Let’s talk about the most important part of your cycle, ovulation.
It’s the superpower that makes conception possible, but it’s also a key part of understanding how our bodies work. Whether you're actively trying to conceive or just interested in getting to know your body, understanding ovulation is a game changer.
How Does Ovulation Happen?
At its core, ovulation is the process where your body releases a mature egg from your ovary.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the process:
It all starts in your brain, with your hypothalamus and pituitary gland (which are essentially the managers of your body’s reproductive team). These two send out signals to your ovaries, telling them it’s time to get ready to ovulate.
To get things moving, your brain releases two important hormones:
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): This hormone kicks things off by telling your ovaries to start maturing a follicle, which is a sac that holds your egg. Depending on your age, health and overall fertility, you will mature multiple eggs for ovulation, but only one will be chosen.
- Luteinizing hormone (LH): When the mature egg is ready, LH hormone steps in, triggering ovulation—the actual release of the egg from the ovary.
In the meantime your ovaries are busy making estrogen, which helps prepare the uterus for a potential guest: a fertilized egg. If everything aligns, the egg is released into the fallopian tube, where it waits for a potential meet-up with sperm aka fertilization.
When Does Ovulation Happen?
Ovulation doesn’t have a strict clock—your body is unique, and so is your cycle. That said, if you’re someone with a 28-day cycle, ovulation typically happens around day 14. But, depending on your cycle length, it might occur earlier or later. In fact, a recent study showed that less than 20% of us ovulate on day 14. This is what it’s so important to track your ovulation.
Here are a few ways to track ovulation and know when your body is at peak fertility:
- Ovulation Tests: These measure the LH surge, and when you get a positive reading, you know you’re ovulating within the next 24-36 hours. Our ovulation tests are over 99.2% effective and we include a cycle tracker in every box to help streamline tracking.
- Basal Body Temperature (BBT): Take your temperature every morning with an oral thermometer and track that number. After ovulation, your body temperature will rise slightly. Tracking this change can help you pinpoint when ovulation has happened.
- Cervical Mucus: Around ovulation, your cervical mucus becomes slippery, clear, and stretchy—think raw egg whites. This is a natural sign that your body is in its most fertile window.
Why Does Ovulation Matter?
So, why is ovulation so important? At its most basic level, ovulation is the key to fertility. Without ovulation, there’s no egg available for sperm to fertilize, which means pregnancy can’t happen.
But ovulation is about more than just reproduction. It plays a vital role in your overall health. For example:
- Hormonal balance: The hormones that regulate ovulation (like estrogen and progesterone) also help keep your mood, energy levels, and even your bones healthy.
- Cycle awareness: Understanding ovulation helps you tune into your cycle. You’ll have a better grasp on your menstrual health, sex drive, mood and energy levels.
Conclusion
Ovulation is a natural, powerful process that plays a huge role in your body’s reproductive health. Whether you’re trying to get pregnant, avoiding pregnancy, or just curious about how your body works, understanding ovulation gives you more insight into your health. By knowing how, when, and why it happens, you’re giving yourself the tools to track your cycle, listen to your body, and make informed decisions.