Ways to Know if You’re Ovulating

Knowing when you’re ovulating is an essential skill if you’re struggling to conceive. Once your body releases an egg (ovulates), it must be fertilized within 12-24 hours in order for you to become pregnant. But because sperm can survive in your reproductive tract for up to five days, you improve your chances of conceiving if you can time intercourse to the five days before you ovulate. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to know if you’re ovulating and to predict when you will ovulate.

Use a Calendar or App

Using a calendar or app to track your menstrual cycle is one of the simplest (and least invasive) ways to know if you’re ovulating. Start by recording the first day of your period, or Day 1, of your cycle. You’ll likely ovulate around 14 days before the first day of your next period. If you have a typical 28-day cycle, you can expect to ovulate around Day 14. 

If you have a longer or shorter cycle, you’ll need to adjust your predictions accordingly. For example, if you have a 30-day cycle, you will probably ovulate on Day 16; if you have a 25-day cycle, you’ll ovulate around Day 11. 

It’s best to track your cycle for several months to get an idea of its regularity. However, if your menstrual cycle varies a lot, this method may not reliably help. 

Monitor Your Basal Body Temperature

Monitoring your basal body temperature–the lowest temperature your body reaches after several hours of sleep–is one of the most time-tested ways to know if you’re ovulating, though it requires some dedication. In order to accurately track your basal temperature, you’ll need to take your temperature every day with a special basal thermometer. It’s important to do it as soon as you wake up, and before you even get out of bed. Otherwise, the results won’t be accurate. 

Record your measurements every day to get a sense of what’s normal for you. You should find that your temperature will be about the same on most days. In the 24 hours before ovulation, it will rise slightly, about one degree. Doing this over time will help you know when to expect ovulation to occur.

Check Your Cervical Mucus

Did you know that your cervical mucus and vaginal discharge change throughout your menstrual cycle? If you regularly check your cervical mucus, you’ll begin to notice subtle changes that can help predict if you’re ovulating.

As your body prepares for ovulation, your cervical mucus increases in volume. The consistency also changes to resemble egg whites and should feel thin and slippery. This is all part of your body’s way of helping sperm reach your egg. Be sure to pay attention to the changes in your cervical mucus and write down your observations. Over time, you’ll learn to recognize the changes that indicate ovulation. 

Watch for Symptoms

Some women experience symptoms, such as bloating, cramps, or sore breasts, around the time of ovulation. If that’s the case for you, watching for these symptoms may help you tell when you’re ovulating. 

Some women also experience a specific lower abdominal pain during ovulation, called Mittelschmerz pain, that occurs when a follicle ruptures to release an egg. Remember that watching for symptoms is one of the least reliable ways to know if you’re ovulating because other medical issues can cause similar symptoms.

Try an Ovulation Test

While the above methods are good ways to get to know your body and your cycle, some find it difficult to consistently monitor and record changes. Fortunately, over-the-counter tests are now available, and they’re one of the best ways to know if you’re ovulating. 

Most ovulation test kits require you to test your urine around the time ovulation is likely to occur. If you have a typical cycle, you should begin testing around Day 11. The test will tell you if you’re fertile on a specific day.

Some tests use saliva instead of urine. If you prefer to use one of these kits, you’ll need to learn to recognize a pattern, called ferning, that your saliva makes under a microscope when you ovulate. These tests are not as accurate as urine tests, but they are reusable, which makes them appealing to many people.

Use an Ovulation Predictor Kit

If you want a little extra notice that ovulation is about to occur, use an ovulation predictor kit. These kits monitor the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine, which rise sharply before ovulation.

When your ovulation predictor kit shows a surge in LH, you should try to have sex within the next 24-36 hours when sperm are ready to fertilize your egg.

Monitor Your Fertility

If you want to be even more precise, you can purchase a fertility monitor. Fertility monitors are typically more expensive than ovulation predictor kits, but they also show you a longer window of time during which you can conceive. 

Fertility monitors use data and algorithms to more accurately predict when you’ll ovulate based on multiple factors, including your basal temperature, vaginal fluids, and skin temperature. You can expect them to be between 89-99% accurate, making them one of the best ways to know if you’re ovulating.

See a Fertility Specialist

While all of these methods are great ways to know if you’re ovulating, sometimes things are a little more complicated. Ovulatory disorders are one of the most common causes of infertility. If you have an irregular cycle, are worried that you aren’t ovulating, or have been trying for 12 months to become pregnant without success (6 months if you’re over 35), you should seek help from a fertility specialist. 

A fertility specialist uses more accurate tests, including ultrasounds, to see whether and when you’re ovulating. They can also check for ovulatory disorders, monitor hormone levels, and ensure there aren’t physical problems preventing normal ovulation. If necessary, your fertility doctor can also prescribe medicine to help you ovulate and time when to have intercourse or recommend fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF). 

Dr. Rosencrantz is a double board-certified fertility doctor in Orange County, who has years of experience with fertility treatments like IVF and IUI. Contact our team at Reproductive Health & Wellness Center to learn more or schedule an appointment with Dr. Rosencrantz.