Did i ovulate

Did I Ovulate or Not? 7 Signs Ovulation is Over

If you are trying to conceive (TTC), knowing exactly when you will ovulate is a key first step in your pregnancy journey. This brief window of time around ovulation is when you are considered to be at “peak” fertility – meaning you should aim to have sex with your partner during this time in order to maximize your chances of becoming pregnant.

If you have been monitoring your fertility for a while, you may already be comfortable with anticipating when this fertile window will occur. However, you may not quite know for sure how to tell when it’s over.

To help, here’s a look at the most common signs that ovulation is complete, along with an overview of tried and true methods for predicting and confirming ovulation. We’ll close this article by discussing ways that Mira can help you monitor your fertility hormones in order to accurately predict and confirm ovulation.

Signs Ovulation Is Over

From checking the consistency of your cervical mucus to noticeable changes in your libido, here are seven signs that ovulation is over.

Changes in the Consistency of Cervical Mucus

Throughout most of the month, your cervical mucus is thick and creamy, appearing as a white or whitish-yellow color. However, when you are ovulating, your cervical mucus becomes clear and slippery, much like the consistency of an egg white.

When you are done ovulating, you will see a shift in your cervical mucus from this slippery consistency back to the thick, creamy consistency of before. Using a tracking tool like the Mira App’s advanced calendar can help you get in touch with the consistency of your cervical mucus to better recognize when ovulation begins and ends.

Changes in Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

One of the most surefire ways to know if you’ve ovulated is to track your Basal Body Temperature, or BBT, each day before getting out of bed. As ovulation happens, changing hormone levels lead to a spike in body temperature.

You are most fertile during the 2-3 days before your temperature peaks. By the time you watch your temperature hit its peak, it’s likely too late to conceive and your ovulation is likely over. Recording your temperature every day with a basal thermometer will help you recognize the patterns in your body temperature before your next cycle, so you can increase your chance of getting pregnant next month.

Changes in Urine Hormone Concentration

You probably know that your hormones fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, but did you know you can measure these changes through your urine? If you aren’t yet a Mira user, here’s a bit about how our tracking tool works: first, immerse the test wand into urine for 10 seconds. Then, insert the test wand into Mira. Through the Mira App on your smartphone, you can view the concentration of hormones in your urine to help you analyze your fertility.

24 to 36 hours prior to ovulation, you should see a surge in luteinizing hormone, which triggers the release of an egg. After ovulation is over, both luteinizing hormone and estrogen levels decrease. Mira can track all of these changes through your urine to help you recognize when ovulation begins and ends and increase your chance of getting pregnant.

Changes in the Position of the Cervix

While you are ovulating, you may find that your cervix becomes higher, softer and more open in order to prepare to accept the sperm. After ovulation is over, your cervix will feel harder, like touching the tip of your nose.

If you feel comfortable, you can use a finger to gently check your cervix for changes prior to and following ovulation. You can do so by standing in whatever position you use to put in a tampon and inserting a finger to feel for your cervix. The Mira App’s advanced calendar can help you keep track of changes you feel surrounding ovulation to help you better predict ovulation during your next menstrual cycle.

Changes in Libido

Many women experience changes in libido, or sex drive, throughout the menstrual cycle. You may find that you are most interested in sex when you are most fertile during the 5 or so days surrounding ovulation. This is Mother Nature’s way of ensuring the continuation of the species by encouraging you to have sex when you have the greatest chance of getting pregnant!

If you are someone who notices an increase in libido around ovulation, then a decrease in libido shortly after may signify that ovulation has come and gone. We recommend using a tool like the Mira App’s advanced calendar to keep track of your libido if you would like to use libido to estimate when you are ovulating.

Change in Abdominal Pain

Many women may experience lower abdominal pain or light cramping around ovulation. This mid-cycle pain is often referred to as “mittelschmerz” (German for “middle pain”), and it can either be a brief twinge for a few minutes or it may last a few hours. It may also be accompanied by nausea, particularly in cases where the pain is severe.

