What is ovulation and when does it occur?

Ovulation cycle is essential for a female who wants to get pregnant. Ovulation is basically the process by which an egg is released from the ovary. Ovulation generally tends to occur on day 14 of the menstrual cycle. However, the exact timing of ovulation is slightly variable among women of different ages and ethnicities; and also may vary from woman to woman.

Even though many signs and symptoms of ovulation prediction have been described, most women never notice them because these features are very subtle. Some of the classic ovulation symptoms include a sudden increase in clear vaginal secretions. The secretions may feel like a viscous liquid and often has the texture of honey. These secretions persist for 1-3 days and then disappear. In some women, these secretions may appear cloudy or sticky but in all cases, the secretions are gone within 24-48 hours.

It is a known fact that the basal body temperature is a useful sign of ovulation predictor. There are specially designed sensitive thermometers to measure temperature during the ovulation cycle. The temperature must be taken at the same time every morning before getting out of bed. When you make an ovulation chart and plot these readings, you will note an emerging pattern. The majority of women will be fertile just 48-72 hours prior to the spike in temperature. Measurement of basal body temperature is frequently used by infertile women as an ovulation calculator when they should have sexual intercourse.

Some women may also develop ovulation pain that may present as mild abdominal cramps and/or bloating. The cramps are usually well-tolerated and last 24-48 hours. For women who are trying to get pregnant, other ways of knowing if ovulation has occurred is to measure the surge of hormones in urine during day’s 12-15. One can record the levels of these hormones on an ovulation chart.

A woman who desires to get pregnant should make sure that she has sexual intercourse at least once day starting from days 12-14. The more frequent the intercourse during this time period, the greater the chance of conceiving. Some women also use an ovulation calendar as a means of birth control- while this is an easy method; it is not one hundred percent effective.