Life

4 Signs You're Ovulating & Ready To Make A Baby

by Autumn Jones

If you're ready to add a little one to your household, then you'll benefit from trying to conceive during ovulation. Luckily, narrowing down the days you drop eggs is a fairly accurate science, and whether you choose to stick with the tried and true ways of the past or jump in on the new wave of future fertility prediction, narrowing down your ovulation date is totally doable. All you have to do is keep an eye out for the signs you're ovulating and at optimal baby-making time.

According to the website for What To Expect, "ovulation usually occurs halfway through your menstrual cycle — the average cycle lasts 28 days, counting from the first day of one period (day one) to the first day of the next period." So for starters, you should start tracking your period and use your calendar to get a good idea of the window of time you might be ovulating. Once you have a time frame, you can start using these other five methods to look for signs that you're ovulating. There may be a little trial and error, but if you stick with it for a few months, you'll have a pretty good grasp on when your releasing eggs.

1

You're Urine Contains Luteinizing Hormone

Thanks to science, there is an easy and accessible way to pinpoint when you're dropping eggs. As Parents magazine explained, an ovulation predictor kit (OPK) tests your urine for the luteinizing hormone that spikes when you're ovulating. So yeah, you'll be peeing on a stick, but you'll have instant results.

2

Your Body Temperature Dips

Your Basal body temperature (BBT) — i.e. your temp when resting — is one of the easiest ways to determine if you're ovulating. The Bump explained that, when your ovulate ,you will notice a dip in your BBT, followed by a sharp increase,. This method is for the dedicated, as it can take a few months to see the pattern in your temperature.

3

You're Cramping

Not all cramps are period related, some of those pains mean you're ovary is releasing an egg. "Your body will send you a memo when it's ovulating, in the form of a twinge of pain or a series of cramps in your lower abdominal area (usually localized to one side — the side you're ovulating from)," according to the website for What To Expect.

4

You Notice Changes In Cervical Fluid

When you're body is ready to make a baby, your cervical fluid will change consistency. As the website for the American Pregnancy Association explained, once the fluid thickens to resemble egg whites, your body is preparing to ovulate. You may notice this change when going to the bathroom and wiping, but can take a sample at any time to check, with the swipe of a finger.