Ovulation for Dummies | Aldult Toys Blog

Even for those of us who are most familiar with our bodies’ natural rhythms and quirks, it seems like there’s always more to learn. Take the famous menstrual cycle, a faithful companion of women with uteruses from puberty to menopause. While menstruation itself—that flashy girl in red—tends to get the most attention, it’s just one step in our monthly revolution. Anyone with a monthly cycle would do well to better understand the different stages it involves—for overall health, improved health, and better health. contraceptive effortsa better chance of getting pregnant, and so on. Self-knowledge is power, after all.

What exactly is ovulation?

In short, ovulation is the part of the menstrual cycle when a mature egg is released from the ovary into one of your fallopian tubes—a process that plays a major role in pregnancy. Once the egg is released, it may or may not be fertilized by a specific sperm.

If fertilized, the egg can travel to your uterus and implant, where it will develop into a pregnancyIf it is not fertilized, the egg disintegrates and the uterine lining is then shed when you have your period.

When does ovulation occur in the menstrual cycle?

Day 1 of your menstrual cycle is the first day of your period. Pretty simple, right? With the arrival of your period, follicular phase begins: the phase in which an egg matures and is then released during ovulation.

For those with a very regular 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation usually (but not always) occurs halfway through, on day 14, about 24 to 36 hours after your body releases a wave of luteinizing hormone (LH). But for many of us, who for countless reasons experience cycles that are less predictable each month, the exact date of ovulation can be less obvious.

After you ovulate around mid-cycle (ovulation itself only lasts 12-24 hours), you enter what’s called the luteal phase. If pregnancy occurs during this phase, hormones will prevent the lining of the uterus from shedding. Otherwise, your period will start around day 28 of your cycle (or whatever your normal period is). So a new cycle begins and everything starts over.

Understanding Your “Fertile Window”

There are approximately 6 days in your menstrual cycle during which pregnancy It is possible. This “fertile window” typically includes the 5 days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation itself, although the timing of the window can vary, as we are all unique in this sense.

Fun fact 1: Sperm can stay in your fallopian tubes for several days after intercourse, still ready and willing to fertilize an egg once it is released.

Fun fact 2: Once your egg is in your fallopian tubes, it typically lives for 12 to24 hours before it can no longer be fertilized. The 6-day “fertile window” mentioned above takes all of this into account, but to be more comprehensive, just in case the egg and/or sperm in question are particularly resistant, you can count the 2-3 days after ovulation as part of your fertile window, for a total of 8-9 days per month during which those trying to conceive should be active and those not trying to conceive should be sure to use a reliable form of birth control. That being said, the most fertile days of all are the 2 days before ovulation and the day of ovulation itself.

How to know if you are ovulating

Whether you’re trying to get pregnant, avoiding pregnancy, and/or trying to better understand your overall reproductive and physical health, learning to identify your ovulatory phase (or lack thereof) can go a long way toward shedding light on a natural bodily function that’s too often obscured by a lack of basic information.

Although not everyone experiences symptoms during ovulation, the most common symptoms you may notice include:

– light bleeding or spotting

– breast tenderness (can be quite similar to what they feel before/during periods)

– a higher libido (this is the biological imperative speaking)

– ovarian painAKA mittelschmerz, which can manifest as discomfort/pain on one side of the abdomen

In addition to noticing if and when these symptoms occur, consider the following more accurate methods to determine if/when you are ovulating (try multiple methods at once for greater accuracy):

– Track your cycle. Although ovulation typically occurs around day 14 of a 28-day cycle, cycles as short as 21 days or as long as 35 days can be considered “normal.” Using a handy online template, or a period tracking appYou can easily track your cycle over several months to see how long it is on average. You can also note when your period starts and any symptoms you may experience throughout your cycle, each of which are potential clues as to when you are ovulating. To learn more about cycle tracking, read on Fertility Awareness Method (FAM)or read Toni Weschler’s classic Taking charge of your fertility.

– Take your temperature. Your temperature rises slightly for a few days after ovulation, by about 0.5 to 1.3°F or 0.3 to 0.7°C. You may be able to detect this change by taking your basal body temperature (TBC) or resting temperature each morning before getting out of bed. Many FAM practitioners combine cycle tracking with daily BBT measurements to get a more complete picture.

– Pay attention to your vaginal discharge. Typically, you will see more vaginal discharge Around the time of ovulation, vaginal discharge tends to be clearer, more slippery, and sometimes described as resembling “stretchy egg whites.” This wet, slippery discharge makes it easier for sperm to travel up the vagina and reach the uterus to meet an egg.

– Purchase an over-the-counter tracking aid. While the most accurate method to confirm ovulation is an ultrasound or hormone blood test, you do have some do-it-yourself options. Ovulation Predictor Kits and Fertility Monitors are usually available at the pharmacy. The former detects the presence of LH in your urine, which usually means you’re about to ovulate, while the latter tracks both estrogen and LH to help you identify your fertile window. Some monitors claim to detect 4 or more fertile days each month with 99% accuracy.

When ovulation is irregular

If you have chosen your preferred method of tracking your ovulation from month to month, you may eventually find that you are not ovulating on a regular schedule or not ovulating at all. For starters, if you are not getting your period, chances are you are not ovulating. Of course, factors like stress or diet can affect the exact timing of your ovulation/menstruation from cycle to cycle, or cause you to skip ovulation one month. Therefore, when tracking your cycle, always observe it for 4-6 months before jumping to conclusions. It is also worth noting that it can take several months for your cycle to return to normal if you have I recently stopped taking the pill.

Although some people simply have a longer first half of their cycle and therefore ovulate later in their cycle than 14 days, it is a good idea to speak to your gynecologist if you suspect that ovulation is irregular or absent, as there are also certain health issues, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or thyroid disorders, which can affect ovulation.

There’s a certain kind of empowerment that comes from learning about your body and its complex cycles. Once you’re tuned in, you can hear so much more of what it’s telling you, even when the signals are subtle. Enjoy the process of learning about yourself inside and out—chances are, it’ll be rewarding in ways you never imagined. <3