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That is the million-dollar question: "when do I ovulate?"

There are a few ways to narrow down the time you ovulate each cycle, and those include checking your basal temperature (which you already know about), as well as tracking cervical mucus or using a ovulation predictor kit.

Knowing that the above methods are some of the more accurate ways to determine ovulation, even the best-of-the-best still only "predict" ovulation. For some reason, there has yet to be a method that allows women to "exactly" know when they ovulation. Frustrating.

Without the use of "devices", this leaves us with what the rhythm method (now called "Fertility Awareness" Method) basically uses as its primary means of avoiding an unwanted pregnancy, and that is avoiding intercourse around the time of your most fertile days (supposedly when you ovulate). You can read more about this discussion here.

It is assumed that women ovulate sometime around days 8-19 of their cycle, to answer your question of "when do I ovulate". This is also the time to avoid intercourse.

(In case you don't know, the day you start menstrual bleeding is called "day 1").

Other sources have said to count 11-21 days after your LMP (last menstrual period) and to avoid intercourse on those days. (this would add day 20 and day 21 to the previous method). Another source says to count 12-16 days from your next expected period, and that is when you probably ovulate, as it takes about 2 weeks after the release of an egg (ovulation) to begin menstruating.

Lastly, it is important to know that ovulation is a "process", and from the time the ovum (egg) is released from the fallopian tubes, travels down the fallopian tubes into the uterus, where it is absorbed by the body (if unfertilized) takes 12-24 hours.

Planned Parenthood has a wonderfully detailed informational site that provides instruction on the Fertility Awareness Method.

July 23, 2009 - 12:07pm

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