Whether you are hoping to get pregnant or doing your best to avoid it, understanding ovulation is an important key to your fertility. Ovulation is the time in a woman's menstrual cycle when she is most likely to conceive. A mature egg within one ovary rises to the surface and is released to begin the journey toward the fallopian tube, where it awaits fertilization with a sperm. If fertilized, it will move into the uterus and be implanted within the uterine wall. If not fertilized, it will be shed with the uterine lining and blood, known as a menstrual period. There are signs before and during ovulation to help you gauge the best days for conception, or days to avoid sexual relations and an unwanted pregnancy.
Step 1
Keep a calendar to accurately predict ovulation. Most women cycle every 28 to 31 days. Count the first day of your last period as Day One. According to the American Pregnancy Association, ovulation can take place anywhere from day 11 to day 21 in the cycle. So on your calendar, count 11 days from the first day of your last period, and begin to look for other signs that you are indeed ovulating. Remember, this is when you are most likely to become pregnant.
Step 2
Check your vaginal discharge or mucous each day and record it on your calendar. As ovulation approaches, the typically white discharge will change to a clear, slippery consistency similar to the white part of a raw egg. This clear mucous makes it easier for sperm to swim efficiently toward their goal -- your egg.
Step 3
Take your basal temperature daily and track it on your calendar. This is your average body temperature upon waking each morning, before any activities. Just before and during ovulation, most women experience a slight rise in their basal temperature as the hormone progesterone starts increasing in preparation for a fertilized egg. It's a good idea to keep the thermometer at the bedside and use it before arising. Approximately 10 to 11 days into your cycle, you should see a rise in your temperature two to three days before and during ovulation.
Step 4
Be aware of any abdominal cramping, similar to what you feel when you begin your period. Many women experience this cramping but pass it off as intestinal gas or irregularity of their bowels. Some actually experience a sharper pain when their egg "ruptures" from the ovary.
Step 5
Consider using an ovulation kit, which is available in drug stores and online and tests your saliva. If ferning is present, ovulation should be occurring within one to three days. Then you can call your spouse to come home and procreate with you, or tell your man to stay away for awhile if you are not using reliable birth control.
Tips and Warnings
- Spot bleeding is experienced by some women when they begin to ovulate. This is another sign that you are coming into a fertile time. A mature egg lives for 12 to 24 hours after leaving the ovary, but sperm can live over five days in the female reproductive tract, per obstetrician Dr. Roger Harms of the Mayo Clinic. Ovulation can be affected by high stress or illness. The most fertile time is the day of ovulation and the day before.
- Discuss getting pregnant with your doctor several months before you try and conceive to learn important preparations for your future baby. Do not rely on the "ovulation method" for birth control. Talk with your doctor for a more reliable method if you do not wish to get pregnant.
Things You'll Need
- Calendar
- Thermometer
- Ovulation Kit
