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All About Ovulation
The Inside Story to Help You Conceive
By Kelly Burgess
Q. When you first start your periods do you ovulate?
A. Yes, the first period always is a result of the first ovulatory cycle. However, it's not unusual for the first year or so after starting her period for a teenager's cycle to be irregular. That means she isn't yet ovulating regularly. Q. How does ovulation work?
A. There are several components to ovulation, but the important one is in your brain. The brain makes the hormones that tell your ovaries to ovulate. At the beginning of the cycle, the brain signals the body to begin releasing hormones. These hormone levels rise until they cause the ovary to release an egg. The egg travels through the fallopian tubes to the uterus. If there is no sperm present, the egg is not fertilized and does not implant. Instead, it disintegrates, and the hormone levels begin to fall. When they reach a certain stage, the lining is shed and bleeding occurs. If there is sperm present, fertilization may occur. If it does, when the egg reaches the uterus it may implant itself in the wall of the uterus. From that, a baby can grow. Q. Are there any "symptoms" of ovulation?
A. Sometimes. They can include a slight pain in the side. Some women can even tell which side they release an egg on because of a small twinge they can feel. This is called mittelschmerz, which literally means "middle pain." There is also an increase in cervical mucous. Many women report an increased sex drive. Before ovulaion, the temperature dips slightly and then rises after ovulation, but this is only of interest to women who are tracking ovulation either to facilitate or avoid pregnancy.Want to see more?
- Understanding the Uterus: A Main Player During Pregnancyand Beyond
- Should You Use an Ovulation Predictor Kit?: Pros and Cons of the OPK
- Fertile Signs: Scientific and Subtle Ways to Know You're Ready to Conceive
- Fertility Awareness: What You Should Know and Why You Probably Don't
- Join the discussion on our Family.com community!
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