Ovulation is one major thing that occurs in women, and even at that, there are often various questions about the timing and signs that accompany this activity. For most couples, especially those trying to conceive, ovulation seems to be a major topic as this period signifies the perfect time that babies are conceived.
According to research, every couple that is not on birth control pills has about a 25-30 percent probability of bearing kids (within 12 to 24 hours per month). Does this short period sound discouraging? Well, this is due to the short life span of the female egg, unlike the sperm. Not to worry, as the human sperm can survive for several days.
Hence, there is still a chance of the sperm fertilizing the egg during ovulation if sex has happened a few days back. But, it is more preferable for sex to be scheduled on the day ovulation occurs. Thus, the ovulation cycle is important, and it would be quite beneficial for a lot of women to know much about it.
However, this doesn’t seem to be the case, as some women are still oblivious about what happens during the ovulation cycle and what time it occurs. Please note that ovulation occurs at different timings amongst the female folks, and there are several signs, which accompany it, and these signs also differ amongst ladies.
Once you become more knowledgeable about the signs that accompany ovulation, you can have a clue of the right timing of sex that can produce babies, as this period holds higher chances of pregnancy occurring. Also, for women who are not yet ready to conceive, you can know more about your menstrual cycle with a proper understanding of the ovulation symptoms. If there happen to be some abnormal signs, you can easily notice and find a solution.
What Is Ovulation?
Through research, it is said that ovulation is the discharge of a fully developed egg from an ovary. Women are usually most fruitful when they are undergoing ovulation. Each female born into this world is said medically to have millions of eggs the moment they are birthed.
These eggs are not fully developed and are waiting to be mature and be discharged one after the other month after month. During the woman’s ovulation process, the egg is said to proceed downwards and into the fallopian tube. A male’s semen can fertilize them. Healthy women ovulate once a month, a few weeks after their menstruation starts.
When Is It Likely To Happen?
Ovulation usually happens halfway through the menstruation cycle, on the fourteenth day in the process of twenty-eight days when counting from day one to the next one first day. No two women are ever alike when it comes down to ovulation. Cycles differ and may last between 23 to 25 days. Some women’s cycle and ovulation date can vary between times.
There’s a possibility that ovulation will take place between the 10th and 19th day of a specific cycle, equating to around twelve to sixteen days before the next menstrual cycle occurs. For many women, it is said that ovulation will take place fourteen days before the first day of their next menstrual cycle, whereby in a 35-day process, ovulation should take place on cycle day 21. However, in an average 21-day menstrual cycle, ovulation should take place on the seventh day.
When you get pregnant and are taking contraceptive pills or have been through menopause, ovulation won’t occur. There are some unrest and illnesses that have an effect on ovulation, as well as rash ovarian breakdown and polycystic ovarian disorder. Different medications, including chemotherapy, anti-nausea medications, and antidepressants to also suppress ovulation for some amount of time
There are factors of life to consider when it comes to ovulation; being corpulent or underweight or under utmost stress can adversely affect ovulation. Most women who breastfeed their baby won’t ovulate, but this is not certain, so endeavor not to rely on breastfeeding to obstruct yourself from getting pregnant again.
Process of Ovulation – An Outline
The ovulation process is defined by a period in which hormones are at their peak in a woman’s menstrual cycle. Here are three distinguished phases.
The Periovulatory Or Follicular Phase
This can be said when the cell layer covering the ovum begins to become thicker, more mucus-like. It widens as the lining of the uterus starts to thicken.
The Ovulatory Phase
During this period, enzymes should be secreted, forming a stigma or hole. The egg uses this hole to transport itself into the woman’s fallopian tube. At this period, a woman is usually said to be fertile. It takes up a total of 1 -2 days to last.
The Luteal or Postovulatory Phase
At this phase, if an egg has come in contact with sperm and becomes fertilized, it becomes implanted in the woman’s uterus. If the egg remains unfertilized, it’ll stop making hormones dissolve within 24 hours. The uterus lining will start dissolving down, ready to leave the woman’s body when the next menstrual cycle begins.
Symptoms of Ovulation to Take Note Of
There are several ovulation key symptoms to take note of; here are a few;
- The body temperature falls before rising.
- The cervical mucus becomes clearer and thinner, taking a slippery egg-white-like consistency.
- The cervix begins to soften and opens slightly.
- It is often said that you might experience slight cramping or pains in the lower abdomen.
- You might feel the hunger to copulate.
- You might discover that you are spotting, which is less light than normal menstrual bleeding.
- Your vagina or vulva might look swollen a bit.
Ovulation Prediction- How Reliable?
Several methods are said to predict ovulation; below are a few details on how to guess right.
Checking Your Menstrual Calendar
If you’re used to tracking your periods for months, you can have a foresight of what your normal menstrual cycle is like. You can use different tools that aid in calculating the ovulation period. Sometimes this may work for women who have regular and stable periods. Still, suppose yours is unstable and irregular. In that case, you need a thing that’ll create an awareness of your body’s ovulation symptoms.
Pay More Attention To Your Body
A small number of women can feel themselves ovulating. This may appear in the form of an ache or discomfort below the abdomen. This discomfort is usually focused on a particular site where the egg has been discharged. The term for what you’re feeling at that moment is called “Mittelschmerz,” and it is said to occur when the egg is being released from the ovary.
Watching Your Temperature
Your basal body temperature diminishes when you ovulate. Using a basal body thermometer before getting out of bed, after achieving a substantial amount of rest, which could span 3-5 hours, you need to check your temperature before doing anything when you wake up in the morning. The basal body temperature fluctuates during a woman’s menstrual cycle due to a change in hormone levels. Before ovulation, estrogen becomes the dominating hormone. Still, once ovulation has occurred, another hormone called progesterone appears and increases the woman’s body temperature to prepare the womb to take in a fertilized egg.
Know More About Your Cervix
The ovulation process isn’t hidden, and you may spot some clear physical signs if you know where to look and when you pay more attention to your body. When the body begins to feel the hormonal changes that the egg is about to be discharged, it begins to make ready for the arrival of the sperm cells that will fertilize the egg. An anovulation symptom to be on the lookout for is the cervix position. As your cycle commences, the doughnut-shaped cervix passage that acts as a neck between the uterus and the vagina is closed, firm, and low.
Try Getting a Kit to Aid Your Prediction
A more simple solution to chart the course of your cycle for months is using an ovulation predictor kit. What this does is pinpoints your ovulation date 12-24 hours before it takes place. It carries this out by checking the level of your “Luteinizing Hormone,” which is the last hormone to get to its highest point before you ovulate.
Conclusion
Always take note that being patient is needed when you’re trying to conceive. Nothing is for certain, even though you’re sure that you are in your ovulating phase. However, knowing the right ovulation symptoms can help get the right time to copulate so that you have a high chance of getting pregnant.
Ovulation is a major thing that occurs in women, and it is a factor that increases the probability of conceiving. Women who are not yet ready to conceive can also use proper knowledge of the ovulation signs to avoid pregnancy. You can learn more from the information in this article.