Secrets of ovulation or how to get pregnant as quickly as possible
If you’re reading this article, you’re probably taking your first steps toward parenthood, congratulations!
Conceiving a child is a milestone in every woman’s life, and if you are currently full of excitement and trepidation, we fully understand you. If you’re eager to get pregnant right away – too!
Once they have decided on this step, many women want to conceive as quickly as possible. Today’s mission is to talk about female ovulation and how tracking it will help you speed up your dream pregnancy.
Before we deal with ovulation, however, let’s look at the general process of which it is a part – the female menstrual cycle.
What is the menstrual cycle?
All sexually mature women know very well what menstruation is. For most of the fair sex, the menstrual cycle is an annoying experience and often the only thing that turns us on is when it will actually end.
However, tracking and understanding your cycle can make him your best friend when it comes to getting pregnant. So let’s take a few minutes and look at exactly what happens during a menstrual cycle.
Your menstrual cycle is a natural process your body goes through every month. It is believed that the cycle begins from the first day of menstruation and lasts until the first day of the next, when the next cycle begins.
Usually this process takes 28 days, but the duration of one cycle can be prolonged or shortened due to a number of factors – stress, diet, overwork, etc. Some women have a longer cycle, others shorter, and for some the cycle can vary in length from month to month for no particular reason.
During your menstrual cycle, your body prepares for pregnancy. The cycle consists of different phases, more precisely, four.
Let’s see what happens to each of them:
Menstruation (day 1-7): This phase is the de facto beginning of each cycle and is the time when the mucous membrane formed by the previous cycle is discarded. At the same time, the ovaries begin to produce estrogen and progesterone – two critical for pregnancy hormones.
Follicular phase (day 1-13): The follicular phase begins from the first day of menstruation and lasts on average until the 14th day, when the next phase occurs. In this phase, the maturation of the so-called follicle begins, which will subsequently burst and release an egg ready for fertilization. Cyclic growth of the uterine mucosa (endometrium) begins, where the fertilized egg will be implanted.
Ovulatory phase (around day 14): The egg is released from the already mature follicle and is ready for fertilization. Ovulation occurs 24 to 36 hours after the increase in the amount of luteinizing hormone, and the increase in question is extremely rapid and at the same time short-lived – only one to two days. This is also the beginning of the period when you can conceive, since the time period is short – on average 12 to 24 hours after the onset of ovulation.
Luteal phase (day 15-28): The luteal phase is the last before conception or before the onset of a new menstrual cycle. During the first 24 hours, the released egg travels to the fallopian tubes, waiting to finally be fertilized. If this does not happen, the egg breaks down and the luteal phase ends with the beginning of the next menstrual cycle, when the thickened uterine mucosa is again thrown away.
It is worth mentioning that these time intervals are indicative and are based on the theory of a 28-day cycle.
So, I took a quick look at the mysteries of the menstrual cycle. Now it’s time to talk in more detail about the part that makes you here – ovulation.
What is ovulation?
In general, ovulation is the process by which a mature follicle bursts and releases the egg ready for fertilization.
It is usually believed that after the onset of ovulation, an egg has 24 (in rare cases, up to 48) hours before it completes its journey and breaks down.
This period is known as the “fertile window” and if you actively want to get pregnant, it is very important to know when it occurs.
In many cases, relying on the standard length of phases is not enough. Ovulation can occur at different times, depending on a number of factors, and even sometimes does not occur at all. As a result, you need to monitor and not miss the important fertile window.
In the following lines, we will find out how we can determine when the ovulation process began.
How do I know if I’m ovulating?
Before we begin, it is worth mentioning that some of the symptoms listed below are not mandatory, but could indicate the ovulation phase.
Sometimes you may feel one or more symptoms, and other times you may feel absolutely nothing at all (just like with premenstrual symptoms). In this regard, the last of the listed methods is the safest for correctly recognizing the fertile window, but the rest can also help you navigate.
1. Ovulation calendar
While the timing of ovulation is useful, it is rarely accurate in the true sense of the word. Whether you’re using an app or keeping track of phases in a regular notebook, your calendar will be able to keep track of your calendar. Rather, it suggests when to watch ovulation more carefully.
Even if your cycle It is as accurate as a Swiss watch, nothing guarantees that ovulation will necessarily occur on the 14th day, and given the short fertile window, ovulation calendars should be used in combination with other methods.
2. Reporting bodily symptoms
Many women carefully monitor their body and rely on the signals it gives. Of course, you may not feel anything, and it’s good to watch for the following signs:
- Increased breast tenderness and/or swelling
- Mild pain in the ovarian area, feeling of “pulling”
- Secretion of the so-called “cervical mucus” – a secretion that helps move sperm
- Increased sexual desire
3. Basal temperature measurement
Basal temperature measurement is a popular method of establishing ovulation. Its weak point is that you should start doing it much earlier, since it is based on deviations (we are usually talking about differences of about 1 ° C and above).
To be successful with basal temperature measurement, it is a good idea to follow the following instructions:
- The measurement is made immediately after waking up and before getting out of bed
- An ordinary medical thermometer is used, with the help of which the temperature is measured under the tongue, in the vagina or rectum (but always in the same place)
- The measurement is made approximately at the same time
In the days before ovulation, minimal differences are reported, usually 0.3-0.6 °C. When differences of more than 1 °C are taken into account (especially in combination with other symptoms), ovulation is considered to have occurred.
4. Ovulation test
The most accurate way to find out if you’re ovulating is to do a test. As with pregnancy tests, ovulation tests rely on a specific hormone to predict the period of ovulation, in this case the hormone lutein (LH).
As mentioned, shortly before the ovulatory phase, the level of the hormone lutein rises sharply. After the onset of ovulation, just as suddenly, hormone levels decrease. These drastic changes make it suitable for test reading.
You can use a convenient and reliable ovulation test such as Oview, which will help identify your fertile window and significantly increase your chances of conceiving.
For the final
The most important thing to remember is that ovulation as well as your menstrual cycle can vary, so strict monitoring of the processes occurring in your body is extremely important.
To speed up the conception process, carefully observe your body, you can also use an ovulation calendar, but remember that ovulation tests are an indispensable and faithful ally in this wonderful endeavor. Fingers crossed!
