Ovulation is a specific phase in a woman's menstrual cycle which is also known as the ovulatory phase. It is during this specific phase that a woman has a chance to become pregnant. In fact during a woman's monthly cycle she and her partner have a 20% chance of getting pregnant if they are not using any birth control methods. And if you think about it this is actually a rather high percentage considering the fact that a woman can only get pregnant around the time of ovulation. And the time around ovulation is actually a rather small amount of time; it is on average between 12 to 24 hours. It is during this time that the egg is open for fertilization. But even though this might seem like a small amount of time to get pregnant you need to remember that sperm are able to live longer than the egg is around to get fertilized. This actually makes it easier for a woman to get pregnant because the sperm can live inside the woman's body a few days before ovulation so when it occurs all they have to do is fertilize the egg when it emerges.

Because of the small amount of time that a woman has to get pregnant many women want to learn how to predict when they are going to ovulate so that they can increase their chances of getting pregnant. Not to mention the fact that after ovulation occurs the small window of opportunity that you had to get pregnant has actually just slammed shut until the following month, so learning when you ovulate can help increase your chances of getting pregnant. But many women actually find out that it is rather difficult to predict when they are going to ovulate. The main reason for this is that every woman's cycle is different, not to mention the fact that the cycle can vary from one month to the next. But the best thing to remember about ovulation is that it usually occurs two weeks before menstruation, which means if you have a 28 day cycle you will be ovulating on Day 14 of your cycle.

There are a few different reasons that women want to know when they are ovulating. But the main reason that women want to know when they are ovulating is to provide them with control over their own fertility. In fact knowing when you are ovulating can help you keep track of your menstrual period so that when it does occur it is not going to catch you off guard. But knowing when you ovulate can help you get pregnant, but it can also help you to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. Knowing when you ovulate can help you get pregnant because you are most fertile at the time of ovulation, meaning you have the highest chances of getting pregnant when you ovulate. But knowing that you are ovulating can help you from getting pregnant because you can avoid having sex around the time of ovulation.

One of the best ways to tell when you are ovulating is to know the various signs of ovulation. Here is a closer look at the major signs of ovulation:

Basal Body Temperature 

This method has actually been studied by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and according to them immediately following ovulation there is a slight but detectable increase in a woman's normal body temperature. So if you monitor your basal body temperature every morning before you get up and keeping track of the results on a piece of paper or some kind of chart you can actually determine when ovulation has occurred. But keep in mind that conditions such as fever, restless sleep and exertion can affect the accuracy of the temperature readings. Your basal body temperature will reach its lowest point at ovulation and then increase by about half a degree as soon as ovulation occurs.

Cervical Mucus 

This method has also been studied by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This method detects ovulation by monitoring your vaginal secretions, also called cervical mucus. What you need to do is to check your vagina regularly for mucus at the opening. When doing this you need to keep in mind that your vagina is going to produce the least amount of secretions right after your menstrual cycle. For most woman their vaginal secretions are going to follow a certain pattern which for the most part is:

• After your menstrual cycle a sticky or tacky vaginal secretion is noticed
  
• Right before ovulation you will detect an increased amount of vaginal secretions which tend to be wet and slippery, this type has the consistency of raw egg whites. On the day of ovulation your body is going to produce the greatest amount of this type of discharge.
  
• The day after ovulation your vaginal discharge is going to start to become thicker in consistency and less of it is going to be secreted.
  

Get to know your cervix 

This is important because not only will your vaginal discharge change but so will the cervix itself. The reason for this is that when your body senses the hormone shifts, which means that an egg is about to be released, your body gets itself ready for the egg to be fertilized giving it the best chance to do so. What this does is the cervix begins to change position so it is easier for the sperm to travel upwards to fertilize the egg. Before ovulation your cervix is low, hard and closed, but as ovulation approaches it pulls back up, softens up a bit and opens a tiny bit to allow the sperm to travel through. Many women can fell the changes easily while others have a harder time, but practice can help you notice these small changes in your body. If doing this be sure to check your cervix daily and chart your observations so you can tell when ovulation is about to approach.

Listen to your body

This actually only works in about 20% of women so if you are one of these 20% this is as good as method as any to help tell when you are ovulating. These women's bodies will send them a message that they are ovulating. The message comes in the form of a twinge of pain or in a series of cramps in the lower abdominal area. These cramps usually come from the side of your body that is currently ovulating. This pain is actually thought to be a result of the maturation or release of an egg from an ovary.

Check the calendar 

In most cases ovulation actually occurs halfway through a woman's menstrual cycle. On average a menstrual cycle lasts for 28 days, this is counting from the first day of one period to the first day of the next period. But like everything else that is related to pregnancy there is a wide range of normal. What this means is that a normal cycle for a woman can be anywhere from 23 to 35 days, not to mention that it can vary slightly from one month to the next. The best chance you have of trying to figure out when you ovulate is to keep a menstrual calendar for a few months so you can determine what your normal cycle is. But this method only works if you are regular, women who have an irregular cycle have to rely on other methods to determine when they are ovulating.

Ovulation kits

This type of kit allows you to pinpoint your ovulation date 12 to 24 hours in advance. The way that this kit works is that it measures the levels of the luteinizing hormone, also called LH. This hormone is the last of the hormones to hit its peak before ovulation actually occurs. So with these kits all you have to do is pee on the stick and wait for the test to tell you if you are about to ovulate. But instead of peeing on a stick you can also find salvia tests that will tell you when you are about to ovulate. With the salvia tests what they do is look at the levels of estrogen in your salvia as ovulation nears. When you are ovulating your salvia will reveal a pattern that looks like the leaves of a fern plant or frost on a windowpane under the test's eyepiece. The best thing about this test is that it is reusable and is usually cheaper than the ovulation kits that you have to pee on. There are also tests that can give you a four day warning for ovulation by measuring the numerous salts that are in your sweat, these levels change during various times of the month and is called the chloride ion surge.

Just keep in mind that there is no sure fire method that guarantees you will get pregnant or that can tell you when you are actually ovulating, the only thing that these things can do is to tell you that you are getting ready to ovulate or that it might be occurring. So no matter which method you choose to use remember patience and persistence are important to getting it right.