The journey to motherhood looks different for everyone. Whether you have given just a little or a whole lotta thought towards starting or growing your existing family, this article is for you!
We’re going to take a deep dive into all things ovulation so you have a better understanding of how it all works and the role that ovulation plays in trying to conceive.
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What is ovulation?
Ovulation is the time in your cycle when an egg drops from your ovaries down into your fallopian tubes. The egg then lives there for a 12-24 hour window and waits to be fertilized by sperm.
A woman with regular, 28-day cycles ovulates around day 14 of each cycle. If your cycle is shorter or longer than 28 days you can expect to ovulate earlier or later depending on your cycle length.
When do you ovulate?
Like I said above, when you ovulate depends on the length of your cycle. A regular cycle is, on average, 28 days in length. If you have a regular cycle, you can expect to ovulate around day 14. The thing is though, not all women have regular cycles.
If your cycle is shorter than 28 days you can expect to ovulate sooner and if it’s longer than 28 days you can expect to ovulate later. If you are totally in the dark about when you ovulate this is helpful information because it gives you a starting place.
I don’t want you to rely too heavily on this average 14-day ovulation, however, because a lot of women don’t have those textbook 28-day cycles. According to this study, conducted by the NIH, only a third of women ovulate in this average, 14-day window. Ovulation actually happens earlier or much later for the majority of women.
How long does ovulation last?
After a mature egg is released from the ovary and moves down the fallopian tube, aka ovulation, it stays there for 12-24 hours. This 12-24 hour is the window in which it can be fertilized by a sperm and you become pregnant.
Sperm can live inside the female reproductive tract for as long as five days after sexual intercourse. Live sperm being present in your fallopian tubes during ovulation increases your chances of getting pregnant. (source)
Common ovulation symptoms
There are actually a lot of physiological symptoms that happen with our bodies leading up to and during ovulation. Here are some of the more common ovulation symptoms you might experience:
- Egg white cervical mucus
- Elevated basal body temperature
- Breast tenderness
- Bloating
- Increased sex drive
- Pelvic aches or pains
- Heightened sense of smell
You might experience some of these and you might not experience any of these. My guess though is at least one or two of them ring a bell!
How to track ovulation
Knowing when you ovulate really comes in handy if you are trying to conceive (TTC). Timing is everything when it comes to getting pregnant! If you have regular, 28-day cycles, there’s a good chance you are ovulating around day 14 (discussed above).
What about those women who don’t have 28-day cycles or don’t ovulate when they are “supposed” to? This is when tracking ovulation can get a little bit tricky but don’t worry, I’ve got ya covered! Below I’m going to talk about the 5 most common ways to track ovulation.
1. Ovulation strips and kits
Ovulation test strips and predictor kits are little strips you dip into your pee to check for ovulation. These strips work by detecting if a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) is present. There is a surge of LH in your body about 24-48 hours before an egg is released.
These test strips and predictor kits can be helpful for timing when to have sex. Once the strip is positive for the presence of LH, you should be actively trying to get pregnant over the next few days.
I know plenty of women that have been successful using ovulation test strips and predictor kits in the past and others that have not. I recommend giving them a shot for a couple months (maybe in conjunction with another tracking tool) and see what happens.
They are pretty inexpensive so it’s totally worth it in my opinion. You can find a 50-count box on Amazon for under $20. I recommend the Easy@Home brand which you can find here.
2. Cervical mucus
Above I briefly mentioned that an egg white cervical mucus is one of the more common signs of ovulation. I would like to dive into this a bit more. In case you didn’t know this already, your discharge actually changes each month with different phases of your menstrual cycle.
For a lot of women, tracking their cervical mucus is an easy and free way to learn more about when they ovulate. Egg-white cervical mucus (clear, stretchy, slippery) means ovulation is either imminent or actively occurring.
If you don’t see any obvious signs of cervical mucus (either on your underwear or a pad), you can simply insert a clean finger into your vagina to get a little sample. If what you find is gooey, sticky, stretchy then it’s probably ovulation time!
3. Basal body temperature (BBT)
Your BBT is your temperature when you are completely at rest and it actually rises and falls at different points in your cycle. When you ovulate, your BBT rises slightly and remains high for the following 10-14 days.
If you are using this method to track ovulation it’s important to chart your temperatures for several months so you can determine a pattern or trend. All you need with this method is a thermometer that measures to the 1/100th degree and a good fertility tracking chart.
Starting on the first day of your cycle, take your temperature first thing in the morning, before you get out of bed. Even the slightest movement can raise your temperature and give you an inaccurate reading. Aim to take it around the same time every morning.
4. Calendar or period tracking app
This is one of the easiest ways to track your cycle and ovulation. The downside with most of the apps is that they assume everyone has a regular, 28-day cycle and ovulates on day 14.
If you want to use this method, I recommend using an app or calendar in conjunction with another ovulation tracking method.
5. Fertility or ovulation tracking bracelet
Last but certainly not least, ovulation tracking bracelets. This is a fairly new concept but there are a good amount of them on the market. A device you wear at night, these bracelets track a number of different physiological signals in your body to determine your exact fertile window.
All of the collected data syncs up to an app on your phone and provides you with a detailed visual of your cycle and when you ovulate. These bracelets help eliminate the stress and headache that all too often are associated with ovulation tracking.
The downside with this method though is that they can be a bit on the pricey side.
Ovulation and TTC
I hope by now I’ve at least provided you with enough information for you to realize there is a direct relationship between ovulation and trying to conceive. As with many things in life, timing has a lottt to do with TTC. This is why learning how to track ovulation can make a big difference in your TTC efforts.
Determining exactly when you ovulate can really give you the upper hand when it comes to trying to get pregnant. I hope the information in this article, specifically the ovulation tracking methods, makes this process easier and less stressful for you.
Related Reading: How to Track Ovulation: 16 TTC Tips from an L&D Nurse
Where to find more tools and knowledge
Once you get that big fat positive (I’m sending all the good conception vibes your way) I highly recommend giving some of my other resources a look and/or a listen! You can find just a few more MLN resources below!
- A Complete Guide to Pregnancy Tests
- First Trimester Checklist: What to Do After That Positive Pregnancy Test
- EP189: Tips to Keep Your Pregnancy a Secret in the 1st Trimester
