Many women who know that ovulation is fertile days when conception is possible are wondering how to understand that hour X has come? Are there any symptoms, what discharge during ovulation is possible?
Nature is designed so that the female body, from puberty to menopause, is ready to conceive a child. But for this miracle to happen, the reproductive and hormonal system of each representative of the weaker sex must function correctly. That is, a normal monthly cycle should be observed, consisting of two phases: estrogen and progesterone. It is in the first (estrogen) that what is called ovulation should occur, after which the second phase (progesterone) begins. The article details how to recognize that you can try to conceive a baby or, conversely, how to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. You will find out what kind of discharge during ovulation, how not to confuse and how to confirm fertile days.
A woman's monthly cycle
As mentioned above, the female body is designed in such a way that it should be able to conceive at childbearing age. But for it to happen, all conditions must be observed in the body, namely, the monthly cycle was stable.
The illustration shows that a woman undergoes a monthly cleansing in the first seven days: from the 1st to the 7th day there is spotting. Of course, each duration is different: someone has four days, someone has seven. But if menstruation lasts more than a week, this indicates a pathology, you need to see a doctor. That is, the normal duration is 3-7 days. After the end of the monthly cycle continues, all the same, being the estrogen phase. It is customary to consider the 1st day of menstruation as the beginning of the cycle.
Next, the body prepares for ovulation. The secretions during this process, as well as before and after, are characteristically different in color and consistency. In the figure above, ovulation is indicated on the 13th, 14th, 25th days of the cycle, that is, the egg that came out of the ovary lives in the uterus for three days. When ovulation occurs, the progesterone phase begins. From this moment, the days after ovulation are counted. Usually this phase lasts 14-16 days. At this time, if conception has not occurred, a corpus luteum is formed, which disappears from the body by the time of menstruation. As the spotting starts, it can be assumed that yesterday was the last day of the cycle, even if menstruation was detected only tonight.
What selections look like
So how can you tell just by the discharge alone that ovulation has occurred or is about to occur? The most important sign is cervical fluid that resembles egg white:
- liquid,
- viscous,
- transparent,
- odorless.
This is the consistency of discharge that should be found on linen, hygiene items or toilet paper. In addition, the paper must slide freely during the procedure in the ladies' room. So you will definitely understand that ovulation is about to occur. After the egg is released, the cervical fluid usually becomes more watery.
Discharge during ovulation, as well as before and after, are different. Long before it, the cervical fluid is sticky, creamy. Conception is possible, but unlikely.
If there is no selection
But it also happens that a woman for the whole cycle did not wait for the discharge of the consistency of "egg white". There may be several reasons:
- cervical gland problems;
- insufficient estrogen levels;
- liquid is released so little that the excess does not come out;
- various pathologies in the reproductive and/or hormonal systems.
If this continues for at least a couple of cycles, then you should think about visiting a gynecologist. Causes may include eating and drinking disorders, as well as stress and inflammation.
Discharge on the day of ovulation can be not only transparent, but also mixed with blood or pinkish. It is not considered a pathology if such a phenomenon passes very quickly or was isolated.
Ovulation symptoms
To make sureindeed, ovulation is approaching, monitoring cervical fluid alone is not enough, especially if there is little of it. It is worth resorting to other methods, for example, symptomatology.
Often, in every woman, during the release of the egg, it begins to pull, hurt or shoot through the ovary from which she came out. Unpleasant sensations in the lower abdomen, as with menstruation, are possible. In addition, if the discharge during ovulation (cervical fluid in the form of "egg white") is normal, then there is always a feeling of wetness in the bikini area. Rarely, nausea, headaches, and back pain may occur. All this gradually disappears with the end of ovulation.
In addition, sometimes even these two signs are enough: unpleasant symptoms and discharge to understand that fertile days have come and you can try to conceive a baby. Unfortunately, this is sometimes not enough, so you can resort to several more methods, for example, ovulation tests.
Which test is more reliable and accurate?
