As a woman, you might want to know your ovulation time to increase your chances of getting pregnant. The same with menstruation, ovulation periods are different for each woman so you need to have a better understanding of how it works. In addition to that, you will also be able to check for abnormal symptoms in ovulation and address them accordingly.
If your aim is not to get pregnant at a certain time, you will still benefit from having the proper understanding of your ovulation cycles as well as your menstrual periods.
How can you calculate your ovulation period effectively?
You can calculate your ovulation with the help of a calendar, an ovulation prediction kit and by taking your basal body temperature.
Calendar
Having sex on the exact date of ovulation is, of course, a great way to ensure conception but there’s actually a six-day rule of fertility in your monthly cycle. The optimum time is within the 2-3 days before the exact ovulation day and that day itself since it’s when you are most fertile.
When your egg is released, the most viable time frame for it to develop is within twelve to twenty-four hours. But if you fail to conceive in that given time, you will have to wait for your next cycle to get pregnant.
For those who are not yet ready to have a baby though, you still need to use some contraceptive despite having sex during non-ovulation period as a precaution.
Ovulation prediction kits
Since ovulation for most women hits from ten to twelve hours after their levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) is at the peak, the ovulation kit can measure it effectively.
For women with a 28-day menstruation cycle, LH peaks usually on the fourteenth or fifteenth day. For the full maturity of your egg, LH concentration within fourteen to twenty-seven hours should stay elevated.
How do OTC Ovulation prediction kits work?
Although not scientifically proven, many prediction kits advise to get your test in the morning right after you wake up. You simply pee on the stick, wait for a while until a line will appear.
Take note of the color in the line – if it matches that of the instructions shown, then ovulation will happen for twenty-four to forty-eight hours. But if it’s too close, you can take the test
again in the next twelve hours or less.
To get the best result, you should cut back on your water intake for about four hours before the test. It will lead to having a more concentrated urine which will make your LH level much easier to detect.
Basal body temperature
Basically, your BBT is the temp of your body when totally at rest and not doing anything. The average BBT for women at the beginning of their cycle is at 97.2 and 97.6 degrees F. There will be a bit of dip just as the ovulation period began – usually from 0.4 to 1.0 degrees.
However, you need not be too concerned right away because the BBT will naturally fluctuate from time to time. To solve this, you should track your BBT for several months first (3-4 months will do) so that you’ll know for sure when is the best time to try to get pregnant.
Understanding your ovulation and chances of getting pregnant will also require you to know the most common or usual ovulation symptoms.
Ovulation generally takes place for a couple of days, after the last day of the menstrual period. In this time, you will notice a few changes in your body. It is very important to know your body and pay attention to those conditions to predict your ovulation symptoms.
Keep reading below if you want to conceive and need to know about a few of the common symptoms that you might notice during ovulation.
Usual Ovulation Symptoms
First of the typical ovulation symptoms include a rise in the cervical mucus or vaginal discharge.
This is probably the most obvious and the most common one. During your ovulation period, you might notice an increase of vaginal discharge or mucus that is slippery and transparent with an egg white consistency.
Women are fertile during these times, but they are more likely to conceive on the last of the vaginal discharge when it becomes even more intense. Cervical mucus is the fluid that makes it easier for the sperm to travel to the cervix as well as the eggs, thus improving one’s chances of getting pregnant.
Another symptom would be a change in the position and firmness of the cervix. In some cases, women feel a slight pain or ache in one section of their abdomen or stomach. This can last for a few seconds or as much as two hours.
One of the other usual ovulation symptoms would be an increase in the luteinizing hormone levels. This hormone would increase right before ovulation. An ovulation prediction test can help you to detect this, but it cannot guarantee that you will ovulate.
Besides that, there are known instances of early conception and ovulation, something that might affect the common pattern of your regular cycles.
Light spotting is a symptom that you might notice during ovulation. Some women even experience abdominal bloating as well tender or swollen breasts. In other cases, the symptoms include an enhanced sense of taste, vision or smell as well as a heightened sex drive.
Your ovulation temperature can be higher than your normal body temperature, a symptom that you can measure with a thermometer.
