What Happens To Your Body During Ovulation
Ovulation corresponds to the menstrual cycle period during which one of the two ovaries expels an egg ready to be fertilized by a sperm. Here’s what happens in the body during ovulation.
Ovulation period: when does it take place?
The menstrual cycle begins on the first day of your period and ends the day before the first day of your next period. Ovulation occurs mid-cycle.
As the cycle length varies from one woman to another (it can last from 21 to 35 days with an average of 28 days), the ovulation period is not always easy to determine precisely during the cycle, especially when the cycles are irregular.
Ovulation is estimated to occur 14 days before the start of the next period. It is, therefore, easy to determine your ovulation date retrospectively, but it is more challenging to decide before it occurs, particularly during irregular cycles.
Ovulation period: what happens in the body
Ovulation is a process that begins with the first period in young girls. It theoretically occurs every month until menopause—ovulation results in expulsing an egg (or oocyte) from one of the two ovaries.
Before being expelled, the egg develops during the first phase of the cycle in an ovarian follicle. Ovarian follicles are tiny sacs located on the ovaries in which eggs grow.
Once expelled, the egg is sucked into one of the fallopian tubes located on either side of the ovaries. This is where he may eventually encounter a sperm that will fertilize him.
The follicle that housed the egg then becomes the corpus luteum, an endocrine gland that plays a vital role in the rest of the cycle and a possible pregnancy. When the egg enters the fallopian tube, it is fertilizable for about 24 hours.
During this time, it slowly moves towards the uterus. If it encounters a sperm on its way, fertilization will occur.
Ovulation: what are the physical symptoms?
What happens in the body during ovulation causes physical signs. Some are common to all women; others are more or less pronounced (or even absent) depending on the woman.
- Changes in cervical mucus: During ovulation, your cervical mucus changes, and so does your discharge. It becomes thicker, and if you hold it between your fingers, it pulls into threads. Your discharge is also lighter and more fluid during this time. This happens so that the sperm can be better transported to the uterus.
- Soft cervix: During ovulation, the cervix is more complicated to feel because it opens slightly and rises so the sperm can more easily reach the egg.
- Increased libido: This can also be a sign of ovulation. Nature has designed fertile bodies to enable fertilization!
- Rising body temperature: Just before ovulation, there is a slight drop in body temperature (of several tenths of a degree). After ovulation, the temperature increases by several tenths of a degree to above 37°C. During conception, do not hesitate to measure your body temperature throughout your cycle.
If you notice a slight increase mid-cycle, ovulation occurred just before. If your cycles are regular, there is a good chance that ovulation will co-occur in the next cycle.
- Swollen and more sensitive breasts: Some women have more sensitive and slightly swollen breasts during the ovulatory period. This sensitivity can even last until the next period. This symptom is caused by increased estrogen and progesterone levels, which causes the breast milk ducts to dilate.
