What happens during Ovulation?
During ovulation, the egg travels down the fallopian tube, where it may meet up with a sperm and become fertilized. For most healthy women, ovulation generally happens once a month, a few weeks after menstruation begins.
Every woman usually has a six-day “fertile window” in their cycle—the five days leading up to ovulation, through the day of ovulation. And of those six days, the optimal time frame to conceive is during the two to three days prior to ovulation and the day of ovulation itself, when you’re most fertile. Once your egg has been released, it’s viable for about 12 to 24 hours. After that, you typically can’t get pregnant until your next menstrual cycle (but if you’re not trying to conceive, you should still use birth control at all times as a precaution).
How do I know I am ovulating?
Before and during ovulation, hormonal shifts can affect the entire body. You may experience various symptoms such as; breast tenderness, moodiness or headaches, but if you don’t notice any ovulation symptoms, don’t worry. It doesn’t mean you’re not ovulating.
Cervical mucus changes
As you near ovulation, your body produces more estrogen, causing cervical mucus to become stretchy and clear, like egg white, which helps sperm swim to the egg that’s released during ovulation. To test it for ovulation, insert a clean finger into your vagina, remove some of the mucus and then stretch out the secretion between your thumb and finger. If it’s sticky and stretchy or very wet and slippery, that’s a good sign that you’re in a fertile phase.
A heightened sense of smell
For some women, a more sensitive sense of smell in the latter half of a normal menstruation cycle can be a sign of ovulation. In this fertile phase, your body is primed to be more attracted to the male pheromone androstenone.
Breast soreness or tenderness
Breast and nipple sensitivity, tenderness or soreness can be another sign of ovulation, thanks to the rush of hormones entering your body right before and after ovulation.
Mild pelvic or lower abdominal pain
Some women can actually feel ovulation—typically as a mild ache or pain in the lower abdomen, usually on one side or the other (not the same side each time). The sensation, called Mittelschmerz, can last anywhere between a few minutes and a few hours. You might also experience light vaginal bleeding, discharge or nausea along with the ache or pain, which is usually mild and short-lived.
Light spotting or discharge
Brown discharge or spotting during ovulation is normal if not that common. This ovulation symptom can occur when the follicle that surrounds and protects the developing oocyte, or egg, matures, grows and then ruptures, resulting in a small amount of bleeding. As blood gets older, it turns brown, which is why the vaginal discharge may range from red to dark brown.
Libido changes
Some women notice that their sex drive increases during ovulation, which might be Mother Nature’s way of ensuring we keep the species alive and well!
Changes in the cervix
During ovulation, your cervix may become higher, softer and more open. You can check your cervix, along with your mucus, for ovulation symptoms, but it can take time to learn the differences you’re feeling for and is often more difficult than watching for the other symptoms mentioned above. If you’d like to try and get more comfortable checking for cervical changes as a sign of ovulation, Moore recommends standing in whatever position you use to insert a tampon (for example, next to the toilet with one foot up on the closed seat) and using your finger to feel inside. In many women with a regular cycle, right before ovulation, the cervix will be softer, like touching your lips, but after ovulation, it will feel harder, more like touching the tip of your nose.
References
- American Pregnancy. Signs of Ovulation. Accessed on 25th September 2018.