The body of a healthy woman of childbearing age is "programmed" for the birth of a child. The starting point in the process of conception is ovulation, due to which mature eggs appear, ready to meet with the sperm. It is important to calculate exactly when the follicle will burst so that this favorable time is not wasted.

It is generally accepted that the period of fertility occurs in the middle of the monthly cycle. However, the timing of this process is very individual. Both late and early ovulation in most cases, it is a natural feature of the woman's body. In addition, this phenomenon may be temporary.

What is early ovulation and why does it occur

The menstrual cycle consists of three phases:

• . This time is necessary for the maturation and growth of the dominant follicle;
• Ovulation time;

The phases of the menstrual cycle always successively replace each other. However, each woman has her own duration.

The average "correct" timing of the onset of the fertile period falls approximately in the middle of the menstrual cycle. So, it falls on the 16th day (fluctuations of 1-2 days are possible). If the maturation and release of the egg occurs earlier than the 14th cyclic day, such fertility is called early.

Women mistakenly believe that pregnancy immediately after menstruation is impossible. However, it is not. Early ovulation can occur as early as day 9 of the cycle. If we take into account that the average duration of menstruation is 5 days (and sometimes 7-8), then in this case the woman becomes fertile after it ends.

The causes of early ovulation are still not fully understood. Often their occurrence cannot be explained by any of the known causes: idiosyncrasy particular female body. However, in most cases, the occurrence of early fertility is due to one of two factors.

Reason 1: short cycle

A significant decrease in the interval between menstruation is associated with reasons of both physiological and psychological order. So, for many women, a cycle of 21-25 days is the norm, and its duration does not change throughout life. They ovulate on the 10th day is normal.

Changes in the time frame can also be observed with a long cycle. Many factors can reduce it:

• Excessive addiction to smoking and drinking alcohol;
• Prolonged stress and depression;
• Chronic fatigue associated with overwork and poor sleep quality;
• Malnutrition, strict diets, lack of vitamins and minerals;
• Disorders in the hormonal system;
• Constant use of potent drugs;
• Inflammatory process;
• Change of climatic conditions;
• Strengthened physical activity;
• Abortion or other surgical intervention;
• postpartum period;
• The onset of menopause;
• Disorders in the work of the ovaries.

Almost always observed early ovulation after the abolition of OK (oral contraceptives). This phenomenon is easily explained. OK - hormonal drugs, therefore, taking and canceling a contraceptive leads to changes in the concentration of hormones in the blood, which is reflected in the work of the ovaries. As a rule, after eliminating the negative factors that caused the shortening of the cycle, its duration is restored.

Reason 2: "double" ovulation

Do not confuse with premature maturation of the follicle. Such an opportunity appears in the female body when the eggs mature in two ovaries at once. In this case, a woman can become pregnant even on the most “safe” days.

Symptoms and diagnosis of early ovulation

The signs of early ovulation are no different from the usual manifestations: some women clearly “feel” its onset, others do not notice at all.

Normally, ovulation occurs in the middle of the cycle.

We list the symptoms by which you can navigate that "Day X" has come:

• Viscous and thick vaginal discharge, resembling the white of an egg;
• Pain of a aching nature in the lower abdomen;
• Sudden mood swings;
• Fatigue, headaches and dizziness;
• Special sensitivity of the mammary glands;
• Increased sex drive.

Determine the onset of ovulation that has begun ahead of schedule, using the calendar method is not possible. For example, the average ovulation with a cycle of 28 days occurs by day 14 (errors of 1-2 days are possible). The timing of the onset of early fertility can vary from 7 to 12 cyclic days.

The process of release of a mature egg can be diagnosed using several methods:

• With the help of special tests;
• Using .

Each technique has a number of pros and cons.

In order to calculate the onset of fertile days using basal temperature, no financial investment is required. It is enough to have a thermometer, a pen and paper on which you need to mark the rectal temperature daily. The method is simple, does not require costs and, subject to the rules of conduct, gives accurate results.

However, its use also has a number of disadvantages:

• Diagnostics is carried out daily for at least six months;
• Measure temperature indicators at the same time early in the morning;
• Any changes in the usual lifestyle or daily routine will affect the reliability of the results.

Ovulation tests show a true result always. According to the principle of action and appearance they do not differ from conventional devices for determining pregnancy. The only difference is that they fix the onset of ovulation, and not conception.

