When does normal ovulation occur

Calculating, Timeline, Pain & Other Symptoms

What is ovulation?

Ovulation is a phase in the menstrual cycle when your ovary releases an egg (ovum). Once an egg leaves your ovary, it travels down your fallopian tube where it waits to be fertilized by sperm. On average, it happens on day 14 of a 28-day menstrual cycle.

Ovulation and your menstrual cycle

The process of ovulation begins when your hypothalamus (a part of your brain) releases gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). GnRH causes your pituitary gland (a gland in your brain) to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).

Between days six and 14 of your menstrual cycle, FSH causes follicles (small sacs of fluid in your ovaries that contain a developing egg) in one ovary to begin to mature. During days 10 to 14 of the cycle, only one of the developing follicles forms a fully mature egg. Around day 14 in the menstrual cycle, a sudden surge in LH causes the ovary to release this egg. This is ovulation. After ovulation, the hormone progesterone rises which helps prepare your uterus for pregnancy.

Ovulation, conception and pregnancy

Once ovulation occurs, your egg travels through your fallopian tube. It’s in your fallopian tube that your egg meets sperm for fertilization. If conception occurs (sperm fertilizes your egg), the fertilized egg travels down to your uterus. After about a week, the fertilized egg (now a blastocyst) attaches to the lining of your uterus. This is called implantation. Release of the hormones estrogen and progesterone causes the endometrium to thicken, which provides the nutrients the blastocyst needs to grow and eventually develop into a baby. As cells continue to divide — some developing into the fetus, others forming the placenta — hormones signal your body that a baby is growing inside your uterus. This also signals your uterus to keep its lining, which prevents you from getting your period. Not getting a period is usually the first sign you’re pregnant.

When does ovulation occur?

In an average 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation occurs about 14 days before the beginning of your next menstrual period. The exact timing varies — your cycle length may be longer or shorter. You may find it helpful to track your menstrual cycle using an app on your phone or a calendar. This can help you determine when ovulation is most likely to occur. Most people will have a period 14 to 16 days after ovulation, regardless of the length of their overall cycle.

How many hours does ovulation last?

An egg only survives 12 to 24 hours after ovulation. If sperm doesn’t’ fertilize the egg, your body reabsorbs it. Unlike your egg, sperm can survive for several days in your body.

How do I know I’m ovulating?

Pinpointing ovulation can be tricky. There are several methods people use to track their menstrual cycle and estimate when ovulation occurs. Since each method has its drawbacks, it’s always best to use more than one for the most accurate answer.

Menstrual cycle

Ovulation happens at around the midpoint of your cycle if you have a 28-day cycle (day 14). However, a “normal” cycle is anything between 21 and 35 days, so this means ovulation is unique to your menstrual cycle. Keep track of your cycle on paper or on an app on your phone for several months. Take note of any unusual symptoms. Most people ovulate 14 days before their period begins, regardless of cycle length.

Calendar method

People using the calendar method to predict ovulation, analyze six months of menstrual cycles to determine when they’re fertile. To calculate when you may be ovulating, you find your shortest cycle and your longest cycle in a six month period. You subtract 18 days from your shortest cycle and 11 days from your longest cycle. These two numbers give you the days in your cycle you’re most fertile. For example, if your cycle lengths are 31 and 18, your fertile time is day 10 to 20 of your cycle.

Cervical mucus

Cervical mucus is a vaginal fluid produced by your cervix. Your cervical mucus goes through stages during your menstrual cycle. Your cervical mucus is thick, white and dry before ovulation. Just before ovulation, your cervical mucus turns clear and slippery (like egg whites). This consistency makes it easy for sperm to swim up to meet your egg.

Basal body temperature

Your body temperature increases slightly during ovulation (typically about 0.5 to 1 degree). Take your temperature every morning using a digital thermometer meant specifically for measuring basal body temperature. This method only works if you take your temperature before you get out of bed and before you eat/drink. Record your results for several months and note what day of your cycle a temperature increase occurs.

Ovulation kits

Ovulation kits work similarly to at-home pregnancy tests because you pee on an indicator strip in the comfort of your own home. They work by detecting LH (luteinizing hormone) in your pee. LH is the hormone that surges before ovulation. A positive result means you’re about to ovulate (usually within 36 hours).

What are the symptoms of ovulation?

Every person is different and not everyone has signs of ovulation. In those that do, the most common symptoms are:

• Tender breasts.
• Bloating.
• Minor pelvic or abdominal pain.
• Light bleeding or spotting.
• Changes in the position and firmness of your cervix.
• Increased sex drive.
• Heightened sense of smell, taste or sight.
• Mood changes.
• Appetite changes.

