Ovulation is when an egg is released from one of your ovaries.
If you want to work out when you ovulate, there are a number of things you can use:
- the length of your menstrual cycle – ovulation usually occurs around 10 to 16 days before your period starts, so you may be able to work out when you're likely to ovulate if you have a regular cycle
- your cervical mucus – you may notice wetter, clearer and more slippery mucus around the time of ovulation
- your body temperature – there's a small rise in body temperature after ovulation takes place, which you may be able to detect with a thermometer
- ovulation predictor kits – hormone levels increase around the time of ovulation and this can be detected using ovulation predictor kits that measure the level of hormones in your pee
Using a combination of these methods is likely to be most accurate.
Some women may experience other symptoms when they're ovulating, including breast tenderness, bloating and mild tummy pain, but these are not a reliable way of predicting ovulation.