What Happens to Your Body When Ovulating?

Signs of ovulating may include:

• Pain or a dull ache felt on one side of the abdomen when ovulation occurs 
  • May be called mittelschmerz, which is German for ‘middle pain’
• Cervical fluid may become thinner, clearer, and more slippery 
• Small sustained basal body temperature increase 
• Breast tenderness
• Light spotting
• Abdominal bloating
• Cramping
• Change in cervical position and firmness
• Increased sex drive
• Heightened sense of vision, smell, or taste
• Elevated levels of luteinizing hormone, as detected on an ovulation test

A menstrual cycle is measured from the first day of a menstrual period until the first day of the next period. An average menstrual cycle is between 28-32 days, but some people may have shorter or longer cycles.

Ovulation usually occurs between Day 11 – Day 21 of a cycle, counting from the first day of the last period. Those who have shorter menstrual cycles tend to be more likely to ovulate closer to day 11. Those who have menstrual cycles on the longer side can ovulate occur closer to day 21. Ovulation:

• Can occur any time during this window
• Usually lasts one day
• Is not always the same day each month

People who are trying to become pregnant use ovulation prediction to determine the optimal time to have intercourse, particularly if they are having difficulty conceiving because fertility is greatest in the window in which ovulation occurs. 

Methods of ovulation prediction include:

• Ovulation calendars 
• Period tracking apps 
• Taking daily basal body temperature
• Observing cervical fluid
• Tracking periods