Learning about ovulation for getting pregnant is important if you are considering starting a family. 

Ovulation is an important part of a woman’s ability to conceive and happens naturally throughout her menstrual cycle. 

What is ovulation? How does it affect your fertility? These questions and more will be answered in this blog.

What Exactly Is Ovulation?

The ovulation process involves releasing a fully developed egg from an ovary. 

It usually happens once a month. However, some women may have them more often or rarely. 

If sexual intercourse happens at this time, sperm may attach to the egg as it travels down the fallopian tube toward the uterus.

Couples wanting to conceive should pay close attention to a woman’s menstrual cycle since ovulation is the most fertile time. 

If a woman wants to become pregnant, she should try to conceive within her fertile window.

 

ovulation when trying to get pregnant

What Is The Fertility Window?

Most people’s fertile windows last about six days. The fertile window is usually considered 6 to 7 days each cycle. 

But this can be a little bit different for each person. 

It starts right after their period ends and lasts five days before ovulation, the day of ovulation (usually on day 14 of their cycle), and the day after ovulation.

During your fertile window, your estrogen levels rise, and you may notice changes in your vaginal discharge. 

It gets slimy and tangled (resembling egg white). 

Hormones, namely luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), released by the pituitary gland in the brain, control the ovulation process in a woman’s body. 

These hormones promote the development of follicles, the ovarian sacs that house eggs before they mature.

Follicles generate estrogen, which thickens the uterine lining in expectation of pregnancy as they develop. 

When estrogen levels are high enough, a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) is activated, leading to the rupture of the dominant follicle and the release of a mature egg into the fallopian tube. 

After being released, the egg has roughly 12 hours before it becomes infertile. 

The egg is returned to the body if there isn’t a pregnancy. This will cause estrogen and progesterone to drop, and the womb’s lining comes off and leaves the body (the menstrual flow). 

From when an egg is released to when a period starts is about 10 to 16 days.

Intercourse in the days leading up to ovulation may still result in pregnancy since sperm can survive in the female reproductive canal for up to 5 days.

Ovulation Monitoring

If you want to increase your chances of becoming pregnant, one way to do so is to monitor your ovulation cycles. 

Some typical methods are as follows:

  • Testing using a home kit or Ovulation Test strips.
  • The basal body temperature (BBT) approach is taking a temperature reading first thing in the morning before getting out of bed and writing down the results.  Ovulation often happens when there is a fair rise in BBT.
  • Using a calendar to chart your menstrual cycle might help you predict when you will most likely ovulate. Nevertheless, it may not be reliable for women who have monthly cycle disruptions.
  • When they see a rise in LH in their urine, ovulation is close (within 24 to 48 hours).
  • With the cervical mucus method, you wait for your mucus to move from thick and sticky to thin and slippery, like raw egg whites, to signal ovulation.

You may improve your chances of becoming pregnant using any of these techniques or a combination.

ovulation test strips

Factors That Can Affect Fertility

The frequency and timing of ovulation can be affected by several reasons, such as:

  • Hormonal Imbalance: The natural hormonal alerts that cause you to ovulate may be disrupted by conditions including polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and hormonal imbalances, which can cause irregular or missing ovulation.
  • Excessive amounts of stress may mess with your hormones, particularly those controlling how you ovulate. 
  • The hypothalamus, which regulates the production of LH and FSH, may be disrupted by long-term stress, resulting in irregular ovulation.
  • Obesity and being underweight can have negative effects on how you ovulate. 
  • Low body weight may cause hormonal abnormalities and irregular ovulation, just as being overweight might impede the process.
  • The quality and number of eggs in a woman’s ovaries diminish with age, which in turn causes her fertility to drop and her periods to become irregular. 
  • Changes in menstruation cycles and ovulation patterns are other symptoms of perimenopause in women.
  • How you ovulate can also be affected by medical conditions such as hypothyroidism and diabetes. 
  • Some medicines, like those used to treat infertility and other medical conditions, have been shown to stop ovulation in some women.

Improving fertility requires careful management of these factors.

If you are attempting to conceive a child, discussing with your doctor any drugs you are currently taking that may interfere with ovulation is important.

Promoting regular ovulation may be as simple as maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a balanced diet.

Conclusion

Couples wanting to conceive should know as much as possible about the ovulating process. 

You can improve your chances of becoming pregnant by keeping track of your menstrual cycle. And using one of many techniques to determine your fertile window. 

Factors affecting ovulation include hormonal imbalances, stress, body mass index, age, medical problems, drugs, and lifestyle choices. 

It’s important to remember that every woman has her unique fertility journey and that the keys to a healthy pregnancy are patience, determination, and good care. 

Have fun!