Ovulation Symptoms

Whether you are trying to avoid pregnancy or trying to achieve it, it is imperative that you know when you are ovulating. There are several symptoms that can let you know that ovulation is imminent, when the actual event is occurring, and tell you for certain that you have ovulated. NaProTechnology and the Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System, [CrMS] allow you to observe your symptoms and give you a clear picture of what your body is doing, thus enabling you to know for certain when and if you have ovulated.

Ovulation is the process whereby a mature follicle in your uterus releases an egg. After the egg is released, it travels down your fallopian tube to your uterus. Between 12 and 48 hours after the egg is released, [ovulation], the egg can be fertilised. Although you are fertile for a day or two on either side of ovulation, the best chances for conception are during this period. If you are trying to conceive, it is extremely helpful to know when you are ovulating. If you are trying to avoid pregnancy, knowing when you are ovulating can tell you when to avoid intercourse.

Many people will tell you that ovulation occurs around 14 days before the beginning of your next cycle. So, if you have a 30 day cycle, you would ovulate around day 16. However, this is not exact, and if you have irregular cycles it is not helpful. Also, not every woman ovulates every cycle. This method is not a sure way of detecting ovulation, and not knowing for sure when and if you are ovulating can be nerve racking. There are many more reliable ways to know when you ovulate. Your body will tell you with a variety of symptoms and signs.

One symptom of ovulation is your cervical mucus. This mucus changes texture and quantity depending on where you are in your cycle. Before you ovulate, it will become more plentiful, and begin to resemble something close to egg white.

Approximately 1/5 of women complain of pain during ovulation. This is called mittleschmerz. It is generally on the lower abdomen and ranges from a dull ache to sharp stabbing pain, and can last from a few minutes to a few hours.

Two other symptoms of ovulation documented by some women are an increased libido in the days leading up to and surrounding ovulation, and breast tenderness.

All of these symptoms can tell you when you are about to ovulate and when and if you have. The CrMS can teach you the methods you need to know in order to track these symptoms reliably, and NaProTechnology can give you an added layer by tracking your hormones during this period. Together, they can give you a complete picture of the inner workings of your body.

The added benefit to this is that if you are having irregular cycles or not ovulating, the problem can be diagnosed through NaProTechnology and you can be on your way to a natural solution.

Your body has many ways of letting you know that you are about to or already have ovulated. The CrMS gives you a reliable way to track both the symptoms you can feel and those you can’t, and also a way to help identify any problems you may have. If you want to begin tracking your ovulation symptoms, please contact a practitioner today.

The Marguerite Bourgeoys Family Centre FertilityCare Programme has helped couples get pregnant from all across the GTA.