Can discharge be a sign of imminent ovulation? | How does the discharge change during ovulation?

Can discharge be a sign of imminent ovulation?

With regular observation of the outflow, together with the measurement of the basal body temperature, ovulation can be determined relatively accurately. The consistency of the outflow must be taken into account and not only whether there is an outflow or not. An outflow can occur at any time of the female cycle, except during the menstrual period.

This is usually weak shortly after and shortly before the period. Therefore, the consistency of the discharge must also be observed to determine when ovulation occurs. This method can also be used for contraception and is called the Billings method.

Symptoms accompanying ovulation

The surest symptoms that indicate ovulation are temperature changes and changes in discharge. Seen in combination, this allows a relatively accurate estimation of ovulation. All other symptoms may occur, but they differ too much from woman to woman to be able to conclude with certainty that ovulation has occurred.

These include, for example, moderate pain, chest pain or ovulation bleeding. In addition, there are studies which indicate that women’s behaviour changes at the time of ovulation. However, up to now there are no confirmatory studies which can prove this effect.

A pulling in the abdomen at the time of ovulation can be perceived as moderate pain. The pain is caused by the bursting of the egg follicle in the ovary. However, the pain is usually of very low intensity and is only perceived by about one third of all women.

The pain is described as pulling or cramping. They are located in the area of the ovary, i.e. on the right or left side of the lower abdomen. During the course of the female cycle, changes in basal body temperature can be observed.

Typically, the temperature drops shortly before ovulation and then rises by about 0.2 to 0.5 degrees Celsius on the day of ovulation. The temperature changes seem subtle, but they can still be detected by regular measurement. For this purpose, the temperature is measured every morning before getting up. The measurement works best in the mouth.Measurements on the forehead or in the armpit are usually not reliable enough. It is important that measurements are always taken at the same place and with the same thermometer to exclude measurement errors.