Once any cramping or pain has subsided, this may indicate that ovulation is complete. However, note that not all women experience or even notice this mid-cycle pain. Therefore, changes in abdominal pain may not be the most reliable sign that ovulation is over.

Change in Breast Tenderness

Once ovulation occurs, the luteal phase of your menstrual cycle can then begin. During this phase, it is common for many women to experience the typical luteal phase symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, and muscle pain. Alongside these symptoms, it is also common for the breasts to feel swollen, sensitive, and tender to the touch.

These symptoms are caused by changing hormone levels, specifically estrogen and progesterone. They typically begin after ovulation has happened and can continue until your next period. Therefore, if you do notice a change in breast tenderness mid-cycle, this could be a sign that ovulation has already occurred.

Understanding Your Fertile Window

There are more precise methods for predicting your fertile window beyond understanding the signs and symptoms of ovulation.

How do you know when you’re ovulating?

The best way to know for sure if you are ovulating or not is through hormone tracking and testing. This is the most reliable way to predict when your fertile window will be.

When it comes to predicting ovulation, the two most important hormones to monitor are the luteinizing hormone (often referred to as LH), and estrogen. That’s because LH levels experience a significant rise approximately 24-36 hours before ovulation, and estrogen levels rise approximately 1-3 days before the surge in LH.

To monitor these hormone levels regularly, the best solution is to use a hormone tracker like Mira. Ovulation prediction kits (often called OPK’s) can also be useful, however, they do not offer personalized results and are prone to false positives and false negatives.

Alternatively, you can also have a transvaginal ultrasound at your doctor’s office. Your doctor can then examine your ovaries and give an estimation of when ovulation may occur. While having an ultrasound can give you an accurate idea of when you may ovulate, scheduling multiple visits to your doctor’s office can become expensive and inconvenient.

How do you know when ovulation is over?

Hormone tracking and testing can also be used to confirm that ovulation has occurred. That’s because once ovulation is over, estrogen and LH levels will decrease dramatically. At the same time, the hormone progesterone will also gradually increase.

To confirm that ovulation is over, you can test for the presence of progesterone approximately 6-8 days after your estimated day of ovulation. This is when your progesterone levels will be at their highest, and elevated progesterone levels are an indicator that ovulation was successful.

Hormone trackers like Mira are the best way to monitor your progesterone levels at home consistently. There are ovulation confirmation kits available, however, these tests cannot give you your numeric progesterone level.

How to Monitor and Track Your Ovulation

To begin monitoring and tracking ovulation with Mira, you should first make to have all the following:

Mira Analyzer
Mira App
Fertility Plus Wands
Confirm Wands

Once you have all of the above ready to go, you can now start testing! Simply take a urine sample, dip a testing wand in the sample, and insert it into the analyzer. You will then be given your exact levels of LH (Luteinizing Hormone) and E3G (Estradiol Metabolite in urine). The Mira app will then use its advanced algorithm to provide you with personalized information about when you are likely to ovulate.

If you have been tracking ovulation closely and want to confirm that ovulation has happened, you can then use a Mira confirm wand to test for the presence of PdG (the metabolite of progesterone in urine).

Before starting your Mira journey, here are a few things to bear in mind:

You should expect to test no later than the sixth day of your cycle, and aim to test every day. Depending on the length of your cycle, you may use approximately 10-20 wands per cycle.
Fertility Plus wands can be used to test for the presence of LH and E3G, while Fertility Confirm wands are only used to test for the presence of PdG.
To get the most accurate results, try to test consistently at the same time each day.
Prior to testing, make sure to limit your fluid intake 2 hours before your test (this is why many women prefer to test first thing in the morning.)
After consistent testing, Mira can begin to provide you with the most accurate insights necessary to track, predict, and confirm ovulation.

Why use Mira?

Mira is the first-ever hormone tracking system that can give you personalized insights regarding your fertility. Here’s what sets it apart from other fertility monitoring solutions out there.

Receive lab-quality results

Mira can measure your hormone levels with lab-grade accuracy. Instead of going into your doctor’s office to have your hormones tested, you can now receive lab-quality results in the comfort of your own home.