The disadvantage of this method is significant financial investments. After all, you need to use the test daily, starting from the end of menstruation and ending with the day when the strip shows a positive result. To make sure that this period is the norm for a particular woman, it is recommended to carry out diagnostics for 2-3 months.

Ultrasound diagnostics will allow not only to track the moment of ovulation, but also its quality. However, this technique will also require significant financial investments. IN public institutions the procedure is much cheaper than in private clinics, but it is done only according to the doctor's indications.

Can you ovulate immediately after your period?

Ovulation immediately after menstruation is not a myth, but a very real situation. However, it should be noted that this phenomenon is not very common, since it is most often caused by the maturation of eggs in two ovaries at once. In this case, ovulation is possible already on the 7th day of the cycle.

This one happens like this:

• In one ovary, the follicle matures and bursts. If the process of fertilization has not occurred, menstruation begins;
• At the same time, the second ovary “releases” a ready-made follicle, due to which ovulation occurs.

In this case, ovulation after menstruation can occur on any day of the beginning of the cycle. The earliest ovulation was recorded already on the 5th day of the cycle, that is, during the period when the menstruation had not yet ended.

At any time cyclic period, women should remember that preventing unwanted pregnancy by the calendar method is unreliable, because a fertilized egg may be ready to meet with a sperm cell already on the seventh day from the onset of menstruation. The onset of ovulation on the 8th day of the cycle is the norm in women with a very short cycle.

Early ovulation and conception

The onset of ovulation on the 10th day of the cycle is no different from this process on the 16th day. During the period of premature release of the follicle, you can become pregnant without medical intervention if the woman has a full-fledged mature egg that has met with active spermatozoa.

Pregnancy with early ovulation will occur in a woman under two conditions:

• Active intimate life of a couple. Since spermatozoa are active in the uterine cavity for up to a week, their entry into the body directly on the day the egg is released is not necessary;
• The absence of inflammation, hormonal imbalance and other deviations from the natural functioning of the reproductive system.

This means that early ovulation and pregnancy are not mutually exclusive concepts. In this case, the only problem is that it is difficult to calculate the onset of fertile days. Therefore, a complication in the premature exit of the follicle is an unwanted pregnancy or lack of a planned one.

Is treatment needed

The onset of premature ovulation can be both episodic and permanent. This phenomenon does not depend on the duration of the cycle, so every woman can face it. It is impossible to influence the timing of fertility on your own. You can change them with medications, if necessary.

The fact is that the early release of the egg does not pose a threat to the health of the woman. If the condition of her reproductive system is in order, and hormonal background not disturbed, no treatment is required.

However, the situation is completely different if the violation of the ovulatory period was facilitated by pathological causes. They can be recognized only with the help of specialists who, after a detailed examination, will identify the causes and possible consequences such violations.

Most often, the “culprits” of early fertility are hormonal changes. They are regulated by drugs containing missing hormones or suppressing their excess. The treatment process provides for mandatory clinical monitoring of changing hormonal levels.

During therapy, it is important to adhere to healthy lifestyle life, eat well and sleep well. Under these conditions, early ovulation will certainly end in a long-awaited pregnancy.

Normally, the egg is released from the ovary in the middle of the menstrual cycle. If this occurs prematurely, early ovulation is observed.

What does this term mean

It is believed that with a 28-day cycle, the release of a mature germ cell develops on the 14th day. This is what happens to most women. However, in some cases, ovulation with a 28-day cycle may occur on the 12th day or even earlier.

Women with this form of cycle disorder have a short follicular phase. This is the time from the beginning of menstruation to the release of the egg from the ovary. Usually its duration is 12-16 days. During this phase, the egg is protected by the follicle, where it grows and matures.

If the duration of the follicular phase is less than 12 days, early ovulation occurs, and pregnancy in this case is less likely. The egg in this situation is not fully mature and not ready for fertilization.

Can this condition occur normally?

This can happen to any woman. But the constant premature rupture of the follicle can be the cause of infertility.

On what day of the cycle does early ovulation occur?

It occurs before the 12th day after the onset of menstruation. In the period of 12-16 days, the egg is ready for fertilization with a cycle of 25 days.

