The time when a woman ovulates is amongst the most vital things women need to comprehend lucidly as it is an influential factor in conceiving or averting pregnancy. Being well-informed regarding what one’s body is going through is always prudent.

Menstrual Cycle and Pregnancy

What happens within our bodies on a monthly basis is basically everything to do with hormones. The alterations linked to the menstrual cycle are triggered by hormonal vacillations at varying periods of the month. Majority of the cycles are twenty-nine days in length & varying +/- some days could be nothing abnormal & smallish alterations in cycles are also not an unusual occurrence. The first day when a woman bleeds is the first day of her menstrual cycle. Measurement of the span of a menstrual cycle is done from first day of one menstrual cycle to first day of the subsequent menstrual cycle.

A woman would ovulate at around the fourteenth day of her menstrual cycle & is the time when release of ripe egg by the ovary occurs, thrust downwards the fallopian tube & is amenable for fertilization. Thickening of the uterine lining has occurred in preparation for the egg post-fertilization. In case pregnancy does not occur, then lining of the uterus alongside blood would be discarded which is when a woman menstruates. Menstrual cycle comprises of the uterine and ovarian cycle.

Ovarian Cycle

It entails ovarian alterations and segregated into duo phases:

Follicular Phase (Phase 1)

From the first day till thirteen day is the phase from the foremost day the woman menstruates till she ovulates, when a ripe egg is set free from the ovary. It is known as follicular phase since the egg develops or matures within the follicle, a mini pouch where egg maturation takes place. A woman would be ovulating at approximately the fourteenth day of her menstrual cycle, responding to a rise in LH (luteinizing hormone) when ovary releases the egg. This foremost half of the menstrual cycle could be differing significantly in women and lasting from one week till forty days.

Luteal Phase (Phase 2)

The fourteenth day till twenty-eighth day is the period from the time egg release occurred (ovulation) till the foremost day of menses. It is a formation growing inside the ovary where a ripe egg was set free when a woman ovulated. The phase 2 has a more accurate time-line & generally being solely twelve to sixteen days since the ovulation day. It finally translates to the fact that when the ovulation occurred would be determining the length of the menstrual cycle.

Stresses & Your Menses

Being stressed out could impact ovulation that eventually ascertains when menses would arrive, however stresses close to the time of an anticipated menses would not be delaying it – it was already ascertained when menses would be arriving around twelve to sixteen days before.

Uterine Cycle

It entails uterine variations occurring at-tandem with ovarian cycle and segregated into:

Proliferative Phase

From fifth day till fourteenth day is the time post-menses & prior to the subsequent ovulation when uterine lining would swiftly thicken & the glands in the uterus multiplying and growing.

Secretory Phase

From fourteenth day to twenty-eighth day is the period post-ovulation. When egg fertilization does not occur, the corpus luteum eventually ebbs alongside plummeting hormonal levels (progesterone-estrogen) & the uterine thickening being discarded which is when a woman menstruates or gets her periods.

Crucial Facts pertinent to Menstrual Cycle and pregnancy

• The ovum or egg would be surviving twelve to twenty-four hours subsequent to have left the ovary.
• Usually merely a single egg would be set free every instant of ovulation.
• Factors like being stressed out, sickness or disrupted regular routine all affect ovulation.
• Egg post-fertilization implants usually six to twelve days post-ovulation.
• All females innately have several million unripe eggs in reserve which await ovulation to commence.
• Menses could be noticed despite ovulation not taken place.
• Ovulation could arise although menses hasn’t taken place.
• Several females could sense some extent of pains or aches, close to the ovaries when ovulating – known as mittleschmerz.
• In case egg fertilization hasn’t occurred, it would disintegrate & its absorption into the lining of the uterus taking place.
• Sperms could survive in a female’s body till nearly five days post-sex, although mostly just two days.
• There’s greater likelihood of conception when sex occurred in the days (three days pre-ovulation till two to three days post-ovulation).

Menstrual Cycle & Pregnancy – When is a woman’s peak fertile time?

A female’s menses cycle measurement is done from the foremost day of her menses till the foremost day of her subsequent menses. Typically, menstrual cycle would last anywhere from twenty-eight days and thirty-two days, however several females might be having briefer cycles or rather drawn out ones. Ovulation calculation is done commencing with LMP or last-menstrual-period starting or by computing twelve to sixteen days from the subsequent anticipated menses. Majority of the females would be ovulating amid eleventh and twenty-first day of their period cycle, when one counts from the foremost day of LMP. This is referred to as ‘fertile time’ of a female’s cycle since engaging in sex at this phase augments the prospects of getting pregnant. Ovulation could take place at varied periods during a menstrual cycle, & might take place on a diverse day every month.

Ovulation Tracking Benefits

When a woman keeps track of her ovulation patterns it helps her in getting a clearer picture of when conception could & couldn’t take place during her menses cycle.

Fertility awareness entails keeping tabs on cervical mucus & the use of basal thermometers to keep track of ovulation. Cervical mucus would be changing from wet, slithery resembling white portion of an egg just prior to ovulation occurring & till a woman has done ovulating. Basal thermometers aid in keeping tabs on BBT (basal body temperature) surge that would be signalling when ovulation has taken place. OPK (ovulation prediction kit) & fertility monitor devices assist in keeping tabs on when a woman ovulated. No sooner has ovulation taken place, there’s zilch that could be done for increasing conception chances. The subsequent approach is to be watchful for early signs & symptoms of pregnancy.