Why is Ovulation Important to Get Pregnant?

Ovulation is when an egg or ovum (egg cell) is released from one of the two ovaries. The release of an egg during this phase is called ovulation, and it usually occurs within a woman's monthly menstrual cycle.

Ovulation is an essential step in getting pregnant that helps women conceive and carry the baby. In this article, I will tell the complete ovulation process and how it allows women to get pregnant.

What is Ovulation?

The release of a mature egg from the ovary is known as ovarian ovulation. The egg travels down the fallopian tube after release and remains there for 12 to 24 hours, where it will fertilize. 

Sperm can survive inside the female reproductive system up to five days after sexual intercourse under the right conditions. When healthy sperm is present in the fallopian tubes during ovulation, your chances of becoming pregnant are the highest.

In an average 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation typically occurs about 14 days before the beginning of the next period. However, the time between ovulation and the start of the next menstrual period may vary depending on each person's cycle length. 

Read Also: 11 Common Ovulation Myths and Facts

If you don't have a 28-day monthly cycle like several other women, a menstrual calendar might help you figure out how long your period is and when you're most likely to ovulate.

What are the Symptoms of Ovulation?

I suggest you seek ovulation signs and symptoms other than the calendar, such as:

• You may notice an increase in clear, wet, and stretchy vaginal discharge before ovulation. 
• After ovulation, the cervical mucus thickens and becomes hazy shortly less apparent.
• In rest conditions (basal body temperature), your body's temperature rises barely during ovulation. 
• You might experience breast tenderness.
• Ovulation may increase your desire for sexual activity.
• You might feel ovary pain, depicted by distress or pain on one side of your abdomen.

Not everyone experiences signs of ovulation, so these symptoms are supposed to be secondary in tracking your fertility.

Why does Ovulation Pain Occur?

I understand as a woman. You will be curious to know why you feel pain during ovulation. So I want to tell you here it’s relatively common to experience pain during ovulation. 

More than I would say 40 percent of women who ovulate feel some distress around the midpoint of their menses.

The pain usually happens each month. Depending on which ovary is producing an egg that month, you will feel it on your lower belly's left or right side. The pain might be minimal to severe. It could be achy or acute, similar to a cramp.

You should consult a doctor directly if the pain is extreme. There might be ways to relieve your suffering. A doctor can also assess whether or not additional testing or treatment is required. In some cases, pain during ovulation can be a sign of severe underlying disease, such as:

• Endometriosis
• The abdomen has scar tissue
• Sexually transferred infection (STI)

How can you Track Ovulation at Home?

While ultrasound or hormonal blood tests your doctor performs are the most precise approach to confirm ovulation. However, I am going to tell you some other options through which you can track ovulation at home:

1. Track days when you are the most fertile -

Usually, the best probability of pregnancy is when you have sex 1-2 days before ovulation. If you have an average 28-day cycle, count back 14 days from when you predict your next period to begin. You can even use ovulation forecaster kits. These kits are available in any medical store near your home. 

2. Predict ovulation via hormones with trackers - 

Ovulation trackers can help you to catch the existence of LH in your urine and tell you that you will ovulate soon. They are easy to track two hormones, estrogen, and LH, and help you specify your fertile window. 

Some trackers claim to be 99 percent accurate in detecting four productive days per month. Always follow the instructions on the pack of these devices and make the best use of at-home trackers. 

In addition, I advise you to consult a doctor or pharmacist to discover which of these devices is the best fit for you.

3. Track ovulation via temperature -

You might not know that ‘progesterone’ is a hormone that helps your body establish and maintain the uterine lining after your body releases an egg. It generates a small increase in your body temperature.

So, you can use a basal thermometer to check your temperature every morning before getting out of bed will help you figure out if you've ovulated. These thermometers are available at your local pharmacy. They're cheap but not as accurate as other ovulation tracking methods.

What is Irregular Ovulation?

It is the most vital question that most women must think about that why does irregular ovulation occur?

The answer is if you keep track of your ovulation from month to month, you may realize that you're either not ovulating regularly or not ovulating at all.

It is a reason that you should straight confer with a doctor. Some nasty things like tension or a deficient diet might impact the particular day of your ovulation from month to month. 

Furthermore, some medical illnesses such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or thyroid abnormalities can also cause ovulation to become erratic or completely stop in your body.

These conditions can even induce other symptoms related to shifts in hormone levels, like:

• Increased face or body hair growth
• Acne 
• Infertility, in some issues

If you're Attempting to Conceive, How Frequently Should you Have Sex?

Do you even think it is crucial to have sex frequently to get pregnant? I want to tell you that you are only required to have sex once during your fertile window to get pregnancy.

People actively attempting to conceive can improve their likelihood by having sex regularly but having regular sex can decrease the sperm count in your partner. So you can have sex in the days before ovulation or on the exact day of your ovulation. 

Also, couples trying to conceive by IUI (intrauterine insemination) can have sex within the fertile window. The best time for you to get pregnant is the two days preceding up to ovulation and the day of ovulation itself. 

Can you Only Get Pregnant at Ovulation Time?

The answer is ‘No.’ Though an egg can only get fertilized for 12 to 24 hours after release, sperm can survive in the reproductive canal under optimum conditions for five days.

So, if you have intercourse in the days leading up to ovulation or on the actual day of ovulation, you might get pregnant.

If you are not attempting to conceive, I suggest you utilize contraception at all times of your cycle as it is the safest option.

Bottom Line - 

I hope this article explains why ovulation is essential in getting pregnant. So if you’re attempting to conceive, having sex one day before ovulation has indicated the best outcomes. 

Also, I suggest you notice the symptoms I shared in this guide that can tell you whether you are ovulating or not. If you have any doubts regarding ovulation, you can comment; ill come back with solutions.