Keeping Tabs on Ovulation
As you know by now, ovulation is key to getting pregnant. In a nutshell, ovulation is the process of releasing a single mature egg from the ovaries. When ovulation occurs, your chances of getting pregnant are highest. In fact, if you don’t ovulate, you can’t get pregnant.
So, how do you know when you’re ovulating or about to ovulate?
Well, that’s the trick of it. If you have a 28-day cycle, you’re going to ovulate on about day 14. (This means 14 days after your period starts.) Having sex from about 24 hours prior to ovulation until you actually ovulate gives you the best chances of getting pregnant.
The problem comes when you don’t necessarily have a consistent cycle of 28 days. You need to be watching for some other signs. The three most common are:
- Basal Body Temperature. You can track ovulation by tracking your body temperature. Body temperature rises just after ovulation. So, tracking basal body temperature doesn’t help you during the month you track it, but rather the next month. By tracking your basal body temp for several months in a row, you can get a pretty good picture of when you ovulate.
- Cervical Mucus. The amount, consistency and appearance of yoru cervical mucus changes during your cycle. Right around the time of ovulation, your cervical mucus will take on a similar appearance to an egg white. It will be clearer and more slippery, and more abundant, than at other times in the month.
- Abdominal discomfort. About 20 percent of women experience some abdominal discomfort during ovulation. This ranges from sharp pains to slight discomfort. When paired with basal body temperature and cervical mucus charting, it can help confirm whether or not you’re ovulating.
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