In this work you can find the answer to the most common question of girls who dream of having a baby: how to recognize ovulation? There are times when a couple is quite actively engaged in sex, but the long-awaited result does not come. How to be in this situation? Of course, you can sign up for rather expensive procedures and try to find out the reason there. But maybe it's because you're just having sex at the wrong time?
As you know, conception is possible only at the moment of release of the egg from the follicle. This process is called ovulation. Today we will talk about how to recognize ovulation not only with the help of specialists, but also on your own, at home.
When fertilization is possible
Before we look at all the possible methods, we offer a little acquaintance with the process of fertilization of the egg and the process of ovulation. It is also important to point outthat the question of how to recognize ovulation also torments those women who seek to avoid pregnancy.
In order to answer the main question, you need to get a little familiar with female physiology. Ovulation occurs almost every month if the girl is of reproductive age and he althy. As a rule, the probability of pregnancy is high for only about two days a month. These days fall in the middle of the menstrual cycle. Here are the approximate calculations:
- 28-day cycle - ovulation occurs on the 12th day;
- 35-day cycle - on the 17th day.
It should be noted that everyone has an individual body, you need to carefully listen to your body, then you will not be able to miss the moment of ovulation.
What is this?
Now we will tell you a little about what ovulation is. This concept is very important for girls who dream of getting pregnant. The process of ovulation is of great importance when planning a pregnancy. After all, if it did not happen, then pregnancy is impossible.
To put it briefly and in an accessible language, ovulation is the process of leaving the follicle of a fully mature and ready-to-fertilize egg. It lasts only a couple of minutes, as soon as the mature egg enters the abdominal cavity, the ovulation process is considered complete.
Egg cells are laid in fetal development in girls, there are about a million of them. Before puberty, the eggs are in a dormant state. However, some of them die without waiting for the momentexit from the follicle. By the time of the first menstruation, the girl has about 300 thousand follicles. Of this number, only about 500 ovulate during the entire reproductive period.
In order to answer the question of how to recognize ovulation, it is necessary to clarify the fact that ovulation may not occur every month. However, there are times when several follicles ripen and burst at once. If this happens, then a multiple pregnancy is possible.
Methods
From this part of the article you can learn how to recognize ovulation yourself or with the help of specialists. In total, several methods can be distinguished:
- ultrasound diagnostics;
- blood test;
- quick test;
- listen to feelings;
- watch vaginal discharge;
- Basal temperature charting method.
The most accurate result will be confirmed by several ovulation recognition methods at once. However, some of them can hit your wallet hard. For example, if you go to ultrasound every day or use express tests. The most correct option is to calculate the approximate days of ovulation using the calendar method, confirm or refute your calculations using a test strip.
Ultrasound
In this section, you will learn how to recognize ovulation by ultrasound. Ultrasound examination is carried out in a number of cases, from finding out the cause of an irregular cycle and ending with the diagnosis of infertility.
ultrasoundto track ovulation, the gynecologist may prescribe if there are the following problems:
- painful periods;
- their absence;
- when stimulating egg maturation;
- in the treatment or diagnosis of infertility;
- if a woman is preparing for an IVF procedure;
- for poor hormone test results;
- if a woman is planning a pregnancy after an abortion, miscarriage and so on;
- for selection of contraceptives.
Many are interested in the question: how is ultrasound performed to determine ovulation? In total there are three ways of examination:
- transvaginal;
- transrectal;
- transabdominal.
The first two ways are internal, the last one is external. The most common option is transvaginal. The transrectal method examines virgins, and the transabdominal method examines pregnant women.
It has already been mentioned that the most widespread is the transvaginal method. During the procedure, the sensor is inserted directly into the vagina. Ultrasound examination by this method is carried out no more than 30 minutes, the woman does not experience any pain during this.
The advantage of this examination is that there is absolutely no need to prepare for it. You need to take a shower and empty your bladder. You need to take a regular condom with you.
Blood test
How does approaching ovulation manifest itself? How to recognize it using a laboratory method? In this section, you will learn the answers to these questions.
As you know, the menstrual cycle is impossible without the participation of many hormones. The main ones are: FSH, LH, progesterone. Let's talk a little more about each of them.
Follicle-stimulating hormone, also called FSH, promotes the maturation of follicles that are in the ovaries. If the hormone content exceeds the maximum rate, then the follicle simply breaks, thus releasing the egg. At this point, ovulation occurs. Then the concentration gradually decreases.
Next on our list was luteinizing hormone. It is he who is trying to identify an express test for ovulation. It is important to know that the day before ovulation, the amount of this hormone increases by about ten times. If you decide to take a blood test for hormones to determine ovulation, you also need to know that not only its presence in the blood is important, but also the ratio with FSH. This ratio should be something like this: LH:FSH=1.5:2.0. With a regular cycle, this analysis should be done on the 3-8th and 19-21st day of the cycle. On the same days, FSH is also given. If the cycle is irregular, then ovulation must be monitored by taking an analysis daily from the 8th to the 18th day of the cycle.
The last thing we mentioned was progesterone. It is also called the pregnancy hormone. It received such a name for a reason, the whole point is that progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum and protects the fetus from miscarriage. Its deficiency can cause infertility.
