How to Tell When Ovulation Occurs
Ovulation is when the egg leaves the ovary and drops through the fallopian tubes and through the uterus. This is the time when a woman is most likely to become pregnant. There are several signs the body gives to indicate ovulation has occurred or is about to occur. There are also tests that can be purchased over the counter to detect when ovulation occurs.
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Instructions
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Check cervical mucous. During ovulation, when a woman is most fertile, the cervical mucous becomes thicker and stretchier to allow easier transport of the sperm to the eggs.
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2
Watch for a rise in basal body temperature--your body's temperature when you're not active, taken by a special basal body thermometer first thing in the morning. If your temperature rises, usually around 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit, ovulation has actually occurred a few days earlier. If this is the first month taking temperature, it is not a good predictor, just a good indicator it has occurred.
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3
Note any cramping. Many women feel cramping on one or both sides of their abdomen when they ovulate. This is thought to be the egg releasing from the ovaries.
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4
Look for any spots of blood. Spotting or breakthrough bleeding also commonly occurs when women ovulate.
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Use an online ovulation calendar, or refer to your previous months' charts if they have been kept. This will provide common signs of ovulation month to month, making detection in the current month much easier if you are regular.
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Notice any increase in sexual desire. Ovulation is a woman's most fertile time, and the body's natural response is to desire impregnation.
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Use an ovulation detector. Two examples of ovulation detectors are the urine test and the saliva test. The urine test is very similar to a pregnancy test, and detects ovulation shortly prior to it occurring by testing for a specific hormone. The saliva test consists of a microscope with a light that is either licked or saliva is placed on. Immediately prior to ovulation the saliva shows a fern pattern under the microscope.
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