Introduction
Ovulation is part of the female menstrual cycle. It has a length of approximately 25 to 35 days. Ovulation is the ejection of an egg from the ovary.
The egg then passes into the fallopian tube and travels towards the uterus. This is where the egg can be fertilised when it meets a sperm cell. Ovulation is triggered by hormones (estrogens, progesterone, FSH, LH), the composition of which changes during the cycle. The woman’s fertile days are around the time of ovulation, so it can be helpful to determine the time of ovulation both for contraception and for the desire to have children. However, since the survival time of the released egg cell is only about 24 hours, the time of ovulation must be determined quite accurately.
When does ovulation take place?
The time of ovulation can vary slightly depending on the exact length of the woman’s cycle. With a regular menstrual cycle of 28 days, ovulation takes place on day 14. The counting of days begins on the first day of menstruation.
If a woman’s cycle lasts longer than 28 days, ovulation is later, if it is shorter, ovulation is earlier. In general, a cycle of 25 to 35 days is considered normal. However, it can be said that the more regular the cycle is, the greater the chance that ovulation will also occur regularly.
In this case, the fertile days can be determined correctly with a higher probability than with an irregular cycle. Girls ovulate for the first time before the first menstrual bleeding occurs. The first menstrual bleeding is also called menarche and usually occurs between the ages of 12 and 14.
However, as menstrual bleeding is very irregular, especially at the beginning, ovulation can occur long before the first real bleeding occurs. Often the first bleeding is overlooked because it is only noticeable in the form of a brown discharge. A pregnancy can therefore occur without the first menstrual bleeding.