This method of determining ovulation helps not only to determine the exact day of its onset, but also to identify hormonal imbalances. It is better to combine a blood test for hormones with an ultrasound examination, so the result will be more accurate.
Now we propose to identify the pros and cons of this method. This information can be obtained from the table below.
| Benefits | Flaws |
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Test strips
Now we will discuss another method. How to recognize ovulation with an irregular cycle? In fact, this is not so easy to do. You can spend a lot of time and money, go to the clinic for long studies. Regularly undergo ultrasound examination, take blood tests and so on. There is a less expensive way.
Girls often use express tests to determine pregnancy, but few people know that there are similar test strips for determining ovulation. The advantage of this method is that you can test at home, on your own and there are no strong material costs.
Prices for these express tests range from 30 rubles to 1.5 thousand. The probability is quite high, about 90%.
Now a little about the method of application. First you need to decide on the day. With a regular cycle, subtract the number "17" from its length, then you will get the day of the cycle, into be tested. For an irregular cycle, take the length of the shortest year in the last half year and also subtract 17.
Rules:
- do not drink 4 hours before the test;
- refrain from going to the toilet for 2 hours;
- follow the instructions specifically for your test;
- do not use morning urine;
- For more accurate results, swipe 2-3 times a day (best time is between 10am and 10pm).
Feelings
In this section, you will learn how to recognize ovulation by feeling. It is important to understand that you will not be able to feel the process of tearing the follicle. The reason lies in the fact that it has no nerve endings. But the egg begins to move through the fallopian tubes as a result of their contractions, which can affect the physical and emotional state.
So, how to recognize ovulation by feeling? The following symptoms may appear:
- small pain in the ovarian region, it can have a different character (aching, cutting, stabbing, cramping, and so on), it lasts for 1-2 days;
- pain after ovulation (this may indicate inflammation, you need to make an appointment with a gynecologist);
- the day before ovulation, a girl can be in a very good emotional state;
- sexual activity increases;
- mood improves, self-confidence is felt.
Here it should be noted that eachThe body is individual, the signs may be different. In order to determine ovulation, you must carefully listen to your body.
Selections
In this section, we will tell you how to recognize ovulation by secretions. It is important for all girls to know that the cervix secretes a special mucus that helps sperm survive and move through the genital tract. If a girl is attentive to her body, then she knows how to recognize ovulation by secretions.
The first after menstruation is the so-called dry period. During this period of time, there is practically no discharge, as there is a small level of estrogen. There may be discharge, but they are very thick, this is necessary for the formation of a cervical plug. It is needed so that no infection and spermatozoa get into the uterus.
Shortly before the day of ovulation, estrogen levels begin to rise, cervical mucus becomes thinner and more sticky. After that, it acquires a creamy texture. Such discharges are considered normal if certain conditions are met:
- discharge resembles jelly, has a transparent color;
- they are observed in small numbers;
- odorless;
- does not have a bad effect on the skin;
- no itching;
- no pain;
- no fever.
As the egg matures, the nature of the cervical discharge changes. A day and up to 2 days after ovulation, they acquire a consistency similar to raw egg white. Not worth itworry if the discharge has become very abundant, this is considered the norm.
It is also necessary to clarify that the nature of the discharge and its duration are individual for everyone.
Calendar method
Now we will share another method of how to recognize ovulation without a test. Previously, a regular calendar was used for this purpose. The essence of the method is as follows: be sure to mark every day of menstruation for a long period of time. For a more accurate result, they usually analyze from 6 months to a year.
It is also important to point out that the probability of determining the exact day of ovulation using the calendar method is very small. How it works? Write down the start dates of the last 12 periods, then apply the Ogino-Knaus method. The first formula: A \u003d B - 18; second formula: C \u003d D - 11. A is the beginning of a favorable period for conception, B is the duration of a short cycle, C is the end of a favorable period, D is the duration of the longest cycle.
Basal temperature measurement
In this part of the article, you will learn how to recognize the day of ovulation using paper, a pen and a regular thermometer. This method is more accurate with respect to the calendar. In order to calculate the day of ovulation, you need to analyze the chart for at least 3 cycles.
For these purposes, the basal temperature is measured by one of the following methods:
- in the mouth;
- in the rectum;
- in the vagina.
Because the temperature must be taken every day(even at the time of menstruation), the best option is to measure in the rectum.
For the calculation, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
- measure temperature daily;
- if you use the oral method, then the thermometer should be kept under the tongue for at least 5 minutes, while the lips are tightly compressed;
- if you use the vaginal or rectal method, then you need to insert about 3 centimeters and measure the temperature for 4 minutes;
- use always the same thermometer;
- measure the temperature in the morning, without getting out of bed;
- record the result in a special chart.
Reading the chart
In the previous section, you learned how to recognize ovulation at home using a thermometer. Now a little about how to read the resulting chart.
From the first day of menstruation, the basal temperature is high, in the middle of the cycle it decreases. It is necessary to look for ovulation around this period. It can be recognized by a jump from 0.2 to 0.6 degrees. After this drop, the temperature will stay at this level for up to 2 weeks. On the eve of menstruation, the temperature drops. The day of ovulation is considered to be the day when the basal temperature is the lowest before the jump.
Now you can easily predict the day of ovulation. The most favorable period for conception is two days before the jump and the day after it.
