The word "ovulation" comes from the Latin ovulla ("testicle"), and means the release of the egg from the ovary into the fallopian tube (oviduct), where it can be fertilized. Ovulation occurs at a given frequency - about once a month, and it is at this time that a woman can become pregnant: subject to all other conditions. The lifespan of an egg released from an ovary is only 24 hours, which is why it is so important to predict this phenomenon - in order to maximize the chances of fertilization and pregnancy.
Favorable days for conception
The onset of ovulation depends on the menstrual cycle and the individual characteristics of the female body. It may not occur if the woman's age exceeds 30-35 years. Approximately from this age, gaps of 1-3 months are possible, the probability of which increases significantly by the age of 40. That is, if you are 35-40 years old, ovulation can occur once every few months - without the ability to determine this in advance. And during menopause, it stops completely.
In the absence of pathologies and hormonal disruptions, ovulation should occur on about the 14th day of the menstrual cycle, and last about 48 hours. During this period, the egg leaves the ovary and moves towards the uterus. With successful fertilization, it continues to move along the genital tract, and after about 6-12 days it is fixed on the uterine wall. From this moment, pregnancy occurs, and new eggs cease to be born in the ovaries - for the duration of the entire period of bearing the child.
If fertilization does not occur, the egg dies within 24 hours after leaving the ovary. Therefore, already a day after ovulation, the so-called “safe days” come, when the probability of getting pregnant is minimal.
Methods for determining ovulation
On average, ovulation occurs once a month, or rather, once every 28-32 days, and approximately corresponds to the 12-15th day of the menstrual cycle. It is impossible to determine this with high accuracy, but there are a number of methods that help reduce the time frame in determining the ideal time for conception. The calendar method, measuring basal temperature, ultrasound, test strips, blood tests - these methods need to be discussed in more detail.
Calendar method
Based on the claim that ovulation occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle (although this is not always true). That is, with a cycle duration of 21 days, the "golden mean" will come on days 8-9, with a duration of 28 days - on days 13-15, and with a duration of 35 days - on days 21-23. The calendar method is not only inaccurate (with a difference of up to 3 days), but also not always effective.
So, for many women, the menstrual cycle is irregular, and can "shift" by 2-3 days. If we add to this the error of calendar calculations, then you can make a mistake by 3-6 days: despite the fact that the egg remains viable for only 24 hours. In addition, there is such a thing as "anovulatory cycles", when the maturation of the egg does not occur, and, accordingly, ovulation does not occur.
Basal Temperature Measurement
This method is more accurate, and is based on changes in body temperature due to hormonal fluctuations. When estrogen levels rise during the preovulatory phase, body temperature drops, and when progesterone levels rise, it rises. Accordingly, ovulation will coincide with the next day after fixing the minimum basal temperature.
Unfortunately, this technique is also not as accurate as one might expect. In addition, many factors affect body temperature, from stress to infectious diseases, and an increase in temperature does not always mean high levels of progesterone.
Using test strips
These means of modern medicine make it possible to learn about the approaching ovulation 2 days before its onset: by the concentration of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine. Approximately 48 hours before the release of the egg from the ovary, the LH level rises significantly, and the substance applied to the test strip reacts to this by changing color.
Given the fact that sperm cells remain viable for several days, it is possible to conceive a child on the day of a positive test, or the next day. As practice shows, the accuracy of the test strips reaches 99%, and today it is one of the best tools for predicting ovulation, but only shortly before its onset (in just 48 hours).
Ultrasound examination
Using ultrasound, you can determine the size of the follicles, and identify among them the dominant one - from which the egg will come out. On the 8th-12th day of the menstrual cycle, the follicle reaches a size of 19-24 millimeters, and is clearly visible during an ultrasound examination. Accordingly, if it is no longer visible, the release of the egg has already occurred. As a rule, ultrasounds are performed 2-3 times per cycle, when 16-18 days have passed since its beginning. If the cycle is irregular, the study begins on the 10th day. This method is quite accurate, but requires an appointment with a doctor and regular visits to the hospital.
Blood test
Another way to predict the release of an egg from the ovary is to examine the blood for the concentration of hormones: luteinizing, follicle-stimulating and estrogen. The first rises in the blood approximately 2 days before ovulation, the second - 10-12 hours, and the third - 2-3 days (with a subsequent sharp decrease). All this is revealed during a blood test, but the method has tangible disadvantages:
- The need to take tests often: not only on control days, but also before and after them.
- The need for three months of preparation. During this period, your baseline (normal) hormone level will be set - individual for each woman.
As a result, in order to predict ovulation, you will have to donate blood regularly for 3-4 months. This is not only unpleasant, but also not always convenient - given the full-time work and other types of employment.
For those who do not want to waste time on doctors and laboratory tests, there is a simple and affordable way - determining ovulation using online calculators. Today, they have a fairly high accuracy (higher than that of the calendar method), and due to the built-in algorithms, they help to find out in advance the most favorable days for conceiving a child.