How many days during ovulation can you get pregnant?

Even though your egg only lives for 24 hours, sperm can live in your uterus for between three and five days. This means you can get pregnant from having sex from about five days before ovulation to one day after ovulation. If pregnancy is your goal, it’s better to have sperm already in your body when you ovulate. The highest probability of conception occurs when intercourse takes place one to two days before ovulation and on the day of ovulation.

Is pain during ovulation normal?

Yes, many people experience ovulation pain. Ovulation pain (or mittelschmerz) is cramping or pelvic pain that happens around ovulation. You typically feel the pain in your lower abdomen and pelvis, in the middle or on one side. Ovulation pain may happen when an egg bursts from a follicle (the sacs in your ovaries that contain eggs). It can even cause light bleeding.

Pain during the time of ovulation may also be caused by a medical condition, so it’s best to contact your healthcare provider to be sure the pain isn’t something more serious.

What happens if I’m not ovulating?

Certain health conditions or life events may affect ovulation or cause you to stop ovulating. Some of these are:

• Breastfeeding (chestfeeding) or hyperprolactinemia.
• Menopause.
• PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).
• Primary ovarian insufficiency.
• Amenorrhea from things like high or low body fat, excessive stress or fatigue or excessive exercise.

If your period is irregular or you go months without a period, you may have not be ovulating. Contact your healthcare provider if this is the case so they can rule out any serious conditions.

Do you still ovulate if you’re on birth control?

No, if you’re taking birth control pills or other hormonal contraception as directed, you shouldn’t ovulate. Keep in mind, this is only the case if you’re using pills, patches, IUDs or other devices exactly as prescribed. The hormones in birth control work by stopping ovulation and thickening cervical mucus (which makes it harder for sperm to swim).

Can you ovulate but not get your period?

Yes. You can ovulate but not get your “period.” Technically, if you’re ovulating regularly, you should also get your period regularly. However, it’s possible to get your period without actually ovulating and to ovulate but not have a true period.

Can medicine help you ovulate?

Yes, there are fertility medications to induce ovulation. Talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms and goals, such as if you wish to become pregnant. They can work with you on the best treatment based on your condition.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Ovulation is a process that occurs during your menstrual cycle. The exact timing of ovulation varies from person to person and even from cycle to cycle. Without ovulation, it’s hard for you to get pregnant or have regular menstrual periods. There are many methods available to help you predict ovulation. Knowing when you ovulate can help you either achieve a pregnancy or avoid a pregnancy. There are several health conditions that affect ovulation. Contact your healthcare provider if you’re concerned that you’re not ovulating.

When do I ovulate? Ovulation Symptoms, and More

Top things to know about ovulation

• Your eggs live in sacs in your ovaries, called follicles

• Follicles need the right conditions to grow and release their egg: your environment, health, and behaviors all play a role

• To know when you ovulate, you can track your cycle, cervical fluid, basal body temperature, and/or take ovulation tests

• Ovulation is sometimes associated with ovulation bleeding or ovulation pain

What is ovulation?

Ovulation is the release of an egg from your ovary, into your fallopian tube. It typically happens about 13–15 days before the start of each period (1). Like your period, the timing of ovulation can vary cycle-to-cycle, and you may have the odd cycle where you don’t ovulate at all.

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Understanding how ovulation works can be a powerful tool for your health

It’s common that people are introduced to the topic only after they have trouble becoming pregnant. But having a grasp on the process can give you insight into more than fertility. You’ll better understand any hormonally-influenced changes to your body around that time, and learn what factors might affect the timing of your ovulation (like stress), and why.

Research has found that in the global north, we ovulate roughly 400 times throughout our lifespan (2). This number is influenced by the use of contraceptives (many of which block ovulation), time spent pregnant and breastfeeding, and any behaviors or health conditions that affect the reproductive hormones (e. g. eating disorders, PCOS). Prehistorically, women would have ovulated less than half as often (3).

If conditions aren’t right, ovulation won’t happen

The development and release of an egg each cycle occurs in response to the intricate ups and downs of your reproductive hormones. Ovulation (and the menstrual cycle as a whole) is impacted by energetic, nutritional, emotional, and socioeconomic factors.

Short-term factors like jet lag, seasonal changes, stress, and smoking can have an effect, as well as longer-term factors like PCOS and thyroid disorders (4–8).

