Ovulation Explained: When It Happens and How to Find Your Fertile Window

Ovulation is the release of a mature egg from the ovary — the single most important event for natural conception. Knowing when it happens, and how to recognise it, helps you find your most fertile days.

What is ovulation?

Each menstrual cycle, one follicle in the ovary matures and releases its egg. The egg then travels into the fallopian tube, where it can be fertilised if sperm are present. If ovulation does not occur, pregnancy cannot happen — which is why regular ovulation is a key marker of fertility.

When does ovulation occur?

Ovulation typically happens about 14 days before your next period — not necessarily on "day 14". In a 28-day cycle that is mid-cycle, but in a 32-day cycle it falls around day 18, and in a 24-day cycle around day 10. This is why the "day 14 rule" misleads many women with longer or shorter cycles.

How long does ovulation last?

The egg itself survives only about 12–24 hours after release. Sperm, however, can live up to five days in the reproductive tract. Together this creates a fertile window of about six days — the five days before ovulation plus ovulation day itself. Intercourse in the one to two days before ovulation offers the highest chance.

How to track ovulation

• Calendar method: count back 14 days from your expected next period — useful for regular cycles.
• Ovulation (LH) test kits: detect the hormone surge that triggers ovulation about 24–36 hours later.
• Basal body temperature: a small rise after ovulation confirms it happened, but only in hindsight.
• Cervical mucus: clear, stretchy, egg-white discharge signals the fertile window.
• Ultrasound follicle tracking: the most reliable method, performed by your doctor.

What does ovulation feel like?

Some women notice one-sided lower-abdominal twinges (mittelschmerz), breast tenderness, or increased libido. Many feel nothing at all — the absence of symptoms does not mean you are not ovulating.

Can you get pregnant outside ovulation?

Conception requires an egg, so fertilisation can only happen around ovulation. But because sperm survive for days, intercourse well before ovulation can still lead to pregnancy — which is why the fertile window matters more than a single day.

When to seek help

If your cycles are irregular or absent, you may not be ovulating regularly — common causes include PCOS and thyroid disorders. If pregnancy has not occurred after a year of trying (six months over 35), a fertility evaluation is recommended.