Know the numeric value of your hormone concentrations

Unlike ovulation predictor kits (OPK’s) that can only give you a yes or no answer, Mira provides you with your exact, real-time numeric hormone levels. This information is then stored in the Mira app, enabling you to monitor your actual hormone levels over time.

Understand your full fertility window

Using its proprietary algorithm, Mira can help you anticipate your fertile window so that you can plan sex accordingly and get pregnant faster. Additionally, if you experience polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), irregular periods, or anovulation, Mira can help you better understand the patterns of your cycle. This enables you to be better prepared to predict ovulation – even through phases of irregularity with ovulation and periods.

Am I Ovulating? Physical Signs That You Are Fertile

Written by Lisa Fields

What Are Ovulation Symptoms?

Here are the signs you may have when your body releases an egg:

Your basal or resting temperature falls slightly, then rises again. You can use a special thermometer to check your temperature every morning before you get out of bed. You’re most fertile 2 or 3 days before your temperature rises.
Your cervical mucus becomes clearer and thinner with a slippery consistency, like egg whites.

You may also notice:

Tender breasts
Bloating
Cramps

But these symptoms don’t always mean you’re ovulating.

How to Track Ovulation Symptoms

Mark your calendar

Take note of when your period begins and ends and know how long your cycle lasts. Doctors say it's best to have sex at least every other day, especially during the 5 days before you ovulate. They call this your "fertile window." Your egg only lives for about 12 to 24 hours. But sperm can survive for a few days inside your body, so it's ideal to have them already there waiting for your egg.

Watch for body changes

Your hormone levels change throughout your menstrual cycle. During the first half, your ovaries give off the hormone estrogen. When your estrogen levels get high enough, your ovary releases an egg. Then your body starts to make progesterone, another hormone. It makes your body temperature rise slightly.

Your hormones also change the texture of your cervical mucus, the sticky fluid that comes from your cervix, the bottom of your uterus. As your body gets ready to ovulate, you have more of it, and it feels more stretchy and slippery, like raw egg whites. The texture helps sperm swim inside your body. When your mucus feels like this, you should be in your fertile window.

Ovulation predictor kits

These tests, which you can buy at drugstores, give you a more precise idea of when to expect your fertile window. They test your urine to measure your levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), which go up in the 24 to 36 hours before you ovulate. When your LH levels are highest, you're in the fertile window.

The kits have enough test strips to let you check your LH levels several times during your menstrual cycle. Start testing a few days before you think you might ovulate, then repeat a few times over the next few days to pinpoint the exact day. When your LH levels are highest, you're in the fertile window.

Progesterone ovulation tests

These tests can find out whether you have ovulated. They look at the levels of progesterone metabolite (pregnanediol glucuronide, or PdG) in your urine.

PdG levels typically rise 24-36 hours after you ovulate, so the tests are highly accurate. Start testing your levels before your anticipated menstrual cycle. These tests also have several strips to allow you to check your progesterone levels throughout your cycle.

A twinge of pain

It's possible to feel yourself ovulate, but many women don't notice it. You might notice a slight pain in your side about halfway through your menstrual cycle. But if you're trying to get pregnant, don't wait for the twinge. That means your fertile window is soon closing.

When Does Ovulation Happen?

If your menstrual cycle lasts 28 days and your period arrives like clockwork, it's likely that you'll ovulate on day 14. That's halfway through your cycle. Your fertile window begins on day 10. You're more likely to get pregnant if you have sex at least every other day between days 10 and 14 of a 28-day cycle.

How Long Does Ovulation Last?

Your fertile window typically lasts 4-5 days. These are the days leading up to when you ovulate.

Ask Your Doctor

Some women don't ovulate on a set schedule. If you can't figure out when it happens or if your menstrual cycle isn't regular, ask your doctor for help.

How to independently determine the beginning of ovulation and not make a mistake

Ovulation is the release of an egg from the follicle. It can be tracked with an ultrasound. Or you can do an ovulation test. But some women claim that they feel it without any auxiliary means. Are you one of those?

