The Ultimate Guide: Signs & Symptoms of Ovulation (2024)
What we’ll cover in this post:
Whether you’re trying to conceive (TTC), trying to avoid a pregnancy, or you just want to be more in tune with your body and your menstrual cycles, recognizing and learning the signs and symptoms of ovulation will be very helpful.
Everyone’s menstrual cycles and ovulation symptoms may vary, but there are some key signs of ovulation to be aware of. Once you learn these signs and symptoms, you’ll be able to pinpoint what’s normal for you.
Once you can comfortably and confidently recognize that ovulation is near, you can use your knowledge to either avoid pregnancy or try to conceive!
What is ovulation?
In short, ovulation is when a mature egg is released from one of the ovaries into one of the fallopian tubes.
Just prior to the release of the mature egg, some other things are going on in your reproductive system. Let’s chat about those things so we have a better understanding of what’s going on in there.
Menstrual Cycle
All premenopausal (meaning you still get a period) uterus owners have a menstrual cycle. A menstrual cycle, in short, is the cycle that every uterus owner goes through every single month.
Each month, our bodies prepare to house a baby; whether we want one or not. In order to house a baby, our uteruses need to provide that baby with some cushion. When our bodies realize there is no fertilized egg and, therefore, no baby, this cushion (our uterine lining) needs to be shed. This shedding of the uterine lining is what we, uterus owners, know as our monthly period.
While you may only be very familiar with the actual bleeding part of your cycle, there are actually four phases to the menstrual cycle.
The four phases of the menstrual cycle are:
The menstrual phase
The follicular phase
The ovulation phase
The luteal phase
The menstrual cycle can be anywhere from 21 to 35 days, with ovulation occurring somewhere in the middle; usually about 14 days prior to the start of the menstrual phase.
The Menstrual Phase
The first day of your period marks day one of your menstrual cycle, or the menstrual phase. The menstrual cycle is characterized by the expulsion of the uterine lining. This results in the typical bleeding experienced during the menstrual phase of your menstrual cycle.
Some other symptoms, sometimes referred to as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), that can occur for the few days before the start of the menstrual phase and during the menstrual phase include:
Headaches
Irritability
Uterine cramps
Diarrhea
Constipation
Sadness/crying
Appetite changes
Changes in sleep habits
Change in libido
Joint and/or muscle pain
Fatigue
Bloating
Breast tenderness
Changes in skin (acne/breakouts)
The menstrual phase typically lasts anywhere from 3 to 7 days.
The Follicular Phase
The first day of the menstrual phase also marks the start of the follicular phase. During the follicular phase, your body releases follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is the hormone responsible for helping the egg(s) inside of your ovaries mature to eventually release.
The follicular phase starts on day one of your period and ends at ovulation.
Ovulation
Once the egg has matured in the ovary, a hormone called luteinizing hormone (LH) surges to prompt the egg to release from the ovary. This luteinizing hormone (LH) surge is what is detected on at home ovulation tests (we’ll talk about those a bit later).
Ovulation, by definition, is the actual expulsion of the mature egg from the ovary.
You can expect to ovulate within 24 to 36 hours after this luteinizing hormone (LH) surge.
Luteal Phase
After ovulation occurs, the luteal phase begins. The luteal phase is the phase right after ovulation when the uterine line begins thickening in preparation for a possible pregnancy. If you end up pregnant, the uterine line will continue to thicken in order to house a baby. If you are not pregnant, your uterine lining will begin to shed; starting day one of your menstrual cycle again.
What are ovulation symptoms?
Just like you can experience those premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, you can also experience some symptoms related to ovulation. Keep in mind that not everyone experiences ovulation symptoms. It is totally normal to have no ovulation symptoms at all.
Just because you do not experience ovulation symptoms, does not mean you are not ovulating.
Change in cervical mucus
People who experience a menstrual cycle will usually always have some type of noticeable cervical mucus, or discharge; this is totally normal. Some people experience more cervical mucus than others.
There are multiple different variations to cervical mucus. It’s important to know what is normal for you when it comes to cervical mucus so you can easily detect a change or an issue. Sometimes, the first sign of an infection or pH disruption, is a change in cervical mucus.
Some people have also reported that the first sign of pregnancy was a change in cervical mucus!
Whether you’ve noticed this on your underwear or not, it changes depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle. Your cervical mucus can tell you a lot about what’s going on in your uterus!
During the menstrual cycle, you probably do not notice any cervical mucus because it is mixed with blood and cells from your uterine lining.
For a few days after the menstrual phase ends, the cervical mucus is typically pretty dry. You may notice very little cervical mucus or none at all.
Prior to ovulation, your body will start making more and more cervical mucus. During this time, it may feel sticky, look cloudy, and be yellow or white in color.
