How to Know Exactly When You Are Ovulating
When you are trying to conceive (TTC), it is so important to know exactly when you are ovulating. Getting pregnant means accurate timing when you are trying to conceive. From the moment your egg is released from its follicle, you have up to 24 hours to fertilize it before it dies. Not long! Which is why timing is everything when you are trying to get pregnant. Knowing exactly when you ovulate can be measured thanks to modern technology. Let’s first look at the natural signs of ovulation for you to notice in your body.
Knowing Your Natural Signs of Ovulation
Ovulation happens when the growing egg is released from its follicle and makes its journey down the fallopian tube.
When we listen to our body and get familiar with our own natural signs of ovulation, we can be quite accurate, although not 100% accurate with the timing of our ovulation.
Keep track of the symptoms and sensations you notice in your body each month to get more and more familiar with the changes. This will help you more accurately identify when you are ovulating.
Five Clear, Natural Signs of Ovulation
- Lower back dull aching, perhaps more one-sided. You may feel this dull back ache for 1-2 days. This is when your egg is being prepared for release from its follicle and then the actual release. The medical term for this is “mittel-schmerz” which means middle pain. I don’t know why because I would say it is more lower back and one-sided! Notice a slight back ache a couple of weeks before your period is due? If you are trying to conceive then this is a good time to start having sex.
- Increased sex drive is a great sign to know that you are approaching ovulation. With the estrogen hormone in your body rising, it triggers a message to your brain to say “now’s the time!”.
- Egg white cervical mucus. Have you noticed that your discharge looks like egg white once every month? This egg white cervical mucus (ewcm) or fertile cervical mucus, noticeably makes your underwear more wet. Some women experience a more wet discharge rather than thick egg white. Fertile mucus tends to kick in shortly after your egg is released. Perhaps a day after the feelings of lower back ache.
- Feeling warmer than usual. Your body temperature rises slightly after ovulation. In fact, it will dip slightly before ovulation and then rise after. The difference in your body basal temperature is small however it can be very noticeable. You really need to be tracking your temperature in the morning and evening to notice the drop and rise.
- Cervix is soft and high. Your cervix moves and changes texture depending on the phase of your menstrual cycle that you are in. At the time of ovulation your cervix becomes soft and rises higher in your vagina. Your cervix will feel more wet due to egg white cervical mucus being secreted. If you are new to tracking your cervix then it is something to get familiar with. Watch my YouTube video about How to Find Your Cervix where I explain what you are looking for.
Watch my YouTube Video Where I Explain Natural Signs of Ovulation
A short 4 minute video describing the natural signs of ovulation:
How to EXACTLY Track Ovulation
Let me first explain why other methods are not 100% accurate so that you can understand better.
Why a Standard App Cannot Accurately Predict When You Ovulate
You cannot rely solely on a standard App to predict your ovulation. An App is based on data from average cycles. If you are using such an App, notice your natural signs of ovulation next cycle and see if your App is predicting the same timings. Many women believe that they ovulate between days 11 and 14 but again these are averages. Many women ovulate earlier or later than this (I ovulate on days 8 or 9!).
Why Tracking Your Body Basal Temperature (BBT) for Ovulation is not Completely Accurate
There are Apps which allow you to chart your temperature throughout your cycle, which is great! However, be aware that your BBT may only start to rise somewhere between 12 and 24 hours after ovulation which means you could completely be missing your fertility window. Remember that your freshly released egg can only survive for up to 24 hours.
Why Ovulation Sticks (OPK Kits) Are Not Completely Accurate for Pinpointing Ovulation
Ovulation sticks are based on the population average of hormone levels. We are all different of course, some below the average values and others over. So when you get a negative result, this means that your test is under the population average. But who’s to know if that’s your norm? Same for a positive. If your LH levels are higher than the average, then an OPK will show you are positive, even if it is not your true positive. So all that hard work writing down your values every day, may not be worth it after all.
Did you know any of that before reading this?
Get EXACT Ovulation Data With a Smart Hormone Tracker
Imagine using ovulation sticks and getting results as accurate as hospital-grade lab equipment. Without having to go to the doctor or hospital for a blood test to check your hormone levels.
Mira is a digital hormone tracker which fits into the palm of your hand. You get data sent straight to the Mira App on your phone with the exact LH concentration in your urine. This is a complete game changer when you are trying to conceive.
Mira measures the hormone concentration in your urine. Taking the exact data of your estrogen levels and LH surge which happens shortly before ovulation (the surge triggers your egg to be released), Mira accurately predicts your ovulation. The data is shown as a graph in your Mira App, showing you when your fertile window is at its peak.
Get a fantastic 25$ discount when you use my code OMMB136 at the Mira checkout.
USE CODE OMMB136 to receive 25$ discount
What are LH Levels and Why Are They Important to Track?
LH stands for Luteinizing Hormone. It is the hormone which triggers ovulation. When your LH level surges, your egg is released from its follicle and starts to make its way down your fallopian tube. LH levels remain steady throughout your menstrual cycle until they surge before ovulation and then drop again. Normally, the LH surge will last between 24 and 36 hours.
Before ovulation, your estrogen levels also surge, triggering the natural ovulation symptoms mentioned above. Surging estrogen triggers a message in your brain to that you are ready to have sex and to conceive, in advance of your egg being released. According to doctors, sperm can live for up to 5 days inside of your womb area, meaning that your egg could possibly get fertilised if you have sex in the 4-5 days before ovulation.
Using Mira, you will learn when your LH is surging and when after your exact ovulation takes place. It is important for TTC ladies to be aware of the length of their LH surge and to know that ovulation happens shortly after their LH starts to decrease.
Does Mira Mean Better Chances of Getting Pregnant?
Using Mira means you have highly accurate results which means you can time your baby dancing perfectly around it. No more guessing and hoping that you’ve got it right. No more inaccurate tracking with OPK or Apps based on averages.
Mira have hundreds of Success Stories on their website from women with PCOS or who have been trying to conceive without success. It’s worth going to visit their website to learn more. Whilst you are there, use my discount code OMMB136 to get your 25$ discount off your first Mira Starter Kit.
How Womb Healing Can Help When You Are TTC
Stress cripples our chances of conceiving – this is very well documented. Then we try to conceive and we become more stressed so we find ourselves in a vicious cycle
If we’re able to release this pressure, strain, old trauma, stress from our bodies, and our wombs specifically, we massively increase our chances of conception. That is what womb healing is for.
Womb healing is a technique to release stress from your womb, mind and spirit which means that it puts you in a better place to conceive: the stress that stops you conceiving is gone meaning your pathway is clearer and you’re in the best position to conceive naturally without having to explore medical treatment before it’s absolutely necessary
You can try a Self (Do It Yourelf) Womb Healing which will help you to uproot all feminine blocks that you are holding that stop you conceiving naturally. I have created a free e-Guide for you so that you can try it out.
Free DIY Womb Healing e-Guide