Ovulation Formula

Knowing when ovulation occurs is important for two things: if a woman wants to get pregnant, or if a woman chooses a calendar method of contraception. The fertile period - the period when fertilization can occur - lasts approximately six days: five days before ovulation and the day of ovulation. The highest probability of conception is within two days before and on the day of ovulation.

Calculating the day of ovulation mathematically makes sense if you have a very regular and regular menstrual cycle. The length of the first phase of the cycle varies. The second phase is more stable and lasts 14 days. Accordingly, to calculate the day of ovulation, it is necessary to subtract 14 from the cycle length. In an ideal 28-day cycle, ovulation occurs exactly in the middle: 28-14 = 14. In a short cycle, it will occur earlier: for example, with a cycle length of 24 days, ovulation will have to around day 10. In the long - later: 33-14 \u003d 19. For women whose menstrual cycle fluctuates by several days, the formula becomes more complicated: you need to take into account the duration of both the shortest and longest cycles, calculate the average. Still, the figure will only be approximate.

A woman can determine the days favorable for conception if she pays attention to the changes that occur to her on certain days of the cycle. These changes are most noticeable in the uterine mucosa and cervix.

Mucus

Neck glands produce mucus. Usually it is thick: a real cork that closes the cervical canal and prevents infections from passing into the uterus. In such thick mucus, sperm cells quickly lose their mobility, and it is difficult for them to rise into the uterine cavity. But the main (dominant) follicle growing in the ovary, from which the egg will be released, produces the hormone estradiol. The more estradiol, the more cervical mucus becomes and the thinner it is. On the eve of ovulation, it becomes extensible, like egg white. In some women, this viscous transparent discharge in the middle of the cycle is very noticeable. For some - a few days before ovulation, for others - only on the day of ovulation itself. This is individual.

Pain

Ovulation may be indicated by pain in the lower abdomen on the days of the cycle, not associated with menstrual bleeding. The pain can be in the lower abdomen in the center or on the right / left - depending on which ovary the dominant follicle matures. The pain is often of a pulling nature. It may be accompanied by slight bloating or a feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen. At first, the pain is slight, but within a couple of days it can intensify. These pains are associated with an increase in the level of biologically active substances in the body of a woman before ovulation - prostaglandins. Prostaglandins dissolve the wall of the follicle and ovarian tissue so that the egg can be released into the abdominal cavity, and from there into the fallopian tube. The "side effect" of prostaglandins is pain. Just like a change in the nature of cervical mucus, pain associated with ovulation may occur only on the day of ovulation itself or be noted on the eve of ovulation and even a day or two after it.

How to understand that pain is associated with ovulation

It is important to understand that pain in the lower abdomen can be associated with much less pleasant causes than ovulation.

How to understand that this is exactly “it”.

The pain lasts 1-3 days and goes away on its own.
Pain recurs in several cycles.
Approximately 14 days after such pain comes the next menstruation.

Pain during ovulation is moderate and does not require pain medication. Severe pain indicates a health problem. If the pain on the days of the alleged ovulation is severe, you need to contact a gynecologist. Other alarming symptoms accompanying pain in the lower abdomen and which may indicate a problem with the uterus and appendages: fever, increased discharge (leucorrhoea) from the genital tract, discoloration of the leucorrhoea from transparent or white to yellow-green, spotting. By the way, taking painkillers and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) on the days of expected ovulation or shortly before ovulation can reduce the chances of conception.

Technical aids

Home test

Ovulation can be determined with a home test available from a pharmacy. The principle of the study is based on determining the concentration of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine. The level of LH in women fluctuates depending on the period of the menstrual cycle. Just before ovulation, it reaches its maximum values. The ovulation test makes it possible to register the peak of LH release into the blood. After the maximum LH surge, ovulation occurs within the next 36 hours. Therefore, with a positive ovulation test, this and the following days are most favorable for conception.

Folliculometry

This is a series of ultrasound examinations carried out during one or more menstrual cycles. During folliculometry, the growth of follicles and changes in the endometrium are assessed according to the day of the menstrual cycle, and the fact of ovulation is also ascertained. The average size of the dominant follicle, at which ovulation can occur, is 18-25 mm. If during folliculometry the size of the dominant follicle is 18 mm, this and the next few days are most favorable for pregnancy. The next folliculometry to confirm the fact of ovulation, it is desirable to do in 3-4 days.

