Understanding Ovulation
How to tell when you’re ovulating, factors that impact ovulation, and foods to include to support a healthy cycle.
Ovulation is an important part of a healthy menstrual cycle, with the start of ovulation triggering the luteal phase to begin, and shifting hormones to allow for either a pregnancy, or your next menstrual period.
If you missed the last blog on understanding your menstrual cycle, read it here for some background context.
Getting to know how your body changes over the course of your cycle can be an empowering thing, and it can also put you in much more control when it comes to planning for pregnancy, or for trying to prevent pregnancy. Your ‘fertile window’ is the 5 days leading up to ovulation, and 1 day following, so if you know when you ovulate then you’ve got a good idea of when the highest chances of pregnancy are.
How can I tell when I’ve ovulated?
Your body gives you many different clues that help to identify your fertile window and ovulation. While the best and most reliable method to confirm ovulation is through bloodwork, there are certainly still ways you can gain confidence at home.
Signs that you’re ovulating:
A rise in body temperature. Your basal body temp increases during the second half of your cycle following ovulation. Look for a rise of 0.2-0.6°C that is sustained for 5 or more days. That initial rise should be the day of or the day following ovulation.
You need a thermometer that’s pretty specific to track your body temp for the purposes of fertility charting, and you also need to check your temperature at the same time every day, just before getting out of bed. For convenience, I prefer a wearable body temp tracking device that will monitor my body temperature overnight then load into my chart in the morning – I use tempdrop (use code rachelhiltsnutrition for 10% off) but other options are Ava or Ovusense.Slippery Cervical Mucous (secreted from the cervix). Cervical mucous consistency changes throughout your cycle, and becomes more slippery and wet when your about to ovulate – think a texture like raw egg whites. This egg white mucous is also stretchy enough that if you were to press your index and middle finger together and coat them in mucous, it will stretch in a line without breaking when you pull your fingers back apart a bit. Seeing this slippery mucous is a good indication that you’re in your fertile window and can expect ovulation to occur soon.
Increased energy. Some people find that they will have higher energy, and perhaps and increased libido, during their fertile window.
A soft and open cervix. Get comfortable feeling for the position of your cervix by checking it with a finger and tracking its position. If it feels low and wet, you’re likely ovulation. A higher, more closed, and dryer cervix indicates you’re probably not ovulating.
Positive LH test. If you’re using at home ovulation predictor tests, you may get a positive result for an LH peak in the 12-48 hours leading up to ovulation – giving you a good prediction that ovulationg should occur.
Period begins as expected (or pregnancy!). If you’re had an ovulatory cycle, you should expect your period to being on roughly the expected day (typically, 14 days following ovulation, but may range from 11-17 after ovulation) with minimal spotting beforehand. OR you may be looking at a positive pregnancy result, in which case – congratulations!
What factors impact ovulation?
Your body is a delicate balance of complicated systems, and if one thing is thrown off, one of the first places we often see disruption is the menstrual cycle.
If you’ve been off birth control for more than 3 months, and it’s been at least a couple years since you first started to menstruate, cycles should follow fairly regular patterns. It’s not uncommon for an occasion cycle to be irregular, but if you’re having more irregular cycles than not, you should speak with your health care team. Some of the most common disruptors to watch for if you notice an irregular cycle are below:
Stress. Both psychological and physiological stress can throw off your hormones. Stress can stop your hypothalamus from producing Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) which then means the pituitary gland won’t produce Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FHS) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH), stopping you from ovulating.
Illness. If you’re under the weather, illness can also cause similar disruptions in your cycle to stress.
Changes in Diet. Extreme changes to your diet or not eating enough calories to support your metabolism can trigger your body to shut down menstruation. Because periods are seen as a non-essential bodily function by your body, when not consuming enough nutrients to support your metabolism, your body will prioritize more essential systems over menstruation (such as breathing!) in order to conserve energy.
Overexercising. Similar to not eating enough, if you are exercising too much you may be using up more energy than your body and diet can support. This will again prompt your body to prioritize essential functions over menstruation. If you have the ability to decrease your activity your period should begin again once things return to normal.
Sudden Weight Changes. Sudden weight loss or gain can impair ovulation and affect your cycle.
Medications. Some medications, such as those containing steroids, can impact the pituitary gland or ovaries, and stop ovulation.
How can food help promote ovulation?
When it comes to diet and ovulation, the most important thing is making sure you are eating enough. From there, there is no one singular thing you can do to help promote ovulation to happen within a cycle, but there are some things we can include in the diet to help promote ovulation happening regularly by eating including a regular healthy fertility eating pattern:
Substituting some Animal-based Proteins with Plant-based Proteins
Increasing plant based protein intake (i.e. nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, tofu/soy) may be beneficial for overall ovulation health. Try swapping one meal per day, or a couple meals per week, that typically contain an animal protein, for a vegetarian protein option.
Lower Glycemic Index Carbs & Balanced Meals
High glycemic load from meals (meaning a meal with alot of simple carbs or higher glycemic index carbs without much protein, fibre, or fat) may increase risk of infertility due to ovulatory disorders. Try to choose lower glycemic carbs when able, and focus on meals and snacks that are well balanced with a variety of protein, fibre rich carbs, and fats.
Higher Consumption of Unsaturated Fats
High intake of trans fats may negatively impact ovulation. Try to limit deep fried or ultra processed foods and emphasize unsaturated fat sources instead - think nuts, seeds, seafood (and/or omega 3 supplements), olives, avocado, and liquid oils like extra virgin olive oil.
Full Fat Dairy
There is no connection between total dairy intake and ovulation, but there is some indication that fuller fat dairy may have a positive impact on ovulation. So, if you enjoy a yoghurt or milk with a slightly higher milk fat percentage, try choosing that over a 0% fat dairy option.
Folate
Folate is not just important for preventing neural tube defects - it also plays a role in promoting ovulation. In addition to your prenatal, aim to include folate rich foods like dark green or orange fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds.
References:
Quint, C. (2021). Be period positive: Reframe your thinking and reshape the future of menstruation. DK Publishing.
Gunter, J. (2019). The vagina bible: The Vulva and the vagina--separating the myth from the medicine. Random House Canada.
Chavarro, J. E., Rich-Edwards, J. W., Rosner, B. A., and Willett, W. C. Diet and lifestyle in the prevention of ovulatory disorder infertility. Obstet Gynecol, 2007. 110(5): p. 1050-1058.
Chavarro, J. E., Rich-Edwards, J. W., Rosner, B. A., and Willett, W. C. Protein intake and ovulatory infertility. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 198(2): p. 2010.e1-2010.e7.
Chavarro, J. E., Rich-Edwards, J. W., and Willett, W. C. A prospective study of dietary carbohydrate quantity and quality in relation to risk of ovulatory infertility. Eur J Clin Nutr, 2009. 63(1): p. 78-86.
Gaskins, A. J, and Chavarro, J. E. Diet and fertility: A review. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2018. 218(4): p. 379-389. 18 Chavarro, J. E., Rich-Edwards, J. W., Rosner, B. A., and Willett, W. C. A prospective study of dairy foods intake and anovulatory infertility. Hum Reprod, 2007. 22(5): p. 1340-1347.
Chavarro, J. E., Rich-Edwards, J. W., and Willett, W. C. Use of multivitamins, intake of B vitamins and risk of ovulatory infertility. Fertil Steril, 2008. 89(3): p. 668-676.
Gaskins, A. J., Mumford, S. L., and Schisterman, E. F. The impact of dietary folate intake on reproductive function in premenopausal women: A prospective cohort study. PLoS One, 2012. 7(9): e46276.
