What Does Ovulation Feel Like?

Ovulation occurs when an egg is released from a follicle in a woman’s ovary. This typically takes place about halfway through a woman’s menstrual cycle. Some symptoms of ovulation include cramping, pain on one side, spotting, breast tenderness, increased vaginal discharge, and bloating.

During the first half of a woman’s cycle, several follicles will begin to grow but only one will become the dominant follicle and release an egg during ovulation. Some women will notice pain or cramping as the follicles grow and mature. Women may also notice mild cramping on one side when they are ovulating, known as mittelschmerz. Some describe mittelschmertz as a pinching type pain while others describe it as feeling more like menstrual cramps. Each cycle an egg is released from a different ovary so the pain may occur on one side one month and the other side the next month. Most women do not ovulate from the same side every month, but ovulation doesn’t necessarily rotate from one side to the other each month.

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Some women also notice mild spotting around ovulation. Ovulation spotting is not common but if you experience it, it is a sign of high fertility. There are a couple of thoughts as to why this occurs. Some people believe that when the egg ruptures through the follicle this causes mild spotting. This may be why some women notice brown spotting, which is usually considered a sign of old left over blood, right after they ovulate.

This type of bleeding could also be caused by hormonal changes that take place around ovulation. As follicles grow and develop they produce estrogen. When estrogen levels reach a certain point, it triggers another hormone, LH (luteinizing hormone), to be released. LH is what tells your body it is time to release an egg. Estrogen rises sharply just before ovulation and it is thought that this rise in estrogen may cause light spotting.

Even if you know what ovulation feels like, it is hard to know for sure when you are ovulating based on symptoms alone. Women can have pain or cramping before, during, and after ovulation. Noticing mid-cycle cramping doesn’t necessarily mean that you are ovulating on the day the pain occurs. Cramping can be caused from the follicles growing inside your ovaries before ovulation. When the egg is released it can cause mild pain or aching. Then, once the egg is released, it is moved through the fallopian tube by way of rhythmic contractions. These contractions can also cause mild pain or cramping.

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Cramping, bloating, and an increase in vaginal discharge are three big signs of ovulation. They won’t tell you the exact time that ovulation occurs. However, even if you don’t know the exact date of ovulation, knowing the signs and symptoms can be helpful when trying to time intercourse to get pregnant.