Common Myths And Misconceptions About Ovulation

If you are trying to get pregnant or trying to avoid getting pregnant, understanding when you ovulate is an essential factor. However, if you are like many women, chances are that you don't know precisely when you are ovulating, or you may assume that you exclusively ovulate when you are pregnant, which is not the case. Here are a few more common myths and misconceptions about ovulation.

You Can Only Get Pregnant While You Are Ovulating

One of the biggest misconceptions about ovulation is that you can only get pregnant while you are ovulating. For most women, after the egg is released, it will perish if it does not become fertilized within a few hours. However, be aware that if you have intercourse several days before you ovulate, it is possible for sperm to live in the fallopian tubes for several hours or days.

This means that if you have intercourse a couple of days before you ovulate, and then you ovulate, you can get pregnant. If you are not trying to get pregnant and you are tracking your ovulation to avoid getting pregnant, it is still important to always use some birth control.

If You Are Having Regular Periods, You Are Always Ovulating

If your period has always been regular, you might assume that just because you menstruate regularly, you must also ovulate regularly. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and some conditions can interrupt a woman's ovulation or make them not ovulate at all. For example, a woman who