When Do I Ovulate?

When do I ovulate? is one of the main questions asked by women trying to achieve pregnancy, so here are a few pointers to help you figure it out.

When you will ovulate depends on the length and regularity of your menstrual cycle. When people talk about a womans monthly cycle, the average they talk about is normally 28 days. The truth is that every woman is different. For some women their menstrual cycle can be as short as 21 days or less, for others it can be as long as 35 days, maybe more.

So if you find yourself asking 'When will I ovulate, 'when do I ovulate', or 'When did I ovulate' then there are a few things that you can keep an eye on to help you work it out.

When do I ovulate - Basic tell tale signs

Some women may experience all of these signs, or none at all. Just remember that every woman is different. So just because your best friend experiences a symptom of ovulation it doesn't mean that you will too.

• Keep a basal body temperature chart, although this can be tricky so click the link to find out more.

• Check your cervical mucus. When you are most fertile and ready to ovulate, your cervical mucus will change to what is know as EWCM, that's egg white cervical mucus (it will feel like raw egg white!) Where as others times in your cycle it may be sticky, creamy, watery or they may be none at all.

• Abdominal cramps. Some women experience some mild cramps or abdominal pain during ovulation. This may be just on one side, and can last for a few hours to a few minutes.

• Feeling great! Do you feel confident, attractive, and just generally fit and healthy? This can be a sign of ovulation.

• Feeling bloated? While some women feel in tip top condition, others may feel bloated!

• Increased libido? Do you feel really sexy? This is natures way of telling you that you're at your most fertile time and to go have sex! Some women feel extra sexy during ovulation.

When will I ovulate - The sure way to tell

If you have tried all of the above and still find yourself asking "When do I ovulate?" Then you might find it helpful to invest in an ovulation kit. Ovulation kits work by measuring the luteinising hormone present in your body, this normally raises a couple of days before your ovary will release an egg.

Ovulation kits are either dip test sticks, where you dip a test stick in urine, and then wait for a band to appear. Getting more popular now are digital ovulation detectors, these read the results for you and give you a definite positive or negative (these are a lot more expensive though)

When did I ovulate

For the women that are asking when did I ovulate? Well an approximate guess would be, 14 days before your period began. Most women are led to believe that ovulation occurs 14 days after your period starts, this is not true! In most cases it is the time before ovulation where the length of your cycle varies.

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