The basics of how ovulation works

Tiny eggs develop in sacs called follicles in your ovaries. Follicles develop for several months before they are ready to release their egg, (estimated at >175 days, or >~6 cycles) (9, 10). At any given time, there are follicles at several stages of development in your ovaries (10).

Early scientists once mistook the follicle for the egg itself

Follicles undergo incredible changes leading up to ovulation, developing many parts and layers, each with their own functions. Most follicles, though, will never reach ovulation, dying off at different phases of development or pre-development.

At the beginning of each menstrual cycle, a few (around 10) developing follicles are considered candidates for that cycle’s ovulation (11). By about midway through the follicular phase, one follicle becomes dominant.

Just like a superstar athlete being selected from the pack, all resources then go to preparing that single follicle, and the other potentials die off.

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When the follicle is ready, it releases its egg. The egg travels out of the ovary and is taken up by the fallopian tube (the two aren’t actually attached—think of the end of the fallopian tube collecting the egg from the abdominal cavity). After its release, the egg has about 12–24 hours to be fertilized by sperm in the fallopian tube. If the egg isn’t fertilized within this short window, it begins to degrade. If it is fertilized, it travels to the uterus over the following 6-12 days, to possibly implant for pregnancy (12, 13).

All of these events are driven forward by the cyclical changes in your reproductive hormones. Hormones control the selection and development of your follicles, the release of each egg, and the preparation of your uterus for possible implantation.

This first part of the cycle is called the follicular phase (now you know where it gets its name).

How do your brain and hormones interact with ovulation?

The brain-ovarian connection that controls follicle development and ovulation is called the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, or HPO Axis.

Before ovulation

The brain produces continuous bursts of follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH, throughout your cycle. FSH does exactly what it’s named for—it stimulates follicles to develop (2). As follicles grow, they produce estrogen.

As a dominant follicle is selected and grows (days 6–9 of the cycle), estrogen begins to spike (10).

A follicle becomes dominant at about 10mm in diameter, and typically grows to be about two centimeters in diameter (and up to about 3.3cm) (14–17). That’s about the size of a grape, or a hazelnut with its shell on.

Ready for release

When the amount of estrogen reaches its upper threshold, the egg is ready for release. The brain then produces a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH), triggering ovulation. The release of the egg from the follicle and ovary happens about 24 hours later (10–12 hours after LH peaks) (13, 17). The follicle uses enzymes to degrade its own wall and form an opening, allowing the release of the tiny egg from its center (18).

At the end of the fallopian tube, a finger-like structure swells with blood to grab and usher the egg in. Meanwhile, the egg has been undergoing its own changes to prepare for possible fertilization.

The pre-ovulatory follicle is the primary source of estrogen in the body. The dominant follicle is the source of more than 90% of the estrogen production in the pre-ovulatory period (19).

Take a look at the hormones graph. You’ll see estrogen, in blue, starts low and begins to spike midway through the follicular phase.

After ovulation

The egg may be on its way, but the follicle’s job is far from over. Luteinizing hormone transforms the large estrogen-making follicle into a progesterone-making machine (10).

This new progesterone producer (which also produces estrogen) is called the corpus luteum, or “yellow body” in Latin (because it’s yellowish in color). A new corpus luteum is made every cycle in which ovulation occurs. If ovulation doesn’t happen, you won’t get that surge in progesterone at all.

If the egg isn’t fertilized by sperm and then implanted in the uterine lining (after traveling down the fallopian tube, which takes several days), the corpus luteum begins to degrade, and hormone levels drop, triggering your period (20). If pregnancy does happen, the corpus luteum provides enough progesterone for your pregnancy to develop, until the placenta can take over (21).

Look at the hormones just after ovulation. Levels of estrogen drop slightly, and then progesterone (and estrogen) start to rise. If there is no hormonal signal that pregnancy has begun, they begin to drop again midway through the luteal phase, eventually triggering the period.

Your ovulation is not a clock

Any factors that influence the hormonal pulsing in your brain can influence your ovulation. Environmental and internal factors like stress, diet, and exercise changes can lead your ovulation to happen slightly earlier, or later, or not at all. Your period may then come earlier or later as well, and be lighter or heavier.

Your follicular phase is considered “plastic," compared to your luteal phase

That means it can commonly change in length, from cycle to cycle. If you know the length of your typical luteal phase (most often 13–15 days) you can count backward to get an idea of when you ovulated. Changes in the length of your cycle are usually pinpointed in the follicular phase—the time it takes a follicle to reach the point of ovulation.

It’s common not to ovulate on a regular basis when you first start menstruating. It’s also common to have irregular ovulation just after pregnancy and breastfeeding, and during the years approaching menopause.

