If you have a fertility initial consultation with me one of the many questions I will ask you is “Are you ovulating?” Some women immediately know the answer to this and some are unsure.

Contrary to what you may have thought when you were younger and trying to prevent pregnancy we only have a small window in which to conceive every cycle. We need to ovulate to conceive naturally.

Ovulation occurs when an egg is released by the ovary and travels down the fallopian tube to be fertilised by sperm. An egg only survives for 12-14 hours after ovulation. For fertilisation to occur it is important that the sperm is present and ready to meet the egg in the fallopian tube. Timing is everything, so it is important to know if and when you are ovulating to get the timing right for conception.

Are you ovulating?

How can you determine if you are ovulating? One thing that can’t accurately determine if you are ovulating, is an app that uses your cycle start date and length of cycle as its only form of information. A 2018 study into such apps found the accuracy of predicted ovulation date was only 21%. These apps should not solely be relied upon to track ovulation.

4 easy ways to check

Let’s have a look at four more accurate methods you could use to track ovulation.

Basal Body Temperature (BBT) tracking

Our body temperature fluctuates slightly throughout the cycle as our hormone levels change. Oestrogen is dominant in the first half of the cycle before we ovulate. After ovulation progesterone becomes dominant and our body temperature rises. The temperature change is subtle but we can track this change if we take our BBT daily and graph it on a chart.

The BBT chart can be used to understand if and when oestrogen changes to progesterone. If there is a clear shift in the BBT this can help to identify ovulation. After a few cycles tracking BBT you will be able to determine which cycle day ovulation is occurring.

BBT is a simple and effective way to track ovulation. I will post a follow up article next week with more information on BBT and 3 easy ways you can get started using it.

Cervical Mucus

Your cervical mucus will increase as ovulation draws closer. It will change from a sticky, creamy consistency to a translucent, wet and stretchy consistency that can be likened to egg whites. This translucent stretchy mucus is called fertile mucus and it helps sperm travel through the cervix to the uterus, it is a sign that ovulation is going to occur within the next few days.

If you don’t see cervical mucus on toilet paper after wiping following urination or in your underwear you may need to look for it. With clean hands you can insert a finger or 2 into your vagina and observe the texture, colour and stretch of the mucus. Record the date and your findings.

Cervix Position

The cervix connects our vagina and uterus and during our cycle the circulating hormones change the position and shape of the cervix to aid with conception. If the cervix feels low, firm and closed it is outside of our fertile window. When the cervix feels high, soft and open is it likely close to ovulation.

It may take some time to understand your cervix position and what you are feeling, you could check it from day 6 of your cycle every time you shower. To check the cervix ensure you have clean hands, you may want to squat and slide your index finger into your vagina moving it up until you feel something hard. Is it hard to reach, is it soft, is it open? Record the date and your findings.

Ovulation Prediction Kits (OPK)

OPK’s measure the amount of lutenising hormone (LH) in your urine. LH is the hormone that triggers the release of an egg from its dominant follicle into the fallopian tube resulting in ovulation. The LH surge can occur anywhere from 36 to 12 hours before ovulation. OPK’s predict ovulation is going to occur, they do not confirm it has occurred. It is possible to miss the LH surge or have a false negative on an OPK. For best results OPK should be used in conjunction with one of the other methods detailed above.

Other variables that may help to indicate you are ovulating include

-An increase in libdo. Increased libido often occurs just prior to ovulation as our oestrogen and oxytocin levels rise.

-Mittelschmerz (a German term meaning middle pain), also referred to as ovulation pain can occur when ovulating. The pain may be felt on one side (the side the ovary is releasing the egg from) in the lower abdomen or pelvic region, it may be mild or sharp and sudden, it may also be accompanied with light bleeding.

-Breast tenderness. The increase in oestrogen prior to ovulation can result in tenderness in both the breast tissue and nipples.

-Increased energy, strength and confidence due to elevated testosterone levels.

Using these 4 methods you can start to track if you are ovulating. You can note down your observations and signs in an app, on a calendar or in a diary to give yourself a good overview of each cycle. When you understand what is happening in your cycle and when you are ovulating you have a better chance of conception.

For more information on this, if you need help deciphering your specific observations and signs or would like to book a fertility initial consultation where I can personally ask you “are you ovulating?” please get in touch with us at Sydney Natural Fertility