Topic Overview
You can most accurately pinpoint your
ovulation
day by monitoring your cervical mucus, your
basal body temperature (BBT)
, and your
luteinizing hormone
(LH) changes with an ovulation test.
- During the 5 to 6 days before and on the day of ovulation, the
cervix
produces a type of mucus that is stretchy, slippery, thin, and clear. This quickly changes on the day after ovulation.
- About 24 hours before you ovulate, your luteinizing hormone (LH) level rises. You can confirm that ovulation is approaching by testing your urine for high LH with a home ovulation predictor kit. Note that an LH surge can happen as close as 16 hours or as far as 48 hours before ovulation.
- Just before an egg is released (ovulation), your basal body temperature (BBT) decreases slightly; it then increases sharply 24 hours after ovulation. After 2 to 3 months of carefully measuring and recording your BBT every morning before getting out of bed, you may be able to identify a pattern that helps estimate when you are ovulating.
If you have unusually long or short menstrual cycles of less than 21 days or more than 42 days, monitoring your cervical mucus is your best bet for identifying your ovulation day. An ovarian monitor LH test won't work well for you.
Credits
Current as of: February 11, 2020
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Sarah A. Marshall, MD - Family Medicine
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Endocrinology