In order not to have to spend a lot of money on tests, it is recommended to start tracking fertile days in advance for several cycles in order to understand when ovulation can approximately occur. It is known that after the release of the egg, 14-16 days must pass before menstruation comes. Let's say the cycle is 27-29 days. This means that you need to start tracking with tests at least from the 11th day of the cycle.
The budget option is the usual test strips, which can be bought at the pharmacy and even in the supermarket, hypermarket. According to instructions,analysis is being carried out. The test strip has a special substance that reacts to the level of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the body. The closer the day of the possible conception of the baby, the brighter the test strip. Also, discharges - “protein” should begin during this period. Ovulation means it's about to come.
If this method is not suitable or seems inaccurate, you can purchase an electronic test that will accurately and specifically tell you when you can start trying to conceive. A smiley face will be displayed on the screen.
Free helper method
If it is not possible to spend your savings on tests, then you can use the older method used by women at the end of the 20th century. This method consists in maintaining a graph of basal temperature. On the top, the dates and days of the cycle are marked in order along the horizontal axis, and various notes are indicated below:
- day after ovulation;
- types of selection;
- temperature;
- measuring time;
- sexual intercourse;
- additional information (illness, feeling unwell, taking strong drugs, poor sleep, etc.).
The vertical axis between these two groups of parameters (lower and upper) indicates the temperature in degrees Celsius in the range from 35.5 0С to 39.5 0С (numbers are approximate, it all depends on measurement methods).
If a woman is experiencing discharge during ovulation, then the basal temperature, as a rule, decreases. And when ovulation passes,then there is a sharp rise that lasts the entire second (progesterone) phase.
Why do we need egg white secretions?
Nature everything is arranged quite wisely. A woman during the period of ovulation, in order to conceive, must take a male cell - a spermatozoon, in order to fertilize an egg. But the mucous membrane of the genital organs, the vagina and the uterus itself are normally too dry to ensure the life and movement of the spermatozoa and the egg itself. They can also die in a very acidic or too alkaline environment. Therefore, nature is incorporated in the female body so that there are secretions. If ovulation has occurred, then the egg calmly moves from the ovary through the tube, reaches the uterine cavity. At the same time, spermatozoa move in the opposite direction from the vagina to meet her.
Due to its viscosity and normal acidity, "egg white" enables the fastest and strongest sperm to survive and reach its target. Look at an ordinary egg white: it stretches, glides, easily moves over the surface of any object.
What to do to make the selections good
Unfortunately, not all women can observe "egg white" in themselves. You can raise your estrogen levels with a balanced diet or hormonal drugs. The first method involves the presence of vegetables, legumes in the diet; the second is a doctor's appointment. You should strictly follow the recommendations of a specialist in order to have a successful ovulation. Signs, discharge - all this should indicate the normal functioning of the reproductivesystems during the fertile period.
The most accurate method for determining ovulation
There is another, but very accurate way to find out that ovulation is about to be - this is folliculometry. We are talking about an ultrasound examination of the small pelvis in order to determine the degree of maturation of the follicles, measuring the thickness of the endometrium. This method is quite accurate, the doctor can tell you when you can start conception.
Even if there is no discharge during ovulation, ovulation itself occurs, and after it, pregnancy. In the shortest possible time between the release of an egg and the appearance of sperm, there is a maximum probability of conception. Therefore, many women trust folliculometry.
Can cervical fluid be confused?
In order not to confuse the discharge during ovulation with others, you can collect it in two fingers and check. If the liquid is viscous, then we can talk about "egg white", which is ideal for conception.
It should be noted that during the fertile period, such painful symptoms and bad mood are possible that all this, on the contrary, repels the partner. But if there is a desire to conceive a baby, then you need to discard all doubts, forget about discomfort and get down to business.
In general, when ovulating, there should be a discharge that is visible on the linen, felt in the vagina. This is a sure sign that everything is in order with the hormonal system. But these secretions should be odorless and suspicious in color.
