How to know when you’re ovulating

Trying to conceive can be a confusing time for many people, especially if they are not completely familiar with their bodies. Doctors will typically tell you that the average cycle is 28 days and ovulation occurs on day 14. But for many people this is not true – and going into trying to conceive with only this knowledge can really hurt a couples chances of getting pregnant.

The truth is that women have a wide range of normal cycles. Some women have cycles a little as 21 days, while others can have cycles lasting longer than 35 days. As you can imagine not all of these women ovulate on or anywhere near cycle day 14! Even woman with a textbook 28 day cycle may not ovulate on cycle 14; it can be a few days sooner or later.

Knowing when you ovulate is crucial to trying to conceive. If you miss your fertile window cycle after cycle you may begin to suspect that you have fertility problems, when in all reality your body works just fine. Here are some ways to help tell when you’re ovulating:

Your vaginal discharge increases. Around the time of ovulation a woman’s body gears up for ovulation by producing fertile cervical mucus that is good for transporting sperm. This discharge can range from watery to very stretchy and like egg whites.

You have pains on one side of your lower abdomen. Sometimes when a woman ovulates she can feel small cramps on the side the egg is being released from. The downside to this is that many women do not feel or recognize this pain.

Your cervix changes. Many women who are trying to conceive check their cervical position and texture throughout their cycle to help recognize their fertile period. During ovulation your cervix will be very soft, high up, and will feel slightly open. It may take a few cycles of checking your cervix to really recognize the changes it undergoes throughout your cycle.

Check your ovulation predictor kit reading. These tests, often called OPK’s are used to measure a surge in LH (luteinizing hormone) that occurs right before ovulation. If you are using a saliva based ovulation test, you will notice ferning patterns right around the ovulation time. The most dense ferning occurs during ovulation. For more information on how to interpret the readings of your saliva ovulation tester, click here.

Secondary signs of ovulation

According to the American Pregnancy Association, there are other, secondary ovulations signs that women may experience. These may not happen consistently, and many women will not experience them at all.

Secondary signs of ovulation may include:

Light spotting

Breast tenderness

Abdominal bloating

Increased sex drive

Heightened sense of smell, taste or vision

These are some of the signs that can help to predict and pinpoint ovulation. Once you know your ovulation period, you can use that knowledge to time your baby making efforts properly, achieving pregnancy more quickly.

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