Ovulation is when you're most fertile and typically occurs halfway through your menstrual cycle.- Ovulation symptoms include spotting, pain, and changes in cervical mucus and body temperature.
- Track signs of ovulation using a calendar or app to determine when you are most fertile.
Knowing when you're ovulating - when your ovaries release an egg - can help you determine the best to get pregnant or avoid unprotected sex.
Ovulation, which typically occurs four days before or after the halfway point of your menstrual cycle, only lasts 12 to 24 hours. However, sperm can live inside the female reproductive system for five days. This is why three to five days before or on the day of ovulation is considered your fertile window.
But, ovulation varies from person to person, so it's important to track your body's symptoms month by month to better understand when you are ovulating.
Here are nine symptoms of ovulation, which occur due to increased levels of hormones, specifically estrogen, during this time.
1. Clear, stretchy discharge
Your vaginal discharge, also known as your cervical mucus, will usually be clear, stretchy, wet, and slippery during ovulation, says Aparna Sridhar, MD, MPH, a gynecologist at UCLA Health.
2. Light spotting
Related Article Module: 9 reasons why you may be spotting, from stress to PCOSSome people may experience spotting while ovulating, says Sridhar, but it's important to track it month by month because intermenstrual spotting can also be a sign of underlying
Spotting during ovulation usually lasts one to three days.
3. Increased libido
Some may experience increased sex drive before and during ovulation. This increase correlates with the surge of estrogen and the luteinizing hormone (LH), which controls the menstrual cycle and triggers ovulation.
A 2004 review found women had an increase in libido for six days around the time their LH surged. Another 2004 study found sex was 24% more frequent during the six days leading up to ovulation than other days during the cycle.
4. Breast tenderness
Your breasts and nipples may feel tender, sore, swollen, or sensitive, says Jessika Ralph, MD, MSCI, a gynecologist and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
5. Changes in body temperature
Just before your ovary releases the egg, your basal body temperature (BBT) will drop slightly. Then after ovulation, your temperature will rise about half a degree. Therefore, tracking your BBT month to month will help you better predict when you are ovulating.
Medical term: Basal body temperature is your temperature while fully at rest. The best time to check your basal body temperature is first thing in the morning. Average BBT is 97℉ to 97.5℉ before ovulation. After ovulation, it's closer to 97.6℉ to 98.6℉.
6. Mild cramping
Related Article Module: Pain during ovulation is common - here's why it happensSome people may experience cramping pain during ovulation, says Sridhar. The pain varies with some feeling cramping throughout their lower abdomen and others feeling it just on one side.
The one-sided pain, also known as mittelschmerz, reflects which ovary is releasing the egg. This kind of cramping is often normal and can last just a few minutes to a couple of days.
7. Changes in saliva
A few days before and during ovulation, dried saliva will change from random clumps of blobs and spots to a fern-shaped pattern under a microscope, says Ralph. This is because of the increase of estrogen near the time of ovulation, which changes saliva consistency.
However, you'd need a microscope to notice the pattern difference.
8. A heightened sense of smell
In some cases, people have slightly heightened senses, such as smell or taste, during ovulation. The cause is not fully understood and studies have been conflicting, but it does seem that senses are tied to the reproductive system in some way.
One 2013 study compared smell sensitivity during ovulation and after between women not on birth control and those taking oral contraceptives (which stop ovulation). Those not on birth control were significantly more sensitive to smells such as lemon, peppermint, and the male hormones pheromones, androstenone, and androsterone than those on contraceptives.
9. Softened cervix
Normally, when you are not ovulating, your cervix feels like a firm, round tip, says Ralph, kind of like the end of your nose. But when ovulating, your cervix will soften, rise, and feel more like the softer part of the roof of your mouth.
You can check your cervix by yourself by placing your finger into your vagina and feeling for it, says Ralph. The cervix sits at an angle at the very end of the vagina, usually about 3 to 7 inches deep depending on the person.
How to track ovulation
- A calendar: You can either do this manually or use apps that track patterns month by month.
- An ovulation predictor kit: These are urine tests for purchase at pharmacies that track when your LH hormone levels surge during ovulation.
- Basal body thermometer: This thermometer will give you results to the tenth of a degree.
- Healthcare provider: A doctor can track your
fertility profile with you and better understand your schedule through an ultrasound, blood tests, or biopsy to check for progesterone levels.
Insider's takeaway
Ovulation normally occurs midway in your menstrual cycle but can vary for each person.
To best track your ovulation schedule, there are some symptoms to keep in mind, such as clear, stretchy discharge, body temperature, and breast soreness. The best time to try and get pregnant is before or during ovulation.
You can also chart ovulation with a calendar or take a urine test to better understand your time of the month. But if you have any concerns about your schedule, connecting with a fertility specialist or an OB-GYN is a good idea.
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