For women who want to get pregnant, it is very important to know the exact date of ovulation. It is on such days that the probability of fertilization is highest. What is ovulation and how to calculate it is described below in the article. We hope that the information provided in it will be useful to you.
What is ovulation
The word "ovulation" comes from the Latin ovum, which translates as "egg". This concept refers to one of the periods of the menstrual cycle when a mature follicle ruptures. After this, the egg matured to fertilization leaves the ovary and into the abdominal cavity. It passes through the fallopian tube to the uterus itself, which takes an average of 24 hours.
It is during this period of time that there is the greatest likelihood that the sperm will meet the egg and fertilize it. If this happens, then, once in the uterus, the egg is attached there, after which pregnancy occurs and the fetus begins to develop. Regulation of ovulation produces the hypothalamus, which controls the release of hormones.
The ovulation cycle is individual. It begins when reproductive age is reached, along with the appearance of menstruation. From this moment, the body is ready for conception, bearing and giving birth to a child. This usually occurs at 12-14 years and lasts until menopause at the age of 47-55.
In a woman, cyclical changes occur in the ovaries and endometrium every month. They are called the menstrual cycle. It lasts an average of 24-35 days. The countdown begins on the first day of menstruation and ends with the beginning of the following. Ovulation is closely related to this cycle. It usually occurs in the middle of it. If you want to get pregnant, the exact date of ovulation is very important for a woman. Experts suggest several methods for determining it.
Main signs
There are several symptoms that a woman has ovulated - the day of the cycle when the egg leaves the ovary. All signs are divided into objective and subjective. The first, more reliable, are ultrasound studies and the results of laboratory tests. The latter do not give a one hundred percent guarantee of determination. They rely on the sensations of the woman herself and her observation of her own body.
The main symptoms of upcoming ovulation are:
- The amount of cervical mucus increases significantly. It becomes less viscous and acquires a yellowish tint. Smearing spotless discharge may also appear.
- Discomfort and aching pain in the lower abdomen, in the ovary area are possible.
- The chest swells slightly, becomes more sensitive.
- Belly may swell.
- Increased libido, increased sexual desire.
- The amount of luteinizing hormone is increasing.
- Basal body temperature rises by a few tenths of a degree.
- The position of the cervix and its elasticity change.
All of the above symptoms can occur singly or together, weakly or intensely. If a woman listens to her own body, she will certainly understand how to calculate ovulation from her own feelings.
Reasons for the absence
If for some reason the egg does not leave the follicle, ovulation does not occur, and then the woman cannot become pregnant. At the same time, menstruation can go as usual or be absent altogether. In the second option, or if it is impossible to get pregnant for one to two years, you should check with specialists.
For every healthy young woman, malfunctions in ovulation occur once or twice a year, and at an older age, reproduction decreases, and anovulatory cycles alternate more and more often. In a normally functioning body, ovulation is absent during pregnancy, regular lactation, and oral contraceptives. Lack of it can be triggered by stress or overwork. Also, this happens with hormonal disruptions, metabolic disorders, underweight or overweight, gynecological diseases. In any of these cases, an examination and consultation with a doctor is necessary.
Cycle calculation
What is ovulation? And how to calculate it? The answer to the first question is already described above. And in order to independently calculate the days favorable for pregnancy, you should keep a calendar of the menstrual cycle at least about six months, since this is all very individual, and for more accurate results you should know your indicators for a couple of months. It is necessary to mark the days of the beginning of each period. According to the recorded data, you can find out the length of the cycle, which ranges from 19 to 40 days. Ovulation occurs two weeks before the onset of menstruation.
With an average frequency of 28 days, the cycle days from the 13th to the 15th are considered favorable for conception. If its duration is longer or shorter, the egg maturation date is shifted. How to calculate ovulation in this case? You need to add the number of days of the menstrual cycle to the start date of the last menstrual period to find out the number when the next should begin. Subtract two weeks from the result. The final date is the time of ovulation. The next few days are also added to it.
