How to Calculate Your Ovulation?

September 09, 2024 Imane Harmonie

How to Track Your Cycle and Identify Ovulation?

Since you stopped using contraception, have your cycles been as regular as your gym sessions? Or have they always been chaotic, and you’re finally looking for a reliable way to spot your ovulation? Don’t worry, you’re in the right place! Nowadays, there are several methods to track ovulation, but not all are equally reliable; some are highly accurate, while others, not so much. Today, we’re going to sort through these different methods to help you understand your options and make an informed choice.

Cycle Prediction Apps

Cycle prediction apps are probably one of the most commonly used ways to track cycles and detect ovulation... but often for the wrong reasons! These apps rely on the so-called "calendar method," also known as the "Ogino method" or "fixed days method."

Occasional Cycle Disruptions

Here’s the main issue: the menstrual cycle is anything but fixed. In other words, this method can only be used by women with (very) regular cycles. However, cycles can be influenced by many factors like diet, physical activity, stress, and sleep. Even if your periods have always been on time, you're not immune to an unexpected disruption. Yes, your cycle can be regular for years and then suddenly change due to a nutritional deficiency or emotional shock, because we are living beings, not pre-programmed robots.

A Fluctuating Ovulation Date

Even with regular cycles that fall within the normal range (between 22 and 35 days), you could have a 30-day cycle with ovulation on day 20, while someone else might also have a 30-day cycle but ovulates on day 14. These are two totally plausible scenarios with very different timings. So, how could an app detect these variations and give an accurate interpretation of the cycle? It simply can’t—because, as far as we know, it’s not Bluetooth-connected to your ovaries (though that would be incredibly handy).

In short, a menstrual cycle is something dynamic, and ovulation is highly unpredictable. Using a cycle prediction app may not only be ineffective, but it could also cause more confusion than help. So, be cautious!

Ovulation Tests to Detect Your Ovulation

Ovulation tests are more reliable than cycle prediction apps because they track what is actually happening in your body day by day. However, they have their limitations too! These tests have several contraindications, such as:

Recent discontinuation of birth control
Hypothyroidism
PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

This is due to the hormonal state of the person, which may skew the test results. It’s unfortunate because it’s precisely when we have hormonal imbalances that we struggle most to detect ovulation—and that's when tools like these would be most helpful.

Positive Ovulation Test Without Ovulation

It's important to understand that a positive ovulation test doesn’t necessarily mean ovulation is occurring. Unfortunately, it’s a bit more complex than that, because an ovulation test only reflects a surge in LH (luteinizing hormone, which triggers ovulation) in your body. But it doesn’t confirm that ovulation has actually happened. So, it’s entirely possible to have a positive test, but ovulation doesn’t follow through, for any reason, and the body fails to complete the ovulation process (known as an anovulatory cycle). This leaves you unaware, thinking you’ve ovulated, when in fact, nothing happened. Of course, this doesn’t happen every time, but it can occur more often than we realize, especially in cases of hormonal imbalance, where the body isn’t in an ideal condition to complete ovulation.

Let’s be honest—doing ovulation tests daily, sometimes multiple times a day over several weeks (especially in long cycles) can quickly become tedious and mentally exhausting.

In the end, while ovulation tests are more reliable than cycle prediction apps, they’re best suited for people with well-balanced hormone cycles—ironically, those who need them the least. Let’s continue exploring the most reliable methods to detect ovulation because things are about to get interesting.

Cervical Mucus to Detect Ovulation Cervical mucus can be a much more useful tool for identifying your fertile period and, with a bit of luck, your ovulation! The key advantage is that it has no contraindications—yes, regardless of your hormonal state, your body will always secrete cervical mucus. Moreover, it’s almost like a live indicator of the ovulation process, directly connected to your ovaries 😉. In simple terms, as you progress through your cycle, the texture of your cervical mucus changes. Here’s what you can observe:

Non-fertile cervical mucus, with a "hummus-like" texture, which leaves a dry sensation at the vulva.
Fertile cervical mucus, with a "yogurt-like" texture, which leaves a moist sensation.
Very fertile cervical mucus, with a "raw egg white-like" texture, leaving a very wet feeling.

In 80% of cases, ovulation occurs after the appearance of the "raw egg white" mucus, which is followed by three days of lower-quality mucus (yogurt or hummus-like) or no mucus at all! It just goes to show—there's nothing better than listening to the signals your own body sends you, right?

That said, observing cervical mucus is not perfect and shares a similar downside with ovulation tests

While it does help determine when the fertility window opens due to changes in its appearance and texture, it cannot confirm whether ovulation has actually occurred. For example, you might experience fertile mucus that comes and goes for several days or even weeks, especially if you have a hormonal imbalance (like PCOS). This is why combining mucus observation with basal body temperature tracking can be very helpful, which we will discuss next.

Basal Body Temperature or Symptothermal Method to Detect Ovulation

Finally, we arrive at the most interesting method for pinpointing the day of ovulation. In fact, it’s the only way to accurately know when it has occurred! Unlike ovulation tests or cervical mucus, temperature doesn’t indicate the start of the fertile window or the progress of the ovulation process. However, it can confirm with precision, after the fact, whether ovulation has happened and when. This information is invaluable if you suffer from hormonal imbalances. For example, finding the exact day of ovulation when you have PCOS and very long cycles can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack! As with cervical mucus, tracking your basal body temperature has no contraindications—all you need is a thermometer and ovaries!

As I mentioned earlier, if you want a comprehensive approach, combining cervical mucus observation (which tells you ovulation is approaching) and basal temperature tracking (which confirms ovulation has passed) is highly beneficial. These methods provide distinct but completely complementary information. Using both together is known as the symptothermal method, which is widely used both for conception, to increase the chances of pregnancy, and as a natural contraceptive to avoid hormonal treatments that can often do more harm than good.

Conclusion

Cycle prediction apps based on the calendar method should be avoided since they rely on an algorithm rather than real data from your body. If you have hormonal imbalances, their predictions are likely to be inaccurate.
Ovulation tests can be useful for getting a rough idea of ovulation, but they cannot confirm that it has occurred. Be cautious when using them if you’ve recently stopped birth control or have thyroid issues, PCOS, or other hormonal imbalances.
Observing cervical mucus is more accurate than ovulation tests because its texture changes throughout the cycle, reflecting the ongoing ovulation process. However, it still does not confirm ovulation has occurred and has no contraindications.
Basal body temperature tracking won’t indicate the approach of ovulation but will confirm precisely if and when ovulation has happened. Like mucus observation, it has no contraindications, and combining both methods provides a reliable and complete cycle tracking method (symptothermal method).

My Recommendations

Since every problem has a solution, here are some supplements I recommend to:

Improve hormonal balance and boost ovulation:
- For general hormonal balance: Luminaissance
- To manage stress better: Magnésia

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