Have you ever felt a strange twinge in your lower belly halfway through your cycle kinda like a cramp, but not quite? That’s not your imagination. You might actually be feeling ovulation: the moment your body releases an egg.
Let’s take a look at what’s really going on inside and why it can make you feel a little different.
1. What Is Ovulation?
Ovulation is when one of your ovaries releases an egg (called an ovum) into the fallopian tube.
It happens about two weeks before your next period, which for many people is around day 14 of a 28-day cycle.
Think of it as your ovary’s main event (This is a natural part of every menstrual cycle that makes reproduction possible)
2. The Hormone Chain Reaction
Your hormones act like the behind-the-scenes crew making ovulation happen.
| Hormone | What It Does |
|---|---|
| FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) | Helps several eggs mature inside the ovary. |
| Estrogen | Thickens the uterine lining and triggers a surge of LH. |
| LH (Luteinizing Hormone) | Causes the mature egg to be released from its follicle. |
| Progesterone | Calms the system afterward and prepares the body for a possible pregnancy. |
When LH suddenly spikes, it’s the signal for the egg to be released. That’s ovulation day.
3. What’s Actually Happening Inside
Here’s what goes on step-by-step:
- Several small follicles begin to grow on one ovary.
- One “dominant” follicle matures and gets ready to release its egg.
- The follicle ruptures, and the egg is released into the fallopian tube.
- The egg travels for about 24 hours, waiting for sperm.
- If the egg isn’t fertilized, it breaks down and is absorbed by the body.
- About two weeks later, the uterine lining sheds — that’s your period.
4. Why Ovulation Can Feel Weird
Some people don’t feel anything at all, while others notice physical changes like:
- Mild cramping or a twinge on one side of the lower abdomen (called mittelschmerz).
- Clear, stretchy discharge: this helps sperm move more easily.
- Slight rise in body temperature, usually around half a degree Fahrenheit.
- Breast tenderness, bloating, or a change in mood.
- Higher energy or increased sex drive: your hormones are peaking.
All of these sensations are normal signs that your body is working exactly as it should.
5. When Are You Most Fertile?
You are most fertile during the five days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation itself.
That’s because sperm can survive inside the body for up to five days, while the egg only lasts for about one day after release.
So, if ovulation happens on day 14, your most fertile window is usually days 9 to 14.
This timing can vary depending on your cycle length and health, so it’s never the same for everyone.
6. Common Myths About Ovulation
Myth 1: You can only get pregnant on the exact day of ovulation.
Fact: Pregnancy can happen from sex in the days before ovulation since sperm can live inside your body for several days.
Myth 2: Ovulation always happens on day 14.
Fact: That’s an average, not a rule. Ovulation can happen earlier or later depending on your cycle length, stress, illness, or hormones.
Myth 3: You can always feel when you’re ovulating.
Fact: Not everyone notices symptoms. Some people never feel ovulation pain or discharge changes at all.
Myth 4: If you’re on your period, you can’t get pregnant.
Fact: It’s less likely, but not impossible. Short cycles can make ovulation occur soon after bleeding stops, overlapping with sperm survival time.
Myth 5: Birth control stops your period.
Fact: Most hormonal birth control methods stop ovulation . The period you have on the pill is usually a “withdrawal bleed,” not a natural menstrual period.
7. Quick Little Recap
- Ovulation is the release of a mature egg from the ovary.
- It usually happens about two weeks before your period.
- You may feel mild cramping, discharge changes, or body temperature shifts.
- Your most fertile days are the five days before and the day of ovulation.
- Myths about ovulation timing and symptoms are common everyone’s body is different.
TalkHER.org 
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