Why we should all pay attention to our ovulatory health (even if we’re not looking to conceive)

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Strong Women


Why we should all pay attention to our ovulatory health (even if we’re not looking to conceive)

By Lauren Geall

10 months ago

7 min read

Your ovulatory patterns can tell you more about your health than you realise. Here, a women’s health expert explains the benefits of keeping an eye on ovulation, as well as how to go about it.


Tracking your menstrual cycle is nothing new, but more and more of us are waking up to the benefits of recording our moods, cravings and energy levels. 

From helping you to identify potential hormonal imbalances to giving you time to anticipate the arrival of PMS symptoms, knowing what’s going on can be hugely helpful.

But despite this, very few of us pay attention to our ovulatory health. Ovulation is one of the key moments in the menstrual cycle, but unless we’re looking to conceive, it’s not something that gets talked about often.

However, ovulation is about so much more than conception. It occurs due to a unique balance of hormones, so keeping track of any delays or stoppages in your ovulatory cycle can be a helpful way to identify any hormonal issues. It can also be affected by a range of health conditions and illnesses, so can also be a useful marker of health. So, how can you go about keeping track of your ovulation, and what are the benefits of doing so? We spoke to Colleen Fogarty-Draper, PhD RD and women’s health advisor at Holland & Barrett.  


What triggers ovulation? 

A uterus and ovaries

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Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s take a quick look at what happens to trigger ovulation. It’s the period during the menstrual cycle when your ovary releases an egg, and typically happens around day 14.

Ovulation occurs following the follicular phase, during which the egg matures with the help of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Once the egg is mature, a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH), triggers the egg’s release. About 28-36 hours after this surge, ovulation occurs.

It’s only after ovulation has occurred that the luteal phase begins, where progesterone levels rise alongside oestrogen to keep the uterine lining thick and ready for implantation. 

What factors can delay ovulation? 

Delayed ovulation is ovulation that occurs after day 21 of your menstrual cycle and can be caused by a variety of factors. “While the luteal phase of your cycle remains pretty constant – lasting about 14 days after ovulation – the follicular phase can vary in length,” Fogarty-Draper explains. “If this happens, ovulation can be late or event absent. There are various factors that can cause this.”

Factors that can contribute to delayed or absent ovulation (also known as anovulation) include: 

1. Extreme physical or emotional stress

High cortisol levels can interfere with the release of gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone, which controls the menstrual cycle and ovulation, as well as the release of FSH and LH. This is one of the reasons why stress can mess with fertility, as it can prevent ovulation from happening altogether.

2. Thyroid conditions

“Having either an underactive or overactive thyroid can cause problems with ovulation,” Fogarty-Draper says.

3. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

There are several ways in which PCOS can affect ovulation. Having polycystic ovaries can make it harder for eggs to be released due to the impact on follicular development, and the hormonal imbalances associated with PCOS can prevent the release of eggs too – in particular, high levels of testosterone.

4. Perimenopause

“As you reach perimenopause, your oestrogen production becomes unpredictable, which can have a ripple effect on when you ovulate, shortening your follicular phase and elongating your luteal phase,” Fogarty-Draper explains. This explains why fertility can fluctuate at this time.

5. Weight

Being over or underweight can disrupt your hormonal balance, affecting the hormones required for the body to mature and release an egg during ovulation.  

What are the benefits of tracking ovulation? 

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Tracking when you ovulate – or at least having a good idea that it’s happening – can tell you a lot about the state of your hormonal health. “Learning and understanding more about your hormones, ovulation patterns, menstrual cycle and overall fertility can help you in a host of ways, regardless of whether you are trying to conceive,” Fogarty-Draper says.

A few of the scenarios in which ovulation tracking can be helpful include:

1. Understanding your body when coming off hormonal birth control

Coming off hormonal birth control can wreak havoc on your hormones, but monitoring ovulation can give you a good idea of what is (or isn’t) going on.