Why is this happening

The main causes of early ovulation:

• time before the onset;
• short follicular phase;
• smoking, alcohol and caffeine abuse;
• stress;
• sudden weight loss or sudden weight gain;
• early ovulation may occur after the abolition of OK (oral contraceptives);
• sexually transmitted diseases;
• abrupt change in normal daily activities;
• irregular menstrual cycle caused by gynecological hormonal diseases.

Any hormonal imbalance can disrupt the length and staging of the menstrual cycle. The maturation of the egg in the ovarian follicle is stimulated by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and its release is associated with the action of luteinizing hormone (LH). Both of these substances are produced in the pituitary gland under the control of the hypothalamus. A change in the level of these hormones leads to a violation of the ovulatory mechanism.

The premature onset of the ovulatory phase is associated with high level FSH.

A decrease in ovarian activity inevitably occurs with age. At birth, a girl has about 2 million eggs. During each menstrual cycle, hundreds of them die, and only one matures. The exception is hyperovulation, when more than one egg matures in one cycle.

By the age of 30, a woman has lost more than 90% of all eggs. As menopause approaches, the pituitary feedback begins to secrete more and more FSH to compensate for the lack of ovulating follicles. This leads to menstrual irregularities.

The consequences of constant early ovulation are the release of immature eggs and infertility.

According to studies, smoking causes disruption of the ovulatory cycle and affects female fertility. When a woman smokes more than 20 cigarettes a day, the full maturation of the egg is almost impossible for a woman. The same can be said about the effects of alcohol and caffeine.

Signs and symptoms

To determine the premature appearance of an egg, it is necessary to track the cycle for at least 3 months. With a 28-day cycle, ovulation should be expected on the 12-16th day, with a 30-day cycle - on the 13th - 17th day.

If a woman begins to feel the following symptoms shortly after menstruation, most likely, she has come into the ovulatory phase earlier than usual:

• increased viscosity of cervical mucus;
• soreness of the mammary glands;
• increased sexual desire;
• aching pain in the abdomen.

Signs of premature egg release can be tracked by determining the level of LH in the urine using.

How else can you determine early ovulation?

Questions about pregnancy with this condition

Is it possible to get pregnant with early ovulation?

Yes, it is possible, but the probability of such an event is less than normal. With a premature ovulatory process, an immature egg is released from the follicle. It may not be fertilized or not develop further. Such an egg is hardly implanted in the wall of the uterus, so even the onset of pregnancy is interrupted at an early stage.

Early onset of ovulation is a sign of a decrease in the reserve capacity of the ovaries. The lower they are due to the woman’s age or illness, the earlier she releases the egg from the follicle.

An ovulation test performed early in pregnancy can instead determine the amount of hCG (these hormones have a similar chemical structure) instead of LH levels, and thus give false information about premature rupture of the follicle and the absence of pregnancy.

Another obstacle to pregnancy, for example, with a long cycle: a woman expects ovulation in the middle of the cycle, and the release of a mature egg has already occurred a long time ago, and all attempts to get pregnant are unsuccessful.

Can there be a cycle failure after an abortion?

Yes, this happens quite often. You need to wait at least one full cycle after that, so that the ovulatory function is restored.

In some women, after a miscarriage, ovulation consistently occurs earlier than usual, leading to infertility. The reason for this may be stress or hormonal imbalance. In this case, you must consult a doctor.

Treatment

Most infertility problems in women are caused by ovulation disorders. Therefore, before starting treatment, you need to consult a doctor and check the hormonal background.

First of all, it is recommended to reduce the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and smoking. In addition, it is better to sleep in complete darkness. This helps to restore the FSH level responsible for the first phase of the cycle. In this way, the normal cycle is regulated and fixed, which facilitates the conception and implantation of the embryo.

Other measures to restore reproductive function:

• a complete fortified diet;
• auto-training techniques to cope with stress;
• sleep at least 7 hours a day;
• hardening, physical activity in the fresh air.

Drug treatment includes the appointment of drugs that stimulate the maturation of the egg and its timely release - FSH and LH (Cetrotide). They are administered subcutaneously from the first days of the cycle until the period of normal ovulation. Self-administration of such funds is strictly prohibited.

To normalize ovulation, glucocorticoids are often prescribed, mainly against the background of hyperandrogenism. It is not recommended to suddenly stop taking them. In this case, early ovulation may occur due to Metipred, Prednisolone or other glucocorticoid drugs. Their cancellation is carried out only by a doctor according to a certain scheme.