Right before and during ovulation is when you’ll notice the most cervical mucus. You know you are very close to ovulation and/or actively ovulating when your cervical mucus is clear/watery and slippery, similar to raw egg whites. You can usually stretch it between your fingers (see below).
After ovulation occurs, it’s common to have very little to no noticeable cervical mucus until the menstrual phase begins again.
Mild cramping
Some people may never notice this mild cramping around ovulation, while others will always feel it. Ovulation pain, also called “Mittelschmerz”, is either described as a quick sharp pain on one side of the lower abdomen or a dull ache that may last from a few hours to a few days.
While there is no solid evidence on what causes ovulation pain, there are a few theories:
The egg actually erupting from the follicle, causing a sudden sharp pain
Swelling or rupturing of a follicle
Fallopian tube and/or uterine spasms
Light spotting
Light spotting around the time of ovulation is actually pretty rare, but it can happen. Typically ovulation spotting occurs randomly in the middle of your cycle and will be light pink in color. It will be much lighter than period bleeding and it will be mixed with fertile cervical mucus.
Light spotting associated with ovulation typically only lasts a day or two. It may be so light that it never makes it to your underwear. Some people report ovulation spotting only when wiping.
Increased sex drive
An increase in sex drive right around ovulation is Mother Nature’s way of getting you to have sex at the ideal time. Hormones shift, our smell changes a bit, and we may even become more attractive to our partners around the time of ovulation.
This is nature’s way of telling us to get to baby-making!
Cervical changes
Checking your cervix may take some practice. It’s best to do this around the same time every day; in the shower or right after a shower with clean hands. If you’ve never felt your cervix before, it may take some adjusting to find the most comfortable position. You’ll want to use one or two fingers and insert them into your vagina. The cervix will be up and back in the vagina. You know you are at your cervix when you feel something firm with a dimple in the middle.
Once you are comfortable feeling/finding your cervix, you’ll be able to recognize changes in your cervix throughout your menstrual cycle:
The Menstrual Phase
During the menstrual phase, the cervix usually is pretty low (easier to reach), firm (like the tip of your nose), and the “dimple” will feel slightly open for blood to easily flow. Once the menstrual phase ends, the cervix will remain low and firm, but the opening will close.
Ovulation Phase
As ovulation nears, your cervix will rise to the top of the vagina and become softer, like your lips. Sometimes, the cervix rises so high that you may have trouble reaching it. You will also notice that the “dimple” will open again to allow sperm in.
After ovulation, the cervix will drop again, become more firm, and close. If pregnancy occurs, the cervix will rise back up, become soft, and remain closed.
You may be wondering: “How soon can you feel pregnancy symptoms after ovulation?”
Most people will not experience pregnancy symptoms, including cervical changes, until after a positive pregnancy test.
If you are consistent with tracking symptoms throughout your menstrual cycle, you may soon realize that you were tracking pregnancy symptoms after ovulation day by day. Unfortunately, early pregnancy symptoms and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms are very similar, making them hard to decipher.
Changes in basal body temperature (BBT)
Basal body temperature is your body temperature at rest. We all think of the “normal” body temperature as 98.6°F or 37°C, but our body temperature actually fluctuates throughout the day. Things that can affect your body temperature include:
Rest
Activity
Stress
Illness
Alcohol
Medication
Menstrual cycles
So what does basal body temperature (BBT) have to do with ovulation?
If you consistently track your basal body temperature (BBT), you may be able to pick up on when you ovulate. We’ll talk more about this a bit later.
Other symptoms
Some ovulation symptoms are similar to early pregnancy symptoms and/or premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, which may make it difficult to figure out what is causing them.
Some of these symptoms include:
Heightened sense of smell
Nausea
Breast tenderness
Bloating
It’s important to remember that not everyone experiences ovulation symptoms. Just because you do not experience these symptoms does not mean you are not ovulating. That’s why becoming in tune with your body and figuring out your normal is so important!
How long do ovulation symptoms last?
If you are someone who experiences ovulation symptoms, you will likely only experience these symptoms for 1 to 3 days. Symptoms of ovulation can be attributed to the surge in hormones right before the mature egg leaves the ovary.
How to predict ovulation
Now that we’ve talked about what ovulation is and when it typically occurs, how can you figure out when you’re ovulating?
There are a few different ways to help pinpoint ovulation timing.
Tracking Menstruation/Cycles
One of the easiest and most convenient ways to predict ovulation is to simply track the menstrual phase of your cycles. Once you start doing this, you’ll be able to learn more about your cycles.
In order to help pinpoint ovulation, you should first figure out:
Are your menstrual cycles regular (Meaning they occur every 21-35 days)?
Are there some months that you do not experience a menstrual phase?
Are there some months that you experience more than one menstrual phase?
Are you someone who experiences multiple days of spotting between your menstrual phases?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, it may be a bit more difficult for you to pinpoint your ovulation based on only tracking your menstrual phases.
