What is ovulation?
Ovulation is the release of an egg from your ovary, into your fallopian tube. It typically happens about 13–15 days before the start of each period (1). Like your period, the timing of ovulation can vary cycle-to-cycle, and you may have the odd cycle where you don’t ovulate at all.
Understanding the basics of how ovulation works can be a powerful tool for your health
It’s common that people are introduced to the topic only after they have trouble becoming pregnant. But having a grasp on the process can give you insight into more than fertility. You’ll better understand any hormonally-influenced changes to your body around that time, and learn what factors might affect the timing of your ovulation (like stress), and why.
Currently in the West, we ovulate roughly 400 times throughout our lifespan (2). This number is influenced by the use of contraceptives (many of which block ovulation), time spent pregnant and breastfeeding, and any behaviors or health conditions that affect the reproductive hormones (e.g. eating disorders, PCOS). Prehistorically, women would have ovulated less than half as often (3).
A lot goes into every ovulation. And if conditions aren’t right, it won’t happen.
The development and release of an egg each cycle occurs in response to the intricate ups and downs of your reproductive hormones. Ovulation (and the menstrual cycle as a whole) is impacted by energetic, nutritional, emotional, and socioeconomic factors.
Short term factors like jet lag, seasonal changes, stress and smoking can have an effect, as well as longer term factors like PCOS and thyroid disorders (4–8).
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