sleepies can also mean you’re PMS-ing, over-stressed or not getting enough sleep.

Nausea.

Just days after conception, you might start to get the queasies (a.k.a. morning sickness) due to a rush of new pregnancy hormones — although nausea is more likely to rear its ugly head four weeks later, when you’re around 6 weeks pregnant. Again, not everyone gets nauseous; it could also be a sign of PMS, a stomach bug or food poisoning.

Sensitivity to smell.

Some newly pregnant women report a heightened sense of smell early on due to increased levels of estrogen. Once again, however, a keener-than-usual nose could also be a side effect of PMS.

Bloating.

As all women know, bloating is one of the least-loved PMS symptoms — but it can also be a sign of increased pregnancy-induced progesterone that slows down your digestive tract, trapping gas inside your intestines.

Urinary frequency.

If you suddenly find that you need to pee, like, all the time, it could be an early sign of pregnancy before your period. As soon as two weeks after conception — around the time you’d normally be getting your period — your kidneys start gearing up to filter out the extra waste in your blood from the baby on board. Your growing uterus also starts pushing on your bladder and your progesterone levels increase, resulting in a frequent (or constant) need to pee during pregnancy.

Elevated basal body temperature (BBT).

If you’ve already been tracking your temperature, you know that it typically increases around the time of ovulation as progesterone levels rise; both drop when you have your period. But if you conceive, your body temperature will remain elevated from ovulation throughout your pregnancy. Count 18 or more consecutive days of elevated temperature post-ovulation, and it’s a good sign you’re plus-one.

Cervical mucus.

Become a student of your cervical mucus? Then check it out now: If it becomes creamy and stays that way after ovulation, it’s a good sign you’ll have a positive pregnancy test.
Keep in mind, just because you’ve experienced some of these symptoms doesn’t mean you’re expecting. You could also have none of them at all and still go on to have a perfectly healthy pregnancy. Every woman is different, as is every pregnancy, so the only way to know you’re expecting for sure is to pee on a stick (sometimes more than once).

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What you need to know.

Cervical self-exam is about educating and empowering people by contradicting some of the shame and under-education we have about our bodies and menstrual cycles. The Beautiful Cervix Project is dedicated to people working to reclaim their entire bodies as beautiful and lovable. The more we know about ourselves, the more we feel confident to advocate and care for ourselves.”

While each cervix is slightly different (which is why we recommend checking out your own cervix), they all go through similar changes during your monthly cycle, when you’re pregnant, during labour and delivery, and after giving birth.

Curious? Starkey was kind enough to share some cervix pictures to help you see what your cervix is up to… right now.

1. During the follicular phase

When your cervix is just hanging out, the visible part of the cervix protrudes into the vaginal canal and is covered by smooth, pink, squamous epithelium,,

In this picture, the cervix is preparing for ovulation by preparing more fluid.

During ovulation

The cervix looks a little bit like a donut. When it’s closed, the hole looks like a dimple, but it opens during ovulation to let sperm in, explains Dr Ronald D Blatt, gynaecologist and chief surgeon and medical director of the Manhattan Center for Vaginal Surgery.

During the luteal phase

After ovulation, the cervix prepares for menstruation. In this picture the cervix is just doing its thing, waiting for either a pregnancy or shark week to happen. The average cervix measures 3 to 5cm in length and 2 to 3cm in diameter.