Prefer to listen? This post is also available as a Why Ovulation Is Important (And How to Map It)
I’ve had a few conversations recently about ovulation. Unless you’ve tracked it for fertility purposes, you may not have realised quite how important it is.
Ovulation really doesn't get the attention it deserves...
Periods get all the limelight (and bring all the drama), but ovulation is actually the main event!
In fact, it's the whole point.
When I talk about balancing hormones and maintaining cycle health (WHICH I DO A LOT) what I actually want for you is optimum ovulatory health because…
No ovulation = No period.
So what's going on down there?
Brace for the science bit....
Just before midpoint in your menstrual cycle, there is a peak in estrogen (your "Doing" hormone).
This surge in estrogen makes a secret signal to the pituitary gland in your brain (Twit Tawooo) that it's time to boost Luteinizing hormone (LH) and release 'the chosen one' from your ovaries.
This is the egg among all eggs; it won the 90-day follicle development race during the first half of your cycle, and will now be released to go forth to make a new human (or not).
It takes a brave, daring journey into your fallopian tube to await a friendly sperm to fertilise it before it moves on to the uterus (aka baby boudoir) to support any potential feouts in the first stages of pregnancy.
👉 This is your most fertile window and most opportune time for pregnancy (it's a no-sausage zone unless you want a brand new small human).
But if the egg remains unfertilised (as it will in most cycles), it’s simply reabsorbed into the body. As someone who does not have children, I like to think that this magical, creative energy seeds my own projects, helping me create other kinds of magic in the world.
Why is ovulation so important?
Well, apart from making babies, obvs...
Ovulation is crucial in your cyclical health to keep the body producing and balancing the hormones that maintain harmony in your inner ecosystem.
Plus, it is the only way you make progesterone.
After you ovulate, the follicle in your ovaries that the egg was released from swells in size (up to 4cm 😱) and turns into the Corpus Luteum.
The Corpus Luteum is where progesterone is produced, and it has a lifespan of about 10–16 days. It will be unique for you, but it is typically about 14 days.
👉 This is what determines the length of the second half of your cycle (luteal phase) and will be the same length each time.
Progesterone is such a crucial hormone in your inner ecosystem, and you need it to...
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Boost thyroid hormone
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Balance the effects of estrogen
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Lower the chances of breast cancer
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Thin the uterine lining, which will lighten your period
And it also...
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Promotes sleep
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Helps build muscle
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Calms the nervous system
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Protects your heart, brain and bones
And the cool thing is that your body sends you signals that it's happening.
Top 10 Hormones for Cycle Harmony (and how to support them)
How to track ovulation in your cycle?
Just before you ovulate, you might notice an abundance of fertile cervical mucus. This is totally normal. It will have a thick, egg-white-like consistency that you can pinch between your fingers and will be stretchy (if you feel so inclined). It acts as a sperm superhighway to get sperms where they need to be quicker.
This is a sign of increased estrogen.
Your cervix will also become higher in your vagina. If you track this regularly, you will notice it moves position. It will feel firm, like the end of your nose, and is shaped like a doughnut with a tiny hole.
You may also notice that you feel a bit more horny/punchy, thanks to a little bump of testosterone (so use that magic wisely).
👉 Fun fact: Did you know you can feel yourself ovulate? It is called mittelschmerz (middle pain in German). It can last for a few minutes or a few hours, normally on one side. How amazing is that? You can feel an egg being released!
These are all biomarkers that you can use to help identify when you ovulate.
But how do I know if I have definitely ovulated?
The most important biomarker in identifying ovulation is your body temperature.
Your Basal Body Temperature (BBT) is your body temperature at rest. You can add a daily check of your BBT to your cycle tracking by using an under-the-tongue thermometer that displays two decimal places.
➡️ For accuracy, you need to take your temp after you wake up and before you get out of bed at the same time each day.
Recording this daily allows you to see when your BBT rises, which confirms you are producing progesterone and ovulation has occurred!
So now you know!
Ovulation really is the most important part of your cycle.
And it's so helpful to know that this is happening each and every month, so that you know everything is working just as it should.
To get started mapping your cycle, get your FREE mapping tool and guide here.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Please do not rely on apps as a form of birth control. Many apps just use an algo to predict fertile windows. You can train in FAM (Fertility Awareness Method) to accurately chart your cycle as a form of birth control.
Or you can use a device like DAYSY to accurately chart biomarkers in your cycle.
👉 This information is to help you identify ovulation in your cycle so you can chart and maintain optimum cycle health and quickly spot potential issues or irregularities.