How to determine ovulation at home and on ultrasound?

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Ovulation: what it is and why it is necessary to determine it

In the body of a girl, more than a million eggs are formed even before birth, with age their number gradually decreases. As they mature, some of the cells leave the ovary. Ovulation is a period in the middle of the cycle, when the egg (usually one) is released from the follicle - the bubble in which it matures. It is at this time that a woman is ready to conceive. The ovulation period lasts from a day to one and a half - if fertilization did not happen at this time, the body prepares for the upcoming menstruation.

In menstrual disorders, ovulation may not occur (anovulatory cycle) or it may begin later or earlier. Therefore, in case of problems with conception - with infertility - first of all, they find out whether ovulation takes place and when it happens. If there is no ovulation or it is irregular, infertility treatment is started by a gynecologist.

How to determine ovulation at home

There are several methods for determining ovulation at home, but it is important to understand that the effectiveness of "home" methods has a weak percentage of reliability. These methods can only be used in the early stages of trying to conceive, as long as there are no signs of infertility. If there is a suspicion of infertility, you need to urgently contact a gynecologist and undergo a procedure with a specialist.

1. Basal thermometry.

Woman at the same time in the morning with a thermometer measures the temperature in the anus, mouth or vagina. The most accurate indicators are obtained with rectal measurement.

In the first phase, the temperature is 36.1-36.3 o . During ovulation, there is a jump of half a degree or even a degree. The indicator rises to 37.0 and even higher and remains at this level until the onset of menstruation. If pregnancy occurs, the temperature does not decrease.

Disadvantages of the method:

In inflammatory processes, basal values can change unpredictably and do not depend on the menstrual cycle. Constant concern about obtaining indicators creates certain problems. A woman has to wake up at the same time, for example, at 7 am on a day off.
Do not drink alcohol during the temperature measurement period, as it affects the readings.

2. Extraction analysis method.

There are special devices that work on the principle of a minimicroscope. They allow you to see the mucus of the cervix better. At the beginning of the cycle, mucous secretions are viscous and do not flow into the vagina. During ovulation, the mucus resembles the white of an egg, and under a microscope, smears look like fern leaves.

This method is also not considered reliable:

The properties of mucus can change during inflammatory processes and during sexual intercourse.
Not every woman can "by eye" determine the changes in the discharge, and sometimes there is little mucus.
You can look at the selection with the help of the device, but you need to spend money on its purchase and have a certain skill.

3. Recently ovulation tests have become popular, the effect of which is similar to that of a pregnancy test. They respond to an increase in the level of luteinizing hormones in the blood. When the test is immersed in urine at the time of ovulation, two strips appear in a special window.

The method is also not very accurate:

If a woman drank a lot of water the day before, the test gives a false negative result.
Reagents that react to hormones released during ovulation are very sensitive, so they are mistaken even with minor testing errors.

Folliculometry - an accurate way to determine ovulation on ultrasound

This technique is associated with ultrasound, therefore it is used in the clinic. The doctor, observing the changes in the woman's ovary, sees how the egg matures, whether it is ready to be released and whether there was ovulation.

The examination is carried out using a special ultrasound probe inserted into the vagina. The method is safe and painless, because ultrasound does not adversely affect the body.

Ultrasound to determine ovulation is carried out at the following times of the menstrual cycle:

on days 9-11. The doctor sees whether it is necessary to wait for ovulation this month - for this, a dominant follicle with a diameter of 17-23 mm should be formed.
every two days, until the egg leaves the ovary, and in its place a corpus luteum is found, preparing the body for pregnancy. Fluid appears in the posterior cavity of the uterus.

This technique will help you not to miss the fertile days. Of course, you can determine the period of ovulation without seeking medical help, but the results will be very doubtful. Determining the period of ovulation in the reproduction clinic using ultrasound guarantees 100% accuracy.

Life Line clinic advice

03/13/2021

Author of the article

Expert Council of the Life Line Reproduction Center

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