Ovulation is when an egg is released from one of your ovaries.
If you want to work out when you ovulate, there are a number of things you can use:
- the length of your menstrual cycle – ovulation usually occurs around 10-16 days before your period starts, so if you have a regular cycle you may be able to work out when you're likely to ovulate
- your cervical mucus – you may notice wetter, clearer and more slippery mucus around the time of ovulation
- your body temperature – there's a small rise in body temperature after ovulation takes place, which you may be able to detect with a thermometer
- hormones in your urine – hormone levels increase around the time of ovulation and this can be detected using ovulation predictor kits that measure the level of hormones in your urine
Using a combination of these methods is likely to be most accurate.
Some women may experience other symptoms when they're ovulating, including breast tenderness, bloating and mild tummy pain, but these aren't a reliable way of predicting ovulation.
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