Ovulation: how to know if I'm ovulating

When we want to have a baby, it is important to know how our period works, to know what are the days in which we are most likely to conceive. Fertile days are those in which the woman's body has everything necessary to get pregnant, and these occur when ovulation occurs.

We tell you what is ovulation and what are its symptoms, so you can identify the moment when you are ovulating and increase your chances of getting pregnant.

What is ovulation?

It is important to comment on the difference between fertile days and ovulation, because although they go hand in hand, they are not the same. Fertile days are the days when your chance of getting pregnant is higher, and as I mentioned at the beginning, these happen around ovulation.

In a regular menstrual cycle, Ovulation occurs once a month and begins when an ovary expels an ovum that has matured and it descends through the fallopian tube. This occurs when luteinizing hormone (LH) rises and the ovulation process begins 24 to 36 hours later.

Ovulation it is the moment in which the woman is more fertile and usually occurs between days 13 and 14 of the menstrual cycle (taking into account that it has a duration of 28 days). Fertile days are calculated around this date and are considered as such from two days before until two days after ovulation occurs.

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The use of applications to track the menstrual cycle and know what our fertile days are can be used for those who want to know if they are ovulating, but it is important to emphasize that knowing the exact moment of ovulation is very difficult and that this can vary from woman to woman, and even from one cycle to another.

One way to know if we are ovulating, in addition to the symptoms that we will share in a moment, is using ovulation tests, which are Home tests (similar to pregnancy tests) that measure the level of the hormone LH in the urine. As I mentioned, when a peak occurs in it, it is when the entire ovulation process begins.

Ovulation Symptoms

When ovulation occurs, a series of hormonal changes that naturally produce certain changes in our body. These are the main symptoms that may indicate that you are ovulating.

Cervical flow

During the menstrual cycle, the cervical flow changes in shape according to the phase in which we are. As the ovulation approaches, the cervical mucus appears, and increases its quantity, presenting a slippery, sticky and elastic consistency, similar to egg white.

Basal temperature

The basal temperature is what we present when our body has been at rest for a while (at least four hours). This increases slightly when ovulation occurs and it is only possible to detect it with a basal thermometer.

It is important that the basal temperature is carefully measured, always when waking up and making the least amount of movements possible: without getting out of bed, only stretching the arm to take the thermometer, it only increases between 0.3ºC and 0.5ºC in the 2 or 3 days after ovulation and any movement or effort could alter it.

Changes in the cervix

Another of the symptoms of ovulation that we can identify are changes in the cervix or cervix. During ovulation, it is located taller, softer and more open.

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There are also other symptoms that could indicate that you are ovulatingHowever, not all women present them:

  • Increased sex drive
  • Colic or mild pain
  • Breast tenderness
  • Slight spotting

Knowing how your body works and identifying the phases of your menstrual cycle, it will be easier know if you are ovulating and you are in your fertile days, and your chances of getting pregnant increase.

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