Ovulation detection and calculation

Ovulation is the central element of female cycle. The interaction of different hormones means that when the egg is mature, it is expelled by the ovary and makes its way through the fallopian tube. This is the time of ovulation. It is at this stage that fertilization is possible. You can find at what time of the cycle and what are the different hormones here.

However, it is important to analyze ovulation because it plays a major role in natural birth control methods. When you know the ovulation period, you can calculate your fertile and infertile phase.

When does ovulation take place?

In theory (i.e. with a very regular 28-day cycle), ovulation statistically occurs on day 14 of the cycle. In reality, however, this calculation applies to less than 20% of women.

When does ovulation take place?

Le moment et la durée de l'ovulation peut varier à chaque cycle. La période d’ovulation est influencée par de nombreux facteurs : stress, maladie ou changement de lieu. Par conséquent, le calcul de l'ovulation ne peut pas être déterminé à l’avance. C’est pour cela que les femmes doivent vérifier l’état de leur cycle chaque jour.

What is ovulation?

  • Ovulation is when the mature egg "jumps" from the ovaries into the fallopian tube. The mature egg reaches the uterus and can then be fertilized.

    Under the effect of the hormone FSH, several eggs develop in the ovaries. A follicle is found around each egg. The hormone estrogen is produced in the wall of this follicle.

    There is a competition between the maturing follicles: one of the follicles grows faster and announces: I am ready. The hormone LH (luteinizing hormone) then kicks in and this is called ovulation: the winning follicle bursts and releases the egg into the fallopian tube, where it travels to the uterus.

    Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

How to calculate your ovulation?

To calculate your ovulation period, it is important to check the current status of the menstrual cycle every day to know if you are in a fertile or sterile phase. This is because ovulation cannot be mathematically calculated based on cycle length as it works differently in different women. The day of ovulation can therefore vary with each cycle.

What are the signs of fertility?

The egg lives for about 12 to 24 hours after being ejected from the follicle. It can then be fertilized by sperm. But the sperm can survive in the female body for five days. In theory, having sex five days before ovulation is enough for the sperm to have a chance to reach the egg and fertilize it.

Fertile days are the time to get pregnant. Sperm can survive in vagina for 5 days. The fertile period refers to the four days before ovulation, the day of ovulation and the three days after the ovulation period.

Recognize ovulation: here are the signs.

The various hormones that play an important role around ovulation (eg estrogen) also influence other parts of our body. For example, changes in cervical mucus or bleeding may occur between periods. Here are some signs that can help you identify ovulation:

  • Ovulation: the role of cervical mucus

    The hormones estrogen and progesterone cause changes in cervical mucus. The closer you get to ovulation, the more glassy and stretchy the cervical mucus becomes. When you hold it between your fingers, it moves in strands, it is more swirling. In appearance, it resembles raw egg white.

  • The cervix

    The cervix is also affected by the hormones of a woman's menstrual cycle. At the start of your cycle, the cervix is quite hard and protrudes into the vagina. As ovulation approaches, the cervix softens, opens and even rises a little higher. You can examine the cervix yourself by inserting two fingers into the vagina and feeling the sensation of the cervix.

  • Temperature rises after ovulation

    The hormone released after ovulation, progesterone, causes an increase in core body temperature of about 0.2°C. However, it is not enough to measure the temperature once, because the level of temperature alone does not tell us the level of progesterone. Therefore, to determine an increase, a temperature profile is needed.

  • painful ovulation

    Midline pain is a stabbing or pulling sensation in the lower half of the abdomen. Some women feel it at the time of ovulation. However, moderate pain is not a sign that ovulation is taking place at this time. Average pains occur in some women only at the time of ovulation.

  • Bleeding between periods

    Bleeding between periods, also called intermenstrual, or spotting, can occur close to ovulation in some women. Intermenstrual bleeding is identified by a cervical mucus slightly reddish or like real bleeding. This bleeding between periods is therefore a sign of high fertility.

  • Increased libido in women

    Many women report having more sex around the time of ovulation. The reason for this change in libido is probably the increased concentration of estrogen. This is where the primary instinct that lives in us comes in: it makes sense to have more sexual intercourse during the fertile period, at least if we place ourselves from the point of view of evolution and reproduction.

What are the differences between ovulation and fertile days?

The egg can only be fertilized 12 to 24 hours after leaving the follicle. To extend this period, Mother Nature has come up with a rather clever solution: sperm can survive up to five days in a woman's body. If you want to get pregnant, it is theoretically sufficient to have vaginal intercourse five days before ovulation, so that you are not only fertile the day you ovulate, but also the four days before and the three days after. We know it's not always easy to get pregnant, but knowing there's not just one day in the cycle when you're fertile takes a bit of the pressure off, but it's there is a full fertile day around the time of ovulation.

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