Ovulation is the headlines of our menstrual cycles. It’s the process when your egg is released from a follicle shell and is the dividing line between our follicular phase (first part of the cycle) and luteal phase (latter part of the cycle). 

In the follicular phase of the cycle, our follicles that contain eggs in them grow and one of them will rupture to release an egg under the influence of luteinizing hormone (LH). Once the egg is released, the follicle shell starts to make progesterone, the hormone that makes us feel good in the second half of our cycle (unless you have PMDD, but that’s a topic for another time). We need both, estrogen and progesterone, in our system for good bone, cardiovascular, and nervous system health. 

The timing of ovulation varies from person to person and we can figure it in a few different ways. It’s good to know when you ovulate whether it’s for general knowledge, to prevent pregnancy, or to get pregnant. Here are some signs and symptoms to look out for to figure out when you ovulate:

• Cervical mucus  (discharge from your cervix) will be egg-whitey and more copious than before. You’re probably able to  stretch it between your fingers around ovulation time. Cervical mucus starts to change before ovulation and will get thicker and tackier after to prevent other things from getting into the uterus in case conception happened. 

• You may get a positive ovulation predictor kit test which tests for LH. These tests may be inaccurate in certain situations like in PCOS. 

• You notice a change in your basal body temperature (BBT). You take your basal body using a 2-decimal thermometer at approximately the same time daily as soon as you go up. BBT rises AFTER ovulation due to progesterone production and can provide a good retrospective on ovulation time. The reason we use a 2-decimal place thermometer because your temperature will go up by a fraction of a degree if you ovulated. 

• Your cervix may become softer and move up higher

• Your period starts 10-12 days after ovulation and can provide a retrospective on ovulation time

• You may get some mittelschmerz, which is one-sided lower abdominal pain often described as a twinge

Note: If you’re using contraceptives like the pill or nuva ring, your ovulation is suppressed. If you have a copper IUD, you continue to ovulate. If you use a hormonal IUS/IUD, then there’s a chance that you may not be ovulating in the first 12-24 months.