Hey there, ladies. Feeling a little…different lately?
Around day 10-16 of your cycle, your body starts gearing up for ovulation. The changes are subtle, but if you know what to look for, like widest sanitary pads, you can detect the signs that ovulation is approaching. Your body gives you clues if you pay attention.
Here are three ways your body signals the transition to your fertile window and the countdown to ovulation begins.
Tracking Cervical Fluid Changes
Tracking your cervical fluid is one of the best ways to pinpoint ovulation. As ovulation approaches, your cervical mucus becomes clear, slippery, and stretchy—like raw egg whites. This is your fertile fluid, and it means ovulation will likely happen within the next couple of days.
To check your cervical fluid, insert a clean finger into your vagina and swipe some of the mucus onto your finger. Rub it between your fingers to check the consistency. If it’s clear, wet, and can stretch an inch or more between your fingers, you’ll probably ovulate soon. Be sure to note the changes in your cervical fluid for the most accurate results.
Another sign ovulation is approaching is an increase in libido. Thanks to rising estrogen levels, you may feel more aroused and interested in sex around ovulation. While increased libido doesn’t confirm ovulation, it can be a useful clue when combined with other signs like cervical fluid changes.
As ovulation gets closer, you may also notice a slight drop in your basal body temperature, abdominal pain, or spotting. Called Mittelschmerz, ovulation pain affects about 20% of women and feels like cramping on one side of the abdomen. Use maxi thick pads for menstruation. These secondary signs, combined with cervical fluid changes, provide the most accurate picture of your ovulation. Paying attention to your body’s signals can help you determine the best days to try for a baby—or avoid an unintended pregnancy.
Monitoring Basal Body Temperatures
Monitoring your basal body temperature (BBT) is one of the most reliable ways to pinpoint ovulation. As your body gears up for ovulation, your BBT will dip slightly. Once the egg is released, it will rise again and stay elevated until your next period.
To track your BBT, you’ll need a basal thermometer, which is more sensitive than a regular fever thermometer. First thing when you wake up, before getting out of bed or doing any activity, take your temperature orally or vaginally and record it. Do this daily throughout your cycle
Around mid-cycle, you’ll notice a drop of at least 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit on the day of or the day before ovulation. This indicates your fertile window has opened for conception. Have intercourse during this time to increase your chances!
After ovulation, your BBT will increase by at least 0.4 degrees and remain at this higher level until your period starts. Use sensitive extra long pads for those periods. If pregnancy occurs, it will continue to climb and stay elevated.
While BBT tracking requires diligence, the payoff is huge. By identifying your ovulation date, you’ll know when you’re most fertile each cycle and can time intimacy accordingly. You’ll also get confirmation that ovulation has occurred, which is critical for conception.
For the most accurate results, take your BBT at the same time each morning and note any factors like illness or alcohol consumption that could affect your temperature. With regular BBT charting, you’ll get to know your body’s unique pattern and can predict ovulation in future cycles.
Understanding Luteinizing Hormone Surges
As ovulation approaches, your body provides several clues that the fertile window is opening. Paying attention to these signals can help increase your chances of conceiving.
Luteinizing Hormone Surge
Two days before ovulation, your body experiences an increase in luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, known as the LH surge. This signals the ovaries to release an egg. Home ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) detect this rise in LH, indicating ovulation will likely occur within the next day or two.
Once the LH surge is detected, it’s time to start having frequent unprotected sex to increase the odds of conception. For the best chances, have intercourse the day of the surge and for the following two to three days. Sperm can survive for up to five days inside the female reproductive tract, so having sex leading up to ovulation will increase the sperm supply, ready and waiting for the egg to be released.
Other signs that ovulation, and your most fertile days, are approaching include:
- Changes in cervical mucus. Cervical mucus becomes clear, slippery, and egg white-like in consistency around ovulation. This fertile-quality cervical mucus helps sperm travel to the egg.
- Rise in basal body temperature. Your temperature increases slightly, about 0.5 to 1 degree, after ovulation due to increased progesterone. Charting your BBT over a few months can help determine your ovulation pattern.
- Changes in your libido. Feelings of increased sexual desire and arousal around ovulation are common due to fluctuations in estrogen and testosterone levels.
Paying attention to these signals from your body, especially the LH surge, can help you identify your most fertile days and optimize your chances of getting pregnant. Be sure to also track your menstrual cycle to better understand your ovulation pattern from month to month.
So, there you have it ladies, pay attention to the signs. Your body is constantly communicating with you, even when it comes to your fertility. Watch for changes in your cervical mucus, and subtle shifts in your basal body temperature, and be on the lookout for those Mittelschmerz twinges.
Understanding your body’s cues can help you better understand your cycle and maximize your chances of conceiving. Knowledge is power, so get to know your body and all its little quirks – it will serve you well on your journey to motherhood. The countdown to ovulation is on!
Now go forth and procreate (if you want to, that is!).
