It is the phase in a woman’s menstrual cycle when an unfertilized egg is released from the ovary and travels through the fallopian tubes and into the uterus. This is the stage of the menstrual cycle during which pregnancy can occur if the released egg is fertilized by sperm.
If you want to control pregnancy without using protection during sex, you have to be able to calculate your ovulation period.
Count the number of days from the first day of your period to the day before your next period to determine the length of your cycle. Then subtract that number by 14 to determine what day after your period you will ovulate. If your average menstrual cycle is 30 days, you will ovulate 16 days after your period starts (30-14=16).
- Calculate Menstrual Cycle
Make a note of when your next period starts. This is the first day of your cycle. Then, make note of when your period comes again in the following month. This is the beginning of the next cycle. When you count the days in between, this gives you the length of your cycle.
You might want to do this for more than one month, as menstrual cycles can vary in length from month to month. This will also help you determine if you have an irregular cycle, in which you may skip periods for a month or more at a time. An irregular cycle will make predicting ovulation more difficult.
- Calculate When Ovulation Starts
If you have a 30-day cycle, then ovulation will occur approximately on day 16 of your cycle.
Ovulation occurs 10-14 days before your next period, so you will get an approximate ovulation date by subtracting 14 from the number of days in your cycle (eg. 30 days minus 14 = 16). This means that ovulation will occur 16 days after your period starts.
