For women who are trying to get pregnant, knowing what ovulation is and when it occurs is crucial. A woman can only get pregnant when she is ovulating; this happens once per month when the eggs are released from the ovary. It is thought that the very best time to have intercourse is 12 hours before ovulation; this gives sperm enough time inside the uterus before it fertilizes the egg. There are some general ovulation symptoms to look out for to help spot this fertile window and take advantage of it to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
First of all, look at your menstrual cycle. Is it regular? Women with a regular 28-day cycle may find that they experience symptoms of ovulation at the same time every month. If your cycle is regular, it makes it easier to pinpoint your fertile time each month. Even if you do not have a regular cycle, knowing what signs to look for can help increase your chance of getting pregnant. It may be a good idea to keep an ovulation diary over a few months, recording what symptoms you experience and checking for any patterns.
One symptom that a lot of women suffer from is cramps. These are a healthy sign of ovulation and no cause for concern. When the body ovulates, the ovary is stretched by the developing follicle, which goes on the release the egg. The excess fluid this causes in the abdomen is what leads to ovulation cramps, a feeling of constant discomfort along the line of the pelvis. Many women liken the feeling to mild menstrual cramps. Generally, this cramping sensation is felt around two weeks into the menstrual cycle and can last for anything from a few minutes to a few days. Some women are able to tell which of their two ovaries has released the egg, because the pain can be felt in a particular area. This helps them to keep a track of their menstrual cycle.
Keeping an eye on the body's basal temperature (temperature while resting) is another method of monitoring ovulation. Many women experience a slight rise in temperature immediately after ovulation. While this cannot tell you the exact time you are going to ovulate, it can be useful to keep a chart of your temperature over a period of a few months. If you spot a pattern in your temperature changes, you can use this information to help you work out when you are at your most fertile. On your chart, make sure that Day 1 is the first day of your menstrual cycle. Take your temperature at the same time every day, before you get out of bed in the morning. Make a note of any relevant factors such as lack of sleep, stress or illness. Another common symptom of ovulation is a change in cervical mucus, or discharge. A large number of women find that just before ovulation, their discharge becomes thicker and changes color, from clear to creamy white or yellow. In most cases, there will be no discharge, or very little of it, during non-fertile periods. You may want to record the condition of your discharge at the same time as recording your temperature.
There are many online ovulation calculators that can help you work out when you are likely to be ovulating. All you need to do is input the date your last menstrual cycle began and the length of your cycle. Again, this will only give a precise answer if you have a fairly regular cycle, but it can be used alongside your own records of your ovulation symptoms to work out when you should be having intercourse. When you have established when you are going to be ovulating, try to have intercourse every day for three days leading up to ovulation as well as the day of ovulation and two days immediately after ovulation. This will give you the best chance of getting pregnant. There are other days during the menstrual cycle on which a woman is likely to be fertile, but the period of ovulation is by far the most fertile time of the month.
It can take time to get used to the signs of ovulation, particularly if you do not suffer from noticeable cramps. By taking a few months to pay attention to your body, however, you can become more attuned to the subtle changes that occur over the course of the month and use this knowledge to help you in your mission to get pregnant. Good luck!
