What Is Ovulation.

Ovulation is a part of a woman's reproductive cycle in which an egg is released by a mature ovarian follicle in order to travel down the fallopian tubes towards the uterus. Understanding the process of ovulation and your particular reproductive cycle can help you plan your pregnancy more effectively.


The first part of ovulation is the follicular phase, which takes place from the first day of a woman's period to her next ovulation.
The process by which an ovarian follicle matures actually takes a little over a year — your body is constantly preparing eggs for ovulation. During this process, the brain's hypothalamus produces two hormones: luteinizing hormone (LH) and the follicle stimulating hormone. These hormones prepare the follicle and stimulate it to release the egg when it is mature. Once ovulation has occurred, the process shifts to the luteal phase, which continues until the next menstruation.

A woman is most fertile for the few days leading up to and day of ovulation, so it is crucial that she knows when she is ovulating to plan intercourse. Or, if she's using natural family planning, it is important to know when ovulation occurs to avoid intercourse. It is different for every woman, but this typically occurs on day 14 of the average menstrual cycle, which is 28 days. Most women will ovulate somewhere from the 10th to the 19th day of their menstrual cycle. Ovulation is typically earlier for women with shorter cycles, and later for women with longer cycles.