Why Ovulation, Not Bleeding, Is the Most Important Event of Your Menstrual Cycle

When women think about the menstrual cycle, they immediately think of the most obvious—and demanding—part of that process: their period. However, the menstruation cycle doesn’t revolve around your period, your period cycles around ovulation.

Ovulation occurs when the ovaries release an egg into the fallopian tube, making it available for fertilization. The uterine walls get thicker during this time in order to prepare for a fertilized egg. If the egg is not fertilized, both it and the uterine lining will be shed, which causes bleeding. After the end of the period, the ovaries prepare another egg, and the whole process begins again.

So how do you know if you’re ovulating?

Well, ovulation generally occurs around the fifteenth day of the menstrual cycle (which ranges from between 24 to 38 days), but that’s not always true for everyone. In fact, some women can go years without ovulating at all! Here are a few symptoms that might occur during ovulation that can be found on thebump.com:

·       A better sense of smell

·       Tender breasts

·       Spotting

·       Increased libido

·       Pain in the abdomen or pelvis – Mild cramping on one side or the other

·       A change in the cervical mucus – Due to increased estrogen levels caused by ovulation, the cervical mucus starts to resemble egg white

Although the symptoms of ovulation can occur for several days, once the egg has been dropped into the fallopian tube, it only lasts for 48 hours. However, since sperm can survive for about five days, the period in which you are fertile starts before the egg is even available.

Ovulation stimulates the production of progesterone, increasing it for five days following ovulation. This aids in conception and the following pregnancy. You probably won’t notice the increase, but low progesterone can cause a variety of problems.

Low progesterone can result in difficulty getting pregnant and miscarriage. Here are some symptoms to look out for, which can be found on healthline.com:

·       Mood swings, anxiety, or depression

·       Headaches/migraines

·       Irregular periods

The entire menstruation cycle occurs in order to allow for pregnancy, and ovulation is the part of the process that makes that happen. Making sure that it’s functioning properly determines whether or not pregnancy can even occur. This means that ovulation is the most important piece of the entire cycle!

If you’re trying to get pregnant, or trying to avoid it without using artificial methods such as birth control, knowing when you are ovulating will make the entire process much easier. In my clinic, I search for the source of anovulation (lack of ovulation) and attempt to remedy it. This is a very different approach to gynecologic health compared to most clinicians who simply manipulate bleeding or not bleeding with birth control pills. Using hormonal contraceptives only masks the problem and can rob you of your fertility when you’re ready to use it.

If you are a woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, or subfertility, I can help by teaching you the Billings Ovulation Method (BOM). It is as effective as hormonal forms of contraception without the harmful synthetic hormones. It can help me see what is going on hormonally without having to draw blood or saliva samples every few days during your menstrual cycle. I use it to diagnose and treat many of the common problems associated with anovulation and watch gynecologic health return to normal. By teaching you the BOM, we can also prevent unplanned pregnancy from occurring while we straighten out bleeding issues.

If you suffer from irregular, heavy, or painful bleeding or if you’ve struggled with a diagnosis of endometriosis, PCOS, or subfertility, why not try a natural approach?