When you know the usual ovulation symptoms and the tools that you can use to calculate and measure ovulation, this will increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
If you are really serious about conceiving, you should look for early symptoms such as frequent urination, swollen breasts, and nausea after sexual intercourse.
Image: Pixabay




Comment Text*hi I had unprotected sex on the 23 of June and I had my menstrual flow on the 13 of June to 16, is it possible that I am pregnant?
Hello there Tracy, yes there’s a possibility that you might be pregnant.
I had my last period on 29th May I want to conceive but my periods started on 25 June again. Can I become pregnant. What are those ovulation days please help me?
Hello Manjupriya, please see link below to help you with this:
https://womanjunction.com
Help! I don’t ovulate. What can I do????
Hello there Rita, are you trying to pregnant? Please read the below link, hope it helps.
https://womanjunction.com/ovulation-without-menstruation-is-it-possible-to-ovulate-without-a-period/
My ovulation days were from June 19-24. Had unprotected sex with my boyfriend on the 24th could I be pregnant?
Hello Tia, yes the risk is very high.
Hi I menstruate on april 25 and had unprotected sex may 5th that was my ovulation day. I tested on 24th of may and I was pregnant but later lost it. My period came on d 26th and lasted 5 days. When am I likely to ovulate? Please reply because I can’t wait to have another one. Thanks.
Hello there Edna, please see link below to help you with this. All the best.
https://womanjunction.com/
Hi… I had my period on 6th March, then on 20th April… I had intercourse on these dates, 4th May, 8th May, 11th May, 14th May & 15th May… I started having sore breasts for the past few days… Could I be pregnant???
Hello Majj, please take a pregnancy test to confirm this suspicion, all the best.
Plz my last menses is 13 Feb plz wen is my ovulation
Hi there Martha, use the following link to help you know when you ovulate, all the best: http://womanjunction.com/category/ovulation-signs/
Comment Text*hi, can I get pregnant right before my period
Hell Gift, the likelihood is less, but yes it is still possible.
I had unprotected sex today 11/11..my last menstruation in oct26..am i getting pregnant?
Hi there Emma! If you had intercourse during your ovulation days then you have higher chances to get pregnant. Regards
I have PCOS and endometriosis. I did had heavy cramps from the endometriosis and was getting my periods once in 4 months. I also get breast tenderness for a week before the next period. I was postponing the next operation for 4 months now for the removal of cyst and endometriosis. Currently my breast are tender and soar for 3 weeks now, I am very tired and short of breath. Is it possible for me to get pregnant in these conditions? We have been trying for 5 years now.
I had my period on 22-04 and had unprotected sex on the 4-05 and today being 09 am seeing pinkish discharge, could it mean that am pregnant?
My last period was on 22/1/2016. The next time I saw it again was on 3/3/2016. Why did it take so long?
I have been trying to get pregnant for years now but I have failed. here is my dates for the last 5 months of my monthly periods but have always failed to calculate my fertile days please help..13/09/2015,, 07/10/2015,, 31/10/2015,, 26/11/2015,, 18/12/2015,, 13/01/2016..and my flow last for 3 days….
the normal cycle is 28 days long. Based on your last 2 dates listed your next fertile days are March 3-March 7 and April 5- April 9. I hope everything works out and if you still struggle after these days try consulting with a doctor.
I had my period on 12/18 -12/24 and my husband and I had sex on 1/2/16. Hours later my breast were so tender for a few days and very lightly still do. What does this mean?
Hi Mwansa, It is always possible to become pregnant once you have unprotected sex i suggest you take a pregnancy test or visit your doctor.
However it depends upon the ovalution days right?
Please ans me if I had unprotected sex after 2 days of my period and bf did not ejaculate inside…
My cycle is normal for 28 days. Had discharge white after 10 days. can I still be pregnant?
Can periods be late?
I had my period on July 4 to July 7 had unprotected sex on July 12 my cycle is always 21 days ,on july 28 I had my period to july 31 since then I’ve not had my period and am having a sick feeling could I be pregnant,,?