Determining Ovulation

It is important to attempt pregnancy right before and during ovulation. Ovulation is the time of a woman’s menstrual cycle when an egg is released from an ovarian follicle into the fallopian tube to be fertilized. A woman’s egg waits around for only 24 hours to be fertilized before it disintegrates and is absorbed back into a woman’s body.  Sperm can survive in a woman’s body for up to a week, and so the best option is to have intercourse right before and during ovulation. You can go about determining ovulation in the following ways:

Look for a spike in body temperature. A woman’s body temperature briefly rises just after ovulation occurs and the egg has been released into the fallopian tube. You have 12-24 hours to fertilize an egg once you have detected a rise in body temperature. The best way to monitor your temperature is with a basal thermometer just as you wake up in the morning before doing anything else. It is important to take your temperature at the same time every morning in order to get consistent results.

Use urine tests. There are ovulation tests that analyze your urine for a rise in the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) in a woman’s body.  LH levels rise just before ovulation occurs, as it is what causes an egg to erupt from the follicle in an ovary and move down into the corresponding fallopian tube. It is best to take ovulation tests twice a day at the same times every day, once in the late morning and again in the evening.

Monitor your cervical mucus. Just before you begin to ovulate your vaginal discharge will change in quantity and consistency. You should experience more mucus in a slimier, clear texture. Some may describe it to look like egg whites.

Chart the days in your menstrual cycle. If you can keep track of the number of days between the first days of your periods you can more or less determine when your ovulation and next period should be.  Count from the first day of your last period up to your next expected period (for most women this averages between 21-28 days). Then count backwards from the day you expect your next period 12-16 days. These days in the middle of your cycle are when you should expect to ovulate.