Ovulation facts 3-5: Triggers and kits
3. What triggers ovulation?
It's all down to hormones. You produce Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) during the first part of your cycle that triggers your body to start the process of maturing eggs for ovulation. High levels of oestrogen are produced at this time that triggers a release of LH, Luteinizing Hormone, causing the mature egg to burst from the follicle. That is ovulation. Normally, only one egg will be large enough to burst through the follicle during ovulation.
4. How can you tell if you're ovulating?
If you learn to 'read' your body and get to know your cycle you should be able to tell when you're ovulating. The key is to look out for changes in your cervical secretions. After your period you can feel quite dry for a day or so and then get a sticky, whitish type of secretion. Then, when you start to ovulate the secretion from your vagina will change to a clear, sticky, mucus- like discharge. It's wettish and stretchy. like raw egg white, and normally quite noticeable, so start looking out for it. This is a sure sign you're ovulating.
5. Do ovulation prediction kits and temperature charts work?
Yes, they can be a useful guide. They can tell you when you're ovulating, but can be inaccurate on timing. Learning to read your body and pinpointing the fertile time in your cycle is cheaper and often more affective. Ovulation kits work by testing your urine for a hormone surge which occurs just before ovulation. By the time you get the result, the window of opportunity may have passed. Something called Basal body temperature (BBT) measurements used to be used but rely on the fact that your body temperature increases a very small amount after ovulation. Again, you may have already ovulated by the time you get this information, so it's too late to conceive.
By Charlotte Gunn
