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What is Ovulation?Ovulation is simply necessary for those wanting to become pregnant. It occurs every cycle, alternating between one ovary and the other. Not every cycle is ovulatory, and if a woman has any problems with her hormones, she may have difficulty getting pregnant. Learning to calculate your fertile day might seem like a simple task, but for women with irregular cycles, it's not always so easy.
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Right at the start of the cycle, a woman has low hormonal stimulation until the GnRh hormone secreted by the pituitary appears, changing everything. This hormone stimulates another hormone, FSH, which in turn causes the eggs stored in the ovaries to grow so ovulation can happen1.
After the FSH peak reaches its maximum, estrogen takes over to make the follicles grow and mature to the ideal size to rupture and release the egg. In a normal cycle, about 10 to 15 eggs can be stimulated. But, in the great majority of cases, only one egg becomes the dominant follicle that will indeed rupture.
Only in cases of twin pregnancy with fraternal (non-identical) twins does pregnancy occur through the fertilization of two eggs. These eggs may or may not be from the same ovary. Although a woman ovulates alternately—one cycle from the right side, the next from the left side—a simultaneous ovulation can occur and result in a twin pregnancy2.
When ovulation occurs, a woman can recognize it through signs in her body. Female ovulation is signaled by mucus, temperature, and distinct symptoms that the body presents. The strongest sign that a woman is in her fertile period is stretchy mucus. At its peak, estrogen causes the cervical mucus secretion to change in appearance, color, and composition. This mucus changes from white, opaque and creamy (due to progesterone) to clear and stretchy, rich in mineral salts that are nutritious for sperm.
During ovulation, there is also a drop in body temperature. For this reason, women who regularly measure basal temperature can detect it more easily. Pain is also a symptom of ovulation, because the ovaries become swollen, producing this pain. A woman might feel twinges in the abdominal area on one side. Even the lower abdomen can become sensitive.
Immediately after ovulation, creamy mucus reappears due to a rise in progesterone, which takes over the cycle again. From the 2nd day after ovulation, the corpus luteum (the scar resulting from ovulation) starts to secrete progesterone and then supports the endometrium3, increasing its thickness to receive the fertilized egg.
To sum up, what is ovulation then? Female ovulation is nothing more than the release of the egg from the follicle where it grew and matured. If there is intercourse during this period, the woman can become pregnant. If pregnancy does not occur, the endometrium that was prepared to receive the embryo is expelled as blood through the vagina.
Photo: Wellcome Images
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