What Is Ovulation?
How do you know when you are ovulating?

Are you wondering 'what is ovulation?'If you are trying to get pregnant it's critical to know when you ovulate, because this is when you are most fertile in your cycle.
Your cycle runs from the first day of your period, to the day you get your periods again, and in the middle of that cycle is when you ovulate.
Just say your periods come every 28 days, well you might typically ovulate on or around day 14 of your cycle (so that means 14 days from the first day of your period).
Not everyone is the same though, we all have different cycles, and you might get your period every 28 days, but you might not ovulate until day 18 and have a short luteal phase of 10 days - so it's critical to monitor your cycle so that you know exactly when you are ovulating.

Find out in this short video how knowing when you ovulate can help you to become pregnant:

What is Ovulation?

Ovulation is when your body releases an egg from one of your ovaries. You typically release one each month, but sometimes you could release more than one which is sometimes responsible for naturally conceived twins, or even rarer - naturally conceived triplets!

How Can You Monitor
When You Ovulate?

Basically there are a number of ways you can monitor your cycle to pinpoint exactly when you ovulate:

Use a Basal Body Thermometer

By using a basal body thermometer (bbt) you can track your temperatures. Did you know that your temperature slightly elevates in the second half of your cycle due to hormonal changes that occur? This is also a good way to detect if you are having ovulation problems, or not ovulating at all. You must ovulate to be able to conceive naturally without any assistance from fertility treatments etc.

Use An Ovulation Predictor Kit

An Ovulation Predictor Kit, or OPK, will help you to predict when you are going to ovulate (within a 24 – 48 hour window). You can usually test by your saliva, or by urination or a blood test.

Monitor Your Cervical Mucus

Your cervical mucus is your bodies own way of lubricating itself for conception. As you progress through your cycle each month, your mucus changes. Only one of them is highly fertile. It's knowing which one is that will give you the key to increasing your chances of becoming pregnant.

Use An Ovulation Calculator

An ovulation calculator can help you to better time intercourse with your natural body cycle to give you the highest odds of conception. Intercourse at your most fertile time of the month, around ovulation, will give you the best chances of becoming pregnant.

Check Your Cervix

Checking your cervix is also another way that your body can tell you when you are most fertile. Your cervix, just like your cervical mucus, changes throughout your cycle, and when it is soft and open, it means that sperm have a chance of getting through to the fallopian tubes, where it will hopefully find an egg released from your ovary to fertilize it.

You no longer need to wonder to yourself, what is ovulation?, because if you follow some of the strategies above you will not only know what ovulation is, but you will know when you are ovulating too!