If you are someone who experiences predictable and trackable menstrual phases, it will be easier to pinpoint ovulation.
For instance, if you begin your menstrual phase every 28(ish) days, you can expect to ovulate somewhere around day 14 of your cycle. This means your fertile window would be somewhere between days 9 and 15 of your cycle, with your actual ovulation day somewhere within that fertile window. These are the days you would want to have sex every day or every other day if you are trying to conceive.
There are multiple apps out there that make tracking your cycles easier. Most will even give you an ovulation/fertile window prediction once you have tracked your cycles for a few months. While, it’s essentially impossible to tell the exact moment you ovulate, (at least without an ultrasound) the more you track and establish a consistent pattern, the more precise your ovulation predictions will be..
Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs)
Ovulation predictor kits are tests, similar to pregnancy tests, that you can buy to help pinpoint your ovulation. Just as pregnancy tests use urine to detect the presence of the pregnancy hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)), ovulation predictor tests use urine to detect the presence of luteinizing hormone (LH).
Like we previously discussed, luteinizing hormone (LH) is the hormone responsible for triggering a mature egg to be released from the ovary.
Because these tests are detecting the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, you can expect to ovulate 24 to 36 hours after a positive ovulation predictor kit (OPK).
Unlike a pregnancy test, you do not necessarily want to use your first morning urine (FMU) with ovulation predictor kits (OPKs). Most people will have a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the morning and will be able to detect the surge at some point between 12pm and 8pm.
When a luteinizing hormone (LH) surge is approaching, the test line on the ovulation predictor kit (OPK) will get darker. Once you notice the test line becoming darker, you may want to test more than once a day so you do not miss your positive test. You know your ovulation predictor kit (OPK) is positive when the test line is darker than or as dark as the control line. Once you see this positive test, the test line will begin to lighten again.
So, when should you have sex if you’re trying to concieve?
You should have sex every other day during your fertile window. Once you see a positive OPK, you can expect to ovulate within 24 to 36 hours; so you should have sex every day following a positive OPK (unless directed otherwise by a healthcare provider).
Ideally, you want the sperm waiting for the egg. By having sex before the mature egg bursts through the ovary and gets to the fallopain tube, you have a better chance of becoming pregnant. Sperm can live for up to 5 days waiting for an egg, while a mature egg will only hang out in the fallopian tube for about 24 hours or so.
Basal Body Temperature (BBT)
We briefly discussed basal body temperature (BBT), but how can you use it to determine when you’re ovulating?
It is best to take your basal body temperature every morning right after you wake up, preferably at the same time everyday, before you eat or drink anything, and before you even get out of bed.
During the 2 to 3 days after ovulation occurs, you will notice that your basal body temperature increases by 0.5-1.3°F or 0.3-0.7°C.
Since the increase in temperature occurs after ovulation, basal body temperature (BBT) has to be tracked for a few months before you can pinpoint the pattern. Once you notice that your temperature is rising on the same few days each month, you’ll know exactly when to either avoid sex or have sex, depending on whether you’re trying to concieve (TTC) or not.
There are many of different apps you can use to track your basal body temperature (BBT). They will usually use a line graph to plot the recorded temperatures, which makes it easier to see the spike in temperature and the dip back to your normal temperature.
Fertility monitors
A fertility monitor is an electronic device that helps to pinpoint ovulation. Fertility monitors typically work by providing the consumer with ovulation test strips. The test stips are used by the cosumer and then inserted into the monitor where it is interpreted.
Using a fertility monitor may make it a bit easier to determine when an ovulation test is actually positive. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if the test line is darker or as dark as the control line. The fertility monitor will simply give a “yes” or “no” answer.
Some fertility monitors are a bit more comprehensive and come with a device that goes into your vagina while you sleep. This device keeps track of your basal body temperature (BBT) and you also use ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) to get an even more accurate ovulation estimation. This also takes away the need for you to remember to take your basal body temperature (BBT) every morning.
The use of a fertility monitor is typically a last resort before seeking medical fertility assistance. If you are someone who experiences irregular menstrual cycles or you are having difficulty trying to conceive (TTC), but you’re not quite ready for medical intervention, a fertility monitor may be useful for you.
The Takeaway
Whether you are trying to conceive (TTC), trying to avoid a pregnancy, or you just want to learn more about your body, being able to recognize the signs and symptoms of ovulation will be helpful.
Our bodies can seem overwhelmingly complex, but learning more about your body, what it does, and what patterns it follows can really help you feel more in tune with yourself.
Learning what is happening during your menstrual cycle, tracking and recording your menstrual cycles, using ovulation predictor kits (OPKs), and being able to recognize the signs and symptoms of ovulation are all helpful tools.
Motherboard is here to educate and provide evidence-based information to help you become more in tune with your body!
🤍 The Motherboard Team
