What Is Ovulation?
Updated on June 29, 2026
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Ovulation occurs when a mature egg breaks out of its follicle in the ovary and is released. This usually happens in the middle of the ovulation cycle: for example, in a 28-day cycle, ovulation would occur on the 14th day. But some people's cycles are longer or shorter than 28 days. Because this is the point at which an egg is ready to be fertilized by sperm, it's the most fertile time in the menstrual cycle.
Once released, the egg travels down the fallopian tube, where it survives for 12 to 24 hours. If it meets up with sperm, the egg is fertilized. The fertilized egg will then implant in the uterus.
If conception doesn't occur, the egg will dissolve and the lining of the uterus will be shed during a menstrual period.
Signs and Symptoms of Ovulation
Some people have no symptoms and won't know they're ovulating. Some track ovulation by checking their cervical mucus or taking their basal body temperature.
The most common symptoms of ovulation are:
- Mild pain in the abdomen or pelvis, or mittelschmerz
- Light vaginal bleeding or spotting
- Thin, clear, slippery discharge from the vagina
- Slight increase in resting (basal) body temperature
- Sore, swollen breasts
- Bloating
- Moodiness
- Increased sex drive
- Changes in appetite
Causes of Ovulation
The ovulation process is regulated by hormones. The hypothalamus, a small organ in the brain, releases gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which directs the pituitary gland to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). These hormones trigger small sacs inside the ovaries, called follicles, to release an egg.
For every cycle, eggs begin to develop in each of the follicles. Between the 10th and 14th day, one of the follicles will develop into a mature egg. Around the 14th day, LH levels surge and trigger ovulation.
How Is Ovulation Diagnosed?
Some people know when they're ovulating because it happens at the same time each month or they have symptoms like sore breasts, bloating, or mood changes.
Another way to tell is by looking for signs of ovulation, like changes in your cervical mucus or basal body temperature. During ovulation, vaginal discharge will become thin, clear, and slippery like egg whites, and your resting (basal) body temperature will rise slightly.
A home ovulation kit can determine with more certainty whether you are ovulating. It contains a test that detects LH in your urine, a hormone that's released right before ovulation. A positive result means that ovulation is likely to occur within 36 hours.
A doctor can test for ovulation by checking a sample of your blood for levels of certain hormones, like progesterone.
Treatment and Medication Options for Ovulation
Ovulation isn't a medical condition, and it doesn't need treatment. But there are medications to treat people who don't ovulate regularly or who want to boost the number of eggs they release each cycle to increase the chance of getting pregnant.
Medication Options
When infertility is an issue, doctors can prescribe oral or injectable medications to stimulate ovulation. They include:
- Clomiphene citrate (Clomid, Serophene) is a pill that stimulates the pituitary gland to release more FSH and LH, causing an egg to grow and be released.
- Letrozole (Femara) increases FSH levels to induce ovulation.
- Gonadotropins (Menopur, Gonal-F, Follistum) are stronger medications that trigger "superovulation," or the release of multiple eggs at once. These drugs can help people over 40 conceive by causing several egg follicles develop per cycle.
- Metformin triggers ovulation by improving insulin resistance, a common cause of infertility in women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
- Bromocriptine (Cycloset, Parlodel) helps with ovulation problems caused by excess production of the hormone prolactin from the pituitary gland.
Complementary and Integrative Therapies
Some couples try complementary and integrative therapies to help them conceive. Although these treatments aren't proven to boost ovulation or increase the chances of getting pregnant, some people find them relaxing during what can be a very stressful experience. They include:
- Acupuncture
- Yoga
- Massage
- Meditation
- Herbal supplements
Prevention of Ovulation
Birth control methods like the pill, patch, and vaginal ring contain the hormones estrogen and progestin, which prevent ovulation by controlling the release of hormones from the pituitary gland. Stopping ovulation helps prevent unwanted pregnancies. The morning-after pill is a form of emergency contraception that delays ovulation to prevent pregnancy.
Lifestyle Changes for Ovulation
Treating conditions that affect ovulation, like PMOS and thyroid disease, can improve ovulation if you're trying to get pregnant. Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) — formerly known as PCOS — is very common in women with diabetes, adding another challenge to diabetes management.
The following lifestyle tips can also help improve fertility.
Note: Following a May 2026 global consensus, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is now officially called Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) to highlight the metabolic roots of the condition.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Obesity causes irregular menstrual cycles and might even stop ovulation altogether. Without ovulation, a pregnancy can't happen. Conditions that are related to obesity, like PMOS and types 2 diabetes, can also affect ovulation.
Having a body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9 significantly increases your chances of ovulation and pregnancy. Your doctor can recommend a diet and exercise program to help you stay at a healthy body weight.
