So what exactly is Ovulation and how will knowing when you ovulate help you conceive that dream baby?
What Is Ovulation?:
Before we go into the details, did you know that research has shown that a woman’s face, scent and voice all become more attractive when she reaches her fertile period? She tends to become more confident, have more energy, have a heightened sense of taste and smell and guess what? Have more interest in having sex.
Hormones underpin our cycle and understanding just how is the key to getting grips with the way you feel sometimes.
Outside influences such as alcohol and drugs can tamper with your hormonal balance and make the natural changes in your cycle more challenging so it is best to avoid these if you are really looking to get pregnant.
How Ovulation Works:
I am going to use the 14 day ovulation cycle in this example but please bear in mind that it is a fact that not all women ovulate on day 14.
Some women ovulate earlier,(for example I tend to have short cycles and tend to ovulate on day 11 or 12 ) while others with longer cycles may ovulate after day 14 e.g day 15, 16 etc
But using day 14 for this example, on days 12 and 13, FSH (follicle stimulating hormone ) and oestrogen levels rise high enough for the process of ovulation to begin.
The pituitary glands releases more LH (luteinizing hormone) which stimulates one (occasionally more as discussed below) ripened egg to rise to the surface of the ovarian follicle.
On day 14, the egg or eggs burst through the protective follicle, propelled by the release of prostaglandins and is released into the adjacent fallopian tube.
In the days following ovulation, progesterone surges and you enter the luteal phase.
Because a woman has 2 ovaries, there is the tendency to think that the ovaries take it in turn to release an egg but nothing could be further from the truth. Which ovary releases an egg is fairly arbitary and ovulation does not rotate between ovaries.
Multiple Ovulation:
Multiple ovulation occurs when more than one egg is released in one cycle with the second egg usually released within 24 hours of the first. After that window of 24 hours has passed, no more eggs wil be released in that cycle.
If both eggs are fertilised, and then implant, non-indetical twins are conceived.
It is thought that as a woman gets older, her body is more likely to release more than one egg, making mothers over 35 more likely to conceive twins naturally.
However, doctors now believe that multiple ovulation may occur much more frequently – in as many as 5-10% of all cycles – but that the second foetus frequently miscarries. This is known as the “vanishing twin phenomenon”
So How Does Knowing When You Ovulate Increase Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant
When everything is in working order, you have a 30% chance of getting pregnant in any one month. So if you tend to ovulate on day 14 then you should aim to have slightly more sex from day 10.
There are basically 3 main ways of predicting if you are ovulating
a) Using Cervical Mucus
b) Basal Temperature
c) Ovulation Kits
Let’s take a deeper look at Using Ovulation test kits and how they work.
How Ovulation Test Kits Work:
Ovulation test kits are designed to measure the level of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine.
When there is a “surge” it indicates the egg is about to be released. This is the optimum time for sex but before and after this surge is also recommended to increase your chances
Digital reading sticks seem to be the easiest to use and also the most accurate, so it is worth spending the extra money on these to reduce doubt.
What are the advantages of using Ovulation Kits?
1. If you have irregular periods or if you don’t know whether you are ovulating or not.
2. If you don’t experience other physical changes such as a change in your cervical mucus or a change in temperature
What are some of the disadvantages?
1. Some women can become too reliant on them and stop listening to their bodies
2. Ovulation kits can put too much focus on the time of ovulation. Couples may then stop sharing intimacy normally and wait until the woman is ovualting.
