Signs of Ovulation and How To Find Your Fertile Window
Whether you’re trying for a baby or not, ovulation is an important part of a healthy and normal menstrual cycle. It’s important to know that even if you are getting a period, it doesn’t always mean that you’re ovulating. For couples who are trying to conceive, this can cause a lot of confusion and frustration. Knowing more about ovulation along with the how and why it occurs, is vital so that you can understand more about your body and your reproductive health. Below, I explain exactly what ovulation is, how and when it happens, signs to look for, plus why ovulation might not be happening for you.
What is ovulation and when does it occur?
Ovulation is the part of the menstrual cycle when an egg is released from an ovary. In a 28 day cycle, ovulation typically happens on day 14, about two weeks before the start of your period. It’s important to note however, that everyone is different and depending on your cycle length and other factors, your day of ovulation may vary.
What causes ovulation?
The process of ovulation comes down to two main hormones:
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
Let’s break it down...
PHASE ONE: In the first half of your cycle (the follicular phase), FSH is released which causes the ovaries to produce a number of follicles. Each follicle contains an immature egg, and as this phase continues and FSH starts to decline, usually one egg reaches full maturity which will then be released. FSH also causes estrogen levels to rise, which helps to mature the egg and thicken and prepare the lining of the uterus.
OVULATORY PHASE: Once an egg has matured, the body releases luteinizing hormone (LH). It’s a rise in this hormone that causes ovulation to happen, releasing the egg from the follicle where it then travels to the fallopian tube.
PHASE TWO: In the second half of the cycle (the luteal phase), the left over follicle forms what is called a corpus luteum. Although it isn’t a spell out of Harry Potter, I can tell you it is just as magical. It’s this structure which starts to produce progesterone to thicken the lining of the uterus to help prepare for conception. However, if conception does not take place, the corpus luteum breaks down, progesterone levels fall, the lining of the uterus is shed - and voilá! The period begins.
“The corpus luteum… Although it isn’t a spell out of Harry Potter, I can tell you it is just as magical.”
Signs of ovulation and what to look for:
There are a few ways that your body may let you know you are ovulating. Ovulation symptoms include:
spotting or light bleeding in the middle of your cycle
tender or sore breasts
an increase in libido
a dull cramp like pain or discomfort on one side of the abdomen - this is known as ‘mittelschmerz’
a change in cervical mucus which may resemble clear, stretchy eggwhite discharge
a rise in basal body temperature
Tracking changes in your cervical mucus and basal body temperature is an easy and affordable way to identify ovulation as well as your most fertile days - ie the best time to have sex if you are trying to conceive. If you’re tracking your basal body temperature, it is important to note that the rise in temperature you will see doesn’t predict ovulation, but instead lets you know that ovulation has already occurred. For those interested in how to track your basal body temperature (BBT) and cervical mucus, I’ll cover this in a seperate blog post which I will link here.
“Find the fertile window, and you’ve found the best time to get pregnant.”
What is the fertile window?
The fertile window is the time in your cycle where it is possible to conceive. Find the fertile window, and you’ve found the best time to get pregnant.
Your fertile window includes the day of ovulation, and the five days beforehand - all up, there is a 6 day window in which a sperm can fertilise an egg. An egg can only live around 12–24 hours after ovulation, but sperm can live much longer, often 3–5 days in fertile cervical mucus. The best time to have intercourse is therefore right before ovulation, as sperm can live in the reproductive tract for several days. If they are already there when ovulation occurs, they can immediately fertilise an egg.
Can you ovulate more than once in a cycle?
The short answer? Yes, although this is very rare. Some people can ovulate more than once in a cycle, but most of the time, it is more likely that multiple mature eggs would be released in the same 24 hour period. In cases where multiple eggs are fertilised, this results in fraternal twins, triplets, and so on.
“Ovulatory dysfunction often comes down to the ovaries and pituitary not talking to each other properly, resulting in hormonal issues.”
Why would ovulation not occur?
Anovulation is where ovulation does not occur. Factors like stress, poor diet and conditions such as amenorrhea (a lack of a menstrual period) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can affect the time of ovulation month to month making it irregular (known as oligo-anovulation), or stop ovulation from happening completely. Other factors like low body weight, obesity, extreme exercise and thyroid dysfunction can also cause issues with ovulation.
Ovulatory dysfunction often comes down to the ovaries and pituitary not talking to each other properly, resulting in hormonal issues. This can also result in further fertility issues such as:
a lack of fertile mucus
low levels of progesterone
a thin endometrial lining
a short luteal phase
“Simply put, if your body is under stress, it does not make for a great environment for a baby.”
What can I do to encourage ovulation?
Manage stress. Simply put, if your body is under stress, it does not make for a great environment for a baby. Elevated stress hormones can disrupt the conversation between your brain and the ovaries, which can cause ovulation to happen later or not at all. Cortisol, a stress hormone, also suppresses gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) which is needed to stimulated the release of both FSH and LH, and can therefore plays a role in amenorrhoea, anovulation, and menstrual irregularities.
Support hormones with herbs. Several medicinal herbs including Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), Tribulus (Tribulus terrestris) False unicorn (Chamaelirium luteum) can help to support the balance of hormones and promote ovulation. It is important that you consult a qualified medical herbalist to help put together a specific herbal formula that is right for you, as everyone is different.
Eat a clean, wholefood diet. Avoid high sugar and processed foods and focus on a clean and wholefood diet full of organic vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and grass-fed, organic, free range lean meat. It is important to make sure you are getting enough nutrients for optimal fertility, including omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, choline, magnesium, selenium, vitamin B12 and folate. I recommend booking in with a qualified nutritionist or naturopath to help tailor your diet to you (and your partner), to increase your chances of both conception and a healthy pregnancy.
Exercise. Making sure you have some form of movement in your day is important for so many health reasons, but it’s also vital to support ovulation and fertility. Research suggests that regular exercise (30-60min/day) can improve reproductive function and reduce the risk of ovulatory dysfunction. On the other hand, too much vigorous exercise (>60min/day) can place a stress on the body and also result in low body weight, which can negatively affect ovulation.
If you would like some help to promote ovulation or improve your chance of conception, I work one-on-one with clients providing nutrition plans and tailored herbal medicine to help balance hormones and support fertility.
Contact me to book an appointment or book in for a FREE 15-minute call to find out how I can help you.
