What happens to your body during ovulation?
Understanding how your menstrual cycle works will improve your chances of successfully getting pregnant. It is important to know when ovulation occurs, when intercourse should take place and factors that can affect fertility.
A menstrual cycle is the body’s way of preparing for pregnancy every month. If pregnancy does not happen, menstruation — also known as menses or a period — sheds the unneeded tissues and unfertilized egg from the uterus. Your hormone levels will fluctuate to create the changes within your reproductive system that control your menstrual cycle.
Ovulation is one of the phases of the menstrual cycle. It is the time when a mature egg is released from the ovary and pregnancy becomes possible.
The stages of a menstrual cycle
Menstrual phase. The menstrual cycle starts on the first day of your period and ends on the last day before your next period starts. The hormones estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest right before your period begins, which causes the lining of the uterus, or the endometrium, to shed. Bleeding typically lasts for three days to a week.
Follicular phase. Once menstruation ends, and even during it, the body releases a hormone called the follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH, which stimulates the ovaries to prepare the release of another egg. The ovaries are two small glands located on either side of the uterus, and their purpose is to create, store and release the eggs. This phase generally lasts two to three weeks.
Ovulation phase. Ovulation means that an ovary has released a mature, ready-to-be-fertilized egg, which then travels down into the fallopian tube. There are two fallopian tubes, one on either side of the uterus, and they resemble thin tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus. The egg will gradually travel down the fallopian tube, awaiting sperm to fertilize it. If no sperm is present, the egg eventually moves down into the uterus and becomes part of the uterine lining. Then, it is shed out during menstruation. Ovulation only lasts around one day, and peak fertility a day after that.
Luteal phase. If there is a fertilized egg, estrogen and progesterone levels increase to thicken the lining of the uterus so that it is ready for the egg to implant. If there is no fertilization, progesterone peaks and begins to drop, which leads to the symptoms you may feel prior to your period starting, such as bloating, breast tenderness, skin breakouts and headaches. The duration of this phase is around two weeks.
How to tell when you’re ovulating
During ovulation, there is a surge in the levels of FSH and the luteinizing hormone, LH. The combination of these hormones stimulates the ovaries to grow and release a mature egg. Testing the urine for LH levels can confirm ovulation. Additionally, estrogen levels decrease, and progesterone levels increase.
Signs of ovulation may include an increase in “egg white-type” cervical mucus or vaginal discharge and an increased basal body temperature, or BBT, which is the temperature of the body at rest. Some people may experience breast tenderness and an increased libido during ovulation.
When trying to get pregnant, you can check for ovulation by taking an LH-level urine test, monitoring for changes in cervical mucus and checking your temperature as soon as you wake.
Preparing for pregnancy
Ovulation occurs around 14 days prior to your period starting, and only lasts for up to 24 hours. The timeframe to get pregnant is small, so planning ahead by tracking your menstrual cycle and ovulation will be helpful. Having sex prior to ovulation and during ovulation will ensure that sperm is present when an egg is released. Healthy sperm may live a few days.
“When trying to conceive, having a conversation with your OB-GYN or primary care doctor can be a great place to start. Issues related to one’s health should be optimized and under control, and a medical provider can help with that,” says Priyanka Ghosh, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at the Columbia University Fertility Center. She also serves as assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
You can discuss any health concerns you have, such as difficulty conceiving in the past, with your provider. Medical conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes should also be monitored because they can increase the risk of complications during pregnancy, such as causing preterm labor.
The role of a balanced diet
Optimizing your health prior to conception will help to foster a healthy pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy care can include things like eating a well-balanced diet, taking prenatal vitamins and being at a healthy weight.
According to James A. Grifo, the chief executive physician at Inception Fertility and program director at NYU Langone Fertility Center, “lifestyle plays an important role in fertility health.”
“Whole grains, omega-3s and antioxidants are important to female and male fertility health and may promote optimal egg and sperm health,” says Grifo. “Prenatal vitamins are best started prior to pregnancy, and folate protects the baby from developmental defects.”
What affects fertility?
Things that may affect your ability to get pregnant include:
— Age. “Infertility affects 1 in 8 U.S. couples — but that number could increase as more people are deciding to start trying for a baby later in life,” says Grifo. The easiest time for someone to get pregnant is between their late teens and late twenties. Fertility begins to decline around 30 years of age. At 35, the decline becomes more rapid. Menopause, when someone stops ovulating, typically begins between ages 45 and 55. “Age is the main factor in fertility health because egg quality and quantity decrease as women get older,” Grifo adds.
— Hormones and anatomy. “Some of the most common causes of infertility in women are related to issues with ovulation, which can be impacted by hormonal conditions,” says Ghosh. “Male infertility can also be caused by hormonal issues that can impact sperm.” Anatomic issues can lead to problems with sperm production or even sperm quality and quantity. These anatomical issues can also appear in women, like when blockages in the fallopian tubes make it difficult for sperm to reach an egg, or when there is a thin uterine lining preventing a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.
— Weight. Being either underweight or overweight can affect your hormone levels and ability to ovulate. It can also increase the likelihood of complications like premature birth or health problems like gestational diabetes. Obesity significantly increases risk of complications in pregnancy.
— Smoking. “Smoking cigarettes has been shown to reduce ovulatory function and egg quality in women and sperm health in men. In addition to overall health, it’s important to quit smoking if you’re thinking about getting pregnant,” says Grifo.
— Cancer. Treatments for cancer can affect fertility. Chemotherapy and radiation are meant to kill cancer cells, but they can also cause damage to healthy cells. The cells in reproductive organs may be affected by cancer treatments, creating difficulties with conceiving.
— Pelvic inflammatory disease. Also known as PID, this is an infection of one or more of the female reproductive organs — including the uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries. “PID can cause permanent damage to a woman’s reproductive organs, including scarring to the fallopian tubes and ovaries, and can result in infertility. It is generally caused by sexually transmitted infections, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, although other pathologic bacteria (any type of bacteria that can cause disease) can cause PID as well,” says Grifo.
Treatments for infertility
Those who are not able to easily get pregnant may choose to seek a fertility clinic and doctor to discuss their problems conceiving and determine what options are available to them. Some of the treatment options available for infertility include the following:
— In vitro fertilization: A woman’s egg is combined with sperm in a lab and then placed directly into the uterus.
— Intrauterine insemination: A sperm sample is placed directly into the uterus during the time of ovulation.
— Hormone medications: When a person is lacking any of the hormones needed to conceive — like estrogen, progesterone or FSH — hormone replacement therapy may be started.
— Fertility medications: These are drugs that help to stimulate ovulation.
— Surrogacy: If a person is not able to carry a baby, a fertilized egg can be implanted into another woman acting as a surrogate, who will then carry the baby for them until delivery.
When to see a fertility doctor
It might be time to see a fertility doctor near you if:
— You have been trying to get pregnant for more than six to 12 months. If you are over age 35, you may not want to wait a whole year to see a Gynecology professional.
— You have been diagnosed with a condition known to affect fertility. These may include endometriosis, which causes uterine tissue to grow abnormally outside of the uterus, or polycystic ovary syndrome, also called PCOS.
— You have a history of irregular periods.
If you believe you are pregnant, make an appointment with an OB-GYN so they can confirm your pregnancy. You will then continue to have follow-up appointments with your provider to monitor your health and the health and growth of the fetus.
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What Happens to Your Body During Ovulation originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 02/10/23: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