Calculator Definition
Today, many publications offer various tables with which you can keep a calendar of menstruation and ovulation. It is very easy to calculate from them the time of maturation of the egg, favorable for conception and safe for unprotected intercourse days.
In order to calculate the necessary dates using the ovulation calculator, you should enter the following data in it: the start date of the last menstruation and the length of the cycle. After that, calculate the result. A reliable date can only be obtained with a stable regular cycle, so you should not rely on such tables completely. They can be an additional verification option, but not an independent contraceptive.
Basal temperature measurement
Most women who want to become pregnant or, conversely, determine safe days, carefully study what ovulation is and how to calculate it by measuring the basal temperature of their own body. This method is one of the most reliable. However, it requires care and daily routine for three menstrual cycles.
Measurements are taken in the morning. They should be performed while lying in bed, immediately after waking up. The temperature is measured in the rectum with a conventional thermometer. A woman needs to keep a table in which every day she needs to enter the data. You can make it in the form of a graph so that it is easier to track the dynamics. The obtained indicators are compared with the control:
- in the first half of the cycle, the basal temperature is less than 37 ° C;
- a day before the release of the egg, the degree decreases slightly;
- during ovulation there is an increase to 37–37.4 ° .
This method shows inaccurate information after sexual intercourse, during illness, when taking certain medications or alcohol.
Ovulation test
If, using a calendar, thermometer or ovulation calculator, you cannot calculate the exact date, you can try another way - a special test. You can buy it at the pharmacy. The principle of work is a reaction to an increase in the level of luteinizing hormone in the urine. This indicates the maturation of the egg.
If you want to determine the days favorable for conception, you need to do this ovulation test in advance and twice a day (morning urine is not good). Reviews about him are different, someone gets a reliable result, and some of the women are disappointed in this method. After all, a hormonal jump can occur during the anovulatory cycle, and the reagents will still react to it and show a positive result - two strips. But still, in most cases, the result is correct.
In addition to determining the concentration of hormones in the urine, there is another test for ovulation, the reviews of women about which are very good. It acts on the basis of saliva, which also responds to changes in the female body by increasing the amount of salts in the composition.
Ultrasound diagnostics
The most correct result about the presence of ovulation can be obtained using the modern method - monitoring folliculogenesis using an ultrasound machine. If the result is positive, then its course can be monitored and monitored, and if negative, violations can be detected.
The exact time of the study is prescribed by the doctor. Usually, with a regular 28-day cycle, the first monitoring is carried out on the 8-10th day after its start. Then the procedure is repeated every 1-2 days until the fact of ovulation is recorded. If it is absent, further examination is carried out to correctly diagnose the cause of the failure.
Medical methods
In addition to the above methods for determining ovulation, there are several others that are available only when visiting a doctor. One of them is a blood test for an increased concentration of hormones. It is rarely used because of its high cost and the need to donate blood several times for analysis.
Another medical method is the "fern symptom." A smear is taken from the patient, which is applied to a laboratory glass. When ovulation occurs, cervical mucus crystallizes - and then under the microscope you can see a characteristic pattern in the form of fern leaves. This is due to the increased concentration of sodium chloride. This method is laborious. A woman needs to visit a doctor for several days in a row. Because of this, it is rarely used.
Irregular Ovulation
Unfortunately, not every woman can boast a stable periodicity of menstruation. How is ovulation determined during an irregular cycle? In this case, the calendar method will be ineffective.
With a broken cycle, the exact date of ovulation will help determine the doctors on ultrasound monitoring. You can also use the method of measuring basal temperature or purchase special tests to detect increased concentrations of hormones.
So, we told you what ovulation is and how to calculate it. We hope that this information will help in determining the days favorable for the conception of the baby. The article will find a lot of useful information for themselves and those who want to learn about safe time for unprotected sexual intercourse.