Recognizing signs of ovulation

You may be able to tell that you’re ovulating in a few simple ways, just by watching the calendar and being observant about your bodily functions. Usually the mucus from your cervix increases around the time of ovulation. It also becomes very thin, clear, and stretchy; you can easily stretch it out a couple of inches. Rising estrogen levels from a developing follicle create this mucus, which is easier for sperm to swim through than your usual thicker mucus and also has an alkaline pH, which helps the sperm live longer. At other times of the month, cervical mucus is acidic. Be sure that you’re not confusing cervical mucus with semen from previous sex or increased secretions from sexual arousal.
Some doctors believe that taking antihistamines may decrease cervical mucus. To be on the safe side, avoid antihistamines around ovulation time. If you have no objection to feeling around inside your vagina, you’ll also notice that your cervix becomes softer, slightly open, and easier to locate with your fingers when you’re about to ovulate. At other times of the month, the cervix is found farther back in the uterus, feels firmer to the touch, and is tightly closed.
If you know how long your cycles are, count back 14 days from the length of your cycle to figure out when you’re probably ovulating. For example, if your cycles are 29 days, you ovulate on day 15. If your cycles are 26 days apart, you ovulate on day 12.
About 20 percent of women have pain called mittelschmertz (German for “middle pain”) when they ovulate. The pain seems to be caused by blood and fluid irritating the tissues around the ovary after it releases from the follicle. Sometimes a small amount of vaginal bleeding occurs with ovulation too. Some women have headaches around the time of ovulation, and others complain of bloating or breast pain. You’re probably already aware of your personal ovulation indicators, but you may have just never paid much attention to them. Now you should. They’re a big help in choosing when to have baby sex.