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Ovulation - Fact And Myth

Many women have been taught that ovulation occurs on 14th day of their menstrual cycle. Armed with this believe,  women have intercourse around the 14th day to conceive and avoid intercourse if they wish to avoid pregnancy. Then why are so many women not conceiving when they thought they should be? And why are so many other women got pregnant when they have avoided the big O day?

It is because ovulation occurring on day 14 is a MYTH. Ovulation can occur as early as during the menstrual bleeding and much later than day 14th.  Ovulating as early as 12th day and as late as 45th day are exactly unusual. There are many factors involved in the timing of ovulation.  

Hormones, stress and the health of the individual all play roles in ovulation. Let’s start with hormones. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), estrogen, Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Progesterone are the hormones of the female reproductive system. Any imbalance in these hormones can impede or prevent ovulation.

FSH is the first hormone to work in a menstrual cycle. Its production peak at the beginning of the cycle while the uterus is shedding its lining. FSH prompts the ovaries to produce about 15 to 20 mature eggs. Each of these eggs are encased in its own follicle. These follicles then produce estrogen.

Estrogen begins surging through the body about three or more days before ovulation. This causes the Cervical Mucus (CM) to be clear, watery, stretchy and basically resembling raw-egg-white. This CM offers the best mode of travel for the sperm to get to the egg.

The high levels of estrogen prompts the release of luteinizing hormone (LH). The surge of LH causes the egg to actually pop out of it’s follicle. The period from ovulation to menstruation is called the luteal phase. It is this part of the cycle that seldom varies by a day or two each month. The average length is 12 to 16 days long. With the collapse of the follicle a Corpus Luteum is formed.

The corpus luteum begins producing progesterone - the hormone that helps maintain the uterine lining long enough for a fertilized egg to be implanted. Progesterone is responsible for raising the Basal Body Temperature (BBT), also known as the warm hormone. If a woman is charting her body temperatures, this is best carried out with a high quality software system that offers precision and useful features, she could tell she had ovulated by an upward shift in her daily BBT. A drop in progesterone signals the body to begin shedding the uterine lining, thus bringing on menstruation. The luteal phase - the time progesterone is being released lasts about 2 weeks.

The luteal phase, however, can be longer or shorter. A luteal phase shorter than 10 days is considered deficient in progesterone and is unable to maintain a pregnancy. There are measures to take to increase the luteal phase, such as hormone therapy and/or herbal and vitamin supplements. No matter what day a woman ovulates, she can always tell approximately what day her menstrual cycle will begin, or what day to take a pregnancy test.

If pregnancy is the goal, it is ideally to have intercourse around the time of ovulation, preferably right before or during ovulation. Sometimes a woman’s body can gear up to ovulation- releasing all the right hormones and stress will halt the process. Vacations, moving, company or anything that causes undo stress can delay ovulation until the woman is at peace and relaxed again. The role of hormones combined with the woman’s state of health ie. sick or stressed, determines when and if ovulation occurs.

Sometimes ovulation does occur on the 14thday but this is by far, not the rule. Because the different elements that bring about ovulation can be varied or interrupted, it’s safe to say that ovulation can occur at any point in the cycle and not the 14th day that many people once believed.