How Do I Know If I Ovulated?
Print PageLook for these symptoms that you are fertile:
- Your cervical mucus looks like egg white (clear, slippery, and stringy)
- Your basal body temperature (BBT) before you arise from bed is elevated 0.2°C (0.4°F to 0.6°F) above its usual level (around 37°C)
- Pelvic pain on one side (mittelschmerz)
- Slight bleeding for 1 or 2 days mid-cycle (not equivalent to a menstrual flow)
You can also use an ovulation predictor kit, available from your pharmacist. Prices vary from about $20 to $65. The home test kit evaluates cervical mucus and urine. Cervical mucous should thin out during ovulation to make it easier for the sperm to reach the egg. Estrogen rises at the start of the fertile period, and luteinizing hormone (LH) rises 24 to 36 hours before the egg is released. Your breasts may be tender and your cervix will soften, rise, and open slightly.
If you do not have these signs and symptoms of ovulation mid-cycle, then the following menstrual period is likely to be heavy and painful due to anovulation.