Why does ovulation matter?

Not ovulating every once in a while may not be a concern, but if it becomes common, or if you stop ovulating altogether (and aren’t getting hormones in another way), serious health concerns can arise as a result.

The process of ovulation provides your body with much-needed levels of estrogen and progesterone—hormones that play a role well beyond fertility. They impact your bone density, heart health, metabolism, sleep quality, mental health, and beyond. Getting enough of them is important.

Anovulation during the fertile years is associated with osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers later in life (22–25). Athletes with menstrual dysfunctions, for example, are significantly more likely to suffer from stress fractures (26).

How do I know if I’m ovulating?

As an adult, you are probably ovulating most of the time if your cycle is generally within range (that’s 24–38 days for adults, with fewer than 7–9 variance cycle-to-cycle, and a menstrual period of 2–7 days) (27). Cycles that are consistently outside of those ranges (they are long, short, or very irregular) can be an indication of anovulation, and a reason to talk to your healthcare provider.

• Tracking your cycle length and regularity in Clue 

• Using ovulation urine tests, bought at your pharmacy

• Tracking your physical signs of fertility for a few cycles, including your basal body temperature and cervical fluid

• Have your healthcare provider check your hormonal profile (by testing a sample of your blood, taken during your mid-luteal phase)

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You can test any time of the day, but it’s best to do it at the same time each day.

Ovulation test kits recommend picking a time when you haven’t urinated for 4 hours before testing or had excessive fluid intake. LH typically rises in the morning, between 4–8 am (29). If you test before it first rises, you may get a negative result that day, but you should still get a positive result the next day. If you’re trying to detect the earliest rise of LH, or if you're having trouble getting a positive result, try testing at different times throughout the day and see what works best for your body.

Article was originally published Nov. 23, 2017

All about ovulation. Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the maturation of several eggs at the same time a rarity for a healthy woman?

Egg maturation is a complex process that depends on the hormonal activity of the body. It is known that the maturation of most rudimentary germ cells occurs in utero. Starting from adolescence, under the influence of pituitary hormones, cyclic changes occur in the ovaries. The fate of each follicle is under the control of the endocrine systems, from which subsequent events occur - the growth of follicles, the choice of the dominant (leading), egg maturation, ovulation and the formation of the corpus luteum. As a rule, in humans, 1 egg matures in a cycle. The maturation of multiple eggs is rare for women. Most often, this can be in a couple in whose family twins were born. Also, the maturation of several eggs occurs in ART programs (assisted reproductive technologies). During the programs, several eggs are grown and fertilized. nine0005

2. How does a woman's age affect ovulation? Is a cycle without ovulation normal?

A woman's age is an indisputable argument in assessing the functional state of a woman's reproductive system. To date, the main patterns of the processes of follicle growth, ovulation and the development of the corpus luteum have been determined, and they are associated, in particular, with the hormonal regulation of the body. With age, the number of follicles in a woman's ovary decreases and the quality of the eggs changes. The process of "aging of the ovaries" begins by the age of 30, and after 37 years, the number of follicles from which eggs mature sharply decreases. Although within the age, especially older reproductive age, there are individual characteristics due to human genetics. However, the age of loss of the ability to conceive and the age of loss of hormonal function by the ovaries, as a rule, do not coincide. Between the ages of 40 and 45, a woman loses the ability to conceive because there are few cycles with ovulation, but she can still have menstrual cycles and hormonal activity of the ovaries for another 10 years. nine0005

Anovulatory cycles are considered normal during the year when the menstrual function is established in adolescents, while taking contraceptives. For a short time, there may not be ovulation during stress, illness. Anovulatory cycles are also possible in healthy women (1-2 times a year). The constant absence of ovulation in the reproductive age is not the norm and requires consultation, examination, medical treatment, as it indicates a disease and the formation of infertility in a woman.

3. What diseases disrupt the maturation of the egg?

There are several groups of diseases that disrupt the maturation of the egg. Often several diseases are detected at the same time that affect ovulation and lead to infertility in a woman.

1. The psychological state of a woman (chronic stress).

2. Mental illness.

3. Genetic diseases.

4. Benign and malignant tumors of various organs and systems. nine0005

5. Diseases of organs such as the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, pancreas, mammary glands, ovaries, which can cause changes in hormonal status

6. Inflammatory diseases, especially of the reproductive organs.

7. Obesity and other metabolic disorders.

4. Is measuring basal body temperature an indicative method? Can ovulation occur at a temperature below 37 *. Can the temperature rise and ovulation not occur? nine0004