“When coming off birth control after years or even just a couple of months of being on contraception, the body changes,” Fogarty-Draper explains. “You may be left with irregular menstruation, a change in your vaginal discharge or changes in your hormone levels and common symptoms that your pill may have been keeping at bay (like period pains, mood swings or acne). To understand more about these changes happening in your body, tracking your cycle is a good place to start.”

2. Knowing when your period is coming – and what’s normal for you

Changes in the length, heaviness and symptoms associated with your period can be signs of hormonal changes, so knowing when to expect your period is crucial for understanding what’s normal.

3. Tracking hormonal health issues or changes

As above, keeping an eye on your ovulatory patterns can give you vital insight into any hormonal health issues or changes you may be dealing with.

“If you notice your cycle lengths changing, including getting shorter, if your flow has changed, or if you use ovulation tests which can help identify high or increasing luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, this may help you to also pinpoint other health issues,” Fogarty-Draper says.

“These changes to your cycle could reveal conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ovarian insufficiency, or thyroid disorders. Alternatively, if your cycle lengths are getting longer, with a change in flow, you may be heading into perimenopause.” 

How to tell if you’ve ovulated 

Ready to keep track of your ovulation? Here’s a guide to the symptoms you can expect post-ovulation, as well as those which might occur after a missed or delayed ovulation.

Symptoms of ovulation:

Ovulation pain

If you find yourself experiencing pain in the middle of your cycle – particularly to the side of your abdomen where the ovaries are located – this could be a sign that ovulation has begun.

This pain occurs because the follicle is ruptured as a mature egg is released, and the muscles of the fallopian tube then contract to push the egg along. All of this can lead to a dull ache or pain.

A change in basal body temperature

Fluctuations in your basal body temperature – aka, the lowest temperature of your body at rest – can be a key indicator that ovulation is about to happen or has already occurred.

Before ovulation, some women experience a slight drop in temperature, followed by a sharp rise in temperature after ovulation occurs.

Experiencing PMS symptoms

The sharp rise and fall of oestrogen and progesterone during the luteal phase (aka, the second stage of the menstrual cycle post-ovulation) can trigger PMS symptoms, so experiencing these symptoms could be a sign that your hormones are responding to an egg being released.

Symptoms of delayed or missed ovulation (anovulation)

Consistent cervical mucus

It’s normal for your cervical mucus to change throughout the menstrual cycle, so if your mucus remains the same throughout the month, then that could be a sign that ovulation isn’t happening.

“Your cervical mucus will usually change to be clear, wet and slippery in consistency just before or during ovulation, so it makes it easier for the sperm to swim towards your egg and potentially fertilise it,” Fogarty-Draper says.

Prolonged, irregular or heavy bleeding

One of the most common symptoms of missed or delayed ovulation is heavy, irregular bleeding, so if your cycle has been a bit off, that could explain why. Technically the period of bleeding which occurs after a missed ovulation isn’t menstruation, as this describes the process by which the lining is shed after an egg isn’t fertilised. When you haven’t got that egg in your uterus, it’s known as anovulatory bleeding.

The imbalance of hormones which typically causes anovulation, particularly low progesterone, can cause the lining of the uterus to become unstable and shed, causing the bleed.

Trouble sleeping

Because progesterone levels rise after ovulation, a failure to ovulate can lead to low levels of progesterone, which may lead to uncomfortable symptoms such as trouble sleeping, hot flushes and headaches. 

How to support ovulatory health 

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It’s normal to experience an anovulatory cycle from time to time, especially during periods of high stress, but if you’re consistently missing ovulation, then that could be a sign of ongoing hormonal issues. In this case, your best bet is to speak to your GP who will be able to talk you through the options available.

Otherwise, because your ovulatory health is linked to hormonal health, try taking the steps you know will support hormonal balance. These include:

  • Not smoking or drinking
  • Avoiding excessive levels of caffeine
  • Exercising regularly (but not going too long or too hard)
  • Eating a nutrient-rich diet
  • Keeping a consistent sleep schedule
  • Managing your stress levels 

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