Avoid Exposure to Harmful Substances
The following substances may alter your hormone levels in ways that disrupt ovulation:
- Smoking: Chemicals in tobacco smoke lower levels of estrogen and progesterone. This drop in hormones can cause a reduction in egg quantity and quality. Smoking also damages the DNA in eggs, increasing the risk for miscarriage and birth defects.
- Heavy alcohol use: Drinking more than one or two alcoholic beverages each day could affect ovulation. Abstention from alcohol is best when you’re trying to conceive.
- Caffeine: While one or two small (6- to 8-ounce) cups of coffee a day shouldn't affect your ability to get pregnant, drinking more than that may cause problems with ovulation and reproduction.
- Chemical exposure: Exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, dry cleaning chemicals, and other toxins in the environment and at work might have a negative effect on ovulation and fertility.
Exercise in Moderation
Moderate aerobic exercise, like walking or riding on a stationary bike, may help with ovulation and fertility. But very intense exercise could have the opposite effect, especially in people who are already at a healthy weight. Working out for too long or too hard might actually stop ovulation and menstrual periods and make it more difficult to conceive.
How Long Does Ovulation Last?
Signs and symptoms can happen for days before you ovulate. An egg survives for about 12 to 24 hours after ovulation before the body reabsorbs it. It takes only a few seconds for an ovary to release an egg.
Related Conditions
Ovulation doesn't cause complications, but several conditions can affect egg production and fertility, including.
- Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland) or hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland)
- PMOS
- Premature ovarian failure, which is when the ovaries stop working before age 40
- Too much prolactin, a hormone made by the pituitary gland that stimulates milk production after childbirth
Ovulation pain, or mittelschmerz, is pelvic pain that affects some women during ovulation. It's usually felt in the lower belly or pelvis, often on the side where the egg is released. Mittelschmerz isn't harmful and it shouldn't affect fertility.
FAQ
1How do you tell if you’re ovulating?
You can determine whether you’re ovulating by tracking your menstrual cycle, checking cervical mucus, and taking your basal body temperature. A urine or blood test can confirm that you're about to ovulate.
2What does ovulation do to a woman?
Ovulation is the process of releasing an egg from the ovary. It's the time during each menstrual cycle when a woman is most likely to get pregnant.
3How many days before a period do you ovulate?
Ovulation usually occurs about 14 days before the next menstrual period in a 28-day cycle, though the timing may differ depending on what’s normal for your body.
4How many days after ovulation can you get pregnant?
You can get pregnant for up to five days after ovulation. An egg can be fertilized up to 24 hours after it is released, and sperm can live for three to five days inside a woman's body.
Resources We Trust
- Cleveland Clinic: Ovulation
- Mayo Clinic: What Ovulation Signs Can I Watch for if I Want to Get Pregnant?
- Office on Women's Health: Ovulation Calculator
- MedlinePlus: Ovulation Home Test
- Harvard Health: Mid-Menstrual Cycle Pain (Mittelschmerz)
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
- Ovulation. Cleveland Clinic. March 18, 2026.
- Q&A About Ovulation with a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Specialist. Northwestern Medicine. August 2022.
- Ovulation signs: When is conception most likely? Mayo Clinic. July 9, 2024.
- JE Holesh et al. Physiology, Ovulation. StatPearls. May 1, 2023.
- Infertility. Mayo Clinic. September 13, 2023.
- Ovulation Induction. UCSF Center for Reproductive Health.
- Female Infertility. Mayo Clinic. August 27, 2021.
- Sehgal S et al. Integrative medicine utilization among infertility patients. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. August 2, 2023.
- Birth Control Options. Cleveland Clinic. May 28, 2026.
- Female Fertility: Why Lifestyle Choices Count. Mayo Clinic. January 9, 2024.
- Zheng L et al. Obesity and its impact on female reproductive health: unraveling the connections. Frontiers in Endocrinology. January 9, 2024.
- Weight, fertility, and pregnancy. Office on Women's Health. October 23, 2025.
- Dhage VD et al. A Narrative Review on the Impact of Smoking on Female Fertility. Cureus. April 16, 2024.
- Yaser Anwar M et al. The association between alcohol intake and fecundability during menstrual cycle phases. Human Reproduction. June 8, 2021.
- Jain M et al. Environmental Toxins and Infertility. StatPearls. January 19, 2025.
- Mussawar M et al. The effect of physical activity on fertility: a mini-review. F&S Reports. April 14, 2023.
- What Is Ovulation? Cleveland Clinic. March 18, 2026.
- Ovulation Pain. Cleveland Clinic. February 9, 2023.
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John Paul McHugh, MD, is an obstetrician-gynecologist and lifestyle medicine specialist in southern California. He has always placed wellness at the center of his work, in both del...
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