If a woman constantly ovulates early on the 8th day of her cycle or a little later, she needs to see a doctor. This is especially important with a short menstrual cycle - 24 days, since the ability to conceive in this case is sharply reduced.

Sometimes, to restore hormonal levels, for example, when women take various dietary supplements. Their effect on hormone levels is unknown. Therefore, it cannot be said whether there can be early ovulation from Ovariamin or some similar means.

Self-restoration of timely ovulation is a complex process, which is difficult to influence only on your own. Therefore, all recommendations for treatment come down to general health promotion, restoration of the functions of the neurohumoral system. This should cause the restoration of hormonal levels in a physically healthy woman.

The use of progestogens (Duphaston) is aimed at maintaining an already formed pregnancy, that is, at stabilizing the second phase of the cycle. Progestogens do not affect the first half of this period and cannot cause early ovulation. The same applies to the popular drug Utrozhestan.

The use of Cetrotidne to prevent early ovulation

This process is most dangerous for women who plan to use assisted reproductive technologies. Indeed, with early ovulation, the eggs may be immature, which means that their suitability for artificial insemination may decrease.

Cetrotide blocks the action of the gonadotropin-releasing factor, secreted by the hypothalamus and stimulating the production of FSH. Thus, through a chain of chemical reactions, the early release of FSH, which is responsible for the premature release of the egg, stops. During ovarian stimulation, which serves as an indispensable link in preparation for, early ovulation is a frequent occurrence. For its prevention, this drug is used.

Gonadotropin releasing hormone stimulates the release of LH and FSH from pituitary cells under the influence of estradiol, the content of which increases towards the middle of the cycle. As a result, a surge in LH levels is formed, which causes normal ovulation of the dominant follicle.

The drug is administered subcutaneously. There may be short-term soreness or redness at the injection site. Other side effects include nausea and headache. It can not be used during pregnancy, with renal and hepatic insufficiency, in postmenopausal women. The drug is dosed individually and is prescribed only by an experienced doctor in the center of assisted reproductive technologies. Independent use of such hormonal agents can cause a serious failure at the level of the hypothalamic-pituitary system.

Ovulation- This is the physiological process of the release of a mature egg from the follicle shell into the area of ​​​​the fallopian tube.

Follicle is the sac in the ovary that contains the egg. At the beginning of the cycle, several maturing follicles, approximately the same size, are almost always normally released in the ovary. Then, after a few days, one of the follicles becomes dominant - it begins to grow faster than the others. Its size increases gradually from 1 mm to 20 mm. When the follicle reaches its maximum size, an egg is released from it, that is, ovulation occurs.

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The concept of ovulation is closely related to the female menstrual cycle. The beginning and end of the cycle are counted from ovulation, taking into account that ovulation itself occurs in the middle of the cycle (normally 14 days before the start of menstruation).

The egg matures and is released in each woman about 14 days (plus or minus 2 days) before the start of the next period. And on what day it will be from the date of the beginning of the last menstruation, it depends on the length of the cycle of a particular woman.

Ovulation starts at female body almost from the beginning of the period of puberty, usually in adolescence, from 12-13 years. Ovulation stops with the onset of menopause.

How does ovulation happen?

Relatively recently, scientists for the first time captured the moment of ovulation on video using modern equipment during an operation for IVF. Previously, it was a complete mystery, and one could only guess about what was happening in the female body.

It turns out that the process of ovulation lasts only about 15 minutes. A hole is formed on the wall of the follicle, from which the cell emerges. By the way, the egg is the largest cell in the human body.

The photo shows how surgical instruments support the follicle, the arrow points to the emerging egg.

The egg, leaving the ovary, is picked up by the villi of the fallopian tube, and they direct it towards the uterus and towards the spermatozoa. The egg cell waits for a meeting with them only 24 hours, and if not a single spermatozoon has reached it, it dies.

If during these 24 hours the fusion of the spermatozoon with the egg cell occurred, we can say that conception has occurred. As you can see, the moment of ovulation and conception are somewhat different in time.

When does ovulation occur?

In women who do not have chronic inflammatory diseases of the ovaries and other organs of the reproductive system, on average, once a month, an egg is released from one ovary into the uterine cavity. In rare cases, ovulation occurs twice in one cycle, from both ovaries with a difference of several days. This is how multiple pregnancies happen, in which babies of different sexes.

Do you ovulate every month?

Girls are born with a certain supply of eggs, which are consumed with each ovulation. At birth, the reserve is about 400 thousand eggs. When their number comes to an end, menopause occurs.

On average, ovulation occurs monthly, in every menstrual cycle. Sometimes it happens that out of 12 cycles in a year, one or 2 will be anovulatory, that is, without ovulation. This is normal and cannot be treated. This process has nothing to do with age. In women with a healthy reproductive system, the release of the egg from the follicle occurs every month and in most cases without much disruption. But with age, the number of eggs becomes less and less, and over the age of 45, ovulation can occur with a break of 2-3 months.

What day to expect ovulation?

It is believed that on average ovulation occurs on the 12th-15th day of the menstrual cycle. To set the date as accurately as possible, it is necessary to maintain a special calendar. This is an approximate method, because there is some difficulty in calculating ovulation with the calendar method. If you have a 28 day cycle, you will ovulate around day 14 of your cycle. If you have a cycle of 32 days - on the 18th day of the cycle, and so on.

But if a woman has an irregular cycle, then its length changes every time, for example, from 30 to 40 days, and it is no longer possible to calculate ovulation in this way.

Sometimes, the basal temperature method is used to calculate the onset of ovulation. In the absence of inflammatory processes, it should be stable daily, and before ovulation, under the action of the hormone estrogen, it decreases by 0.1 or 0.2 degrees. This suggests that the egg is already formed and ready to leave the follicle. Then the temperature rises sharply and stays within 37.0 - 37.3 ° until the next menstruation. It is this temperature dip that indicates the onset of ovulation.

Signs of ovulation

Many women feel the approach of ovulation for certain signs that are associated with changes in hormonal levels. These include:

• Pain in one side of the abdomen(associated with stretching of the ovarian capsule before ovulation and rupture of the capsule during ovulation). Pain can be of different intensity, but mostly pulling, sometimes given to the lower back. After ovulation, the pain completely disappears. If the pain in the middle of the cycle is very severe and radiates to the rectum, then this may be a symptom of ovarian apoplexy, and such a condition requires medical intervention.
• Change in the nature of the discharge. In the first half of the cycle, whites are practically absent, but towards the middle of the cycle they begin to appear. A feature is that the discharge during ovulation becomes abundant and viscous. At the same time, in a healthy woman, they are completely transparent. During the examination, the gynecologist can assume the day of ovulation, as he sees the “pupil symptom” - the accumulation of mucus in the cervical canal.
• Increasing sex drive. This is a natural reaction, as the body adjusts to pregnancy. A woman on a subconscious level becomes more attractive to men.

How to determine ovulation?

In order to get the most accurate information about the movement of the egg through the fallopian tubes, you should, of course, contact a gynecologist. It has all the necessary medical equipment that allows you to fully examine all the female reproductive organs. It is also possible to determine this process at home, but for this you will need to apply the following methods:

• use the above basal temperature measurement, the deviation of which is even half a degree, indicates that there is a healthy egg inside the uterus, waiting in the wings;
• buy at the pharmacy ovulation test, which works exactly on the same principle as the strips for determining pregnancy. With a positive test result, ovulation will begin in 16 - 26 hours;
• regularly count 14 days from the last date of menstruation, after which the probability of ovulation is extremely high;
• listen to the signs of your body, because in 85% of women during the movement of the egg into the uterine cavity, the hormonal background rises sharply, pulling pains appear in one of the ovaries and sexual attraction to the opposite sex increases (if you mark such days monthly, you can eventually trace the pattern that such a condition organism falls on the same dates, which are essentially the days of ovulation).
• Ultrasound allows you to visually assess the processes occurring in the ovaries. This method is used quite often in order to identify signs of ovulation. It's called folliculometry.
• Microscopic examination of saliva to determine ovulation. The changes that occur during ovulation affect the entire body. The microscopic method is based on the detection of the "fern" pattern in the study of saliva. You can also use the discharge during ovulation, which by this time becomes more viscous and thick.

Having this information, a woman, having spent a small amount of time, will be able to independently determine the cycle of passage of a mature egg and plan a long-awaited pregnancy, or avoid an unwanted conception.