What Is Ovulation??

What is Ovulation?

Ovulation is the release of a single, mature egg from the ovarian follicle. The human ovary produces a multitude of ova during the course of a month, largest of which is expelled into the pelvic cavity and swept into the Fallopian tube. Ovulation does not follow a regular pattern between ovaries each cycle and which ovary releases the egg is fairly arbitrary. Once released, the egg is capable of being fertilized for 12 to 24 hours before it begins to disintegrate. If the released ovum or egg is fertilized and successfully implants, it results in pregnancy.
If the egg is not fertilized, it is passed from the reproductive tract during menstrual bleeding, which starts about two weeks after ovulation. Occasionally, cycles occur in which an egg is not released; these are called anovulatory cycles. Note that you can get your period even though you are not ovulating. Your ability to ovulate can vary from month to month.

Ovulation – The Hormones

During ovulation, two ovarian hormones, oestradiol and progesterone, are produced, which create conditions conducive to fertilization.


Oestradiol is produced alone by the developing follicle before ovulation; it stimulates the glands of the cervix to secrete a particular type of mucus ("mucus with fertile characteristics") which is essential for the sperm to pass through the cervix and reach the ovum. oestradiol also stimulates growth of the endometrium lining the uterus (womb).

After ovulation, progesterone and oestradiol are produced by the corpus luteum which forms from the ruptured follicle. This progesterone causes the abrupt change in the mucus which occurs immediately after ovulation and defines the Peak symptom. Progesterone also prepares the oestrogen-primed endometrium for implantation of the fertilized ovum.
In the absence of pregnancy, production of oestradiol and progesterone begins to decline approximately 7 days after ovulation and this results in shedding of the endometrium as menstrual bleeding 11-16 days after ovulation.

Ovulation and Getting Pregnant

Ovulation is the ideal period of your cycle when your chances of getting pregnant are highest. Your fertile period starts about 4-5 days before ovulation, and ends about 24-48 hours after it. This is because sperm can live in your body for approximately 4 to 5 days, and the egg can live for 24 to 48 hours after being released. In normally fertile couples there is a 25 percent chance of getting pregnant each cycle, meaning around 75 to 85 percent of women who have sex without using birth control will get pregnant within one year. You can boost your chances of getting pregnant by learning exactly when you ovulate by understanding the cyclic hormonal and physical changes that take place in your body each month.

Some women feel a sharp pain or other physical effect when ovulating. some people note a change in their discharge/cervical mucus. a lot of women do not feel any change.

soooo if my period is expected in 2 weeks..i should be ovulating now, or already have...i took the morning after pill..so if i already had ovulated, will the morning after pill even work? is that a stupid question? lol

how long after unprotected sex did you take the morning after pill?


It prevents about 95 per cent of pregnancies from developing if it is taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex. This decreases to an estimated 85 per cent if taken within 24-48 hours and to 58 per cent if taken within 48-72 hours, so it is important to take the first dose as soon as possible.
The hormones in the.m.a.p may stop an egg from being released. Or they may stop a fertilised egg from implanting itself in the womb.

i had unprotected sex at midnight the night of june 8th...i took the first pill of Plan-B around 7:30pm the next night. you are supposed to take the second pill 12 hours after u take the first. i took the second pill around 10:30 am the next morning..so i was a little off..

omg and do those m.a.p's make you bloated! i dont know if it is the plan-b pills or something i ate..i am soooo bloated

here in the uk it works a bit different now as we have only one pill to take. but it works the same.

good luck and i hope it works for you!

hey isnt the ovulation stringy and it looks like an white snot..or its very shiny.

From what I have read from sites that explain a woman's cycle for women using the calendar method as birth control:

when you are ovulating, your discharge will be clear (like water) and stringy between your fingers. Other times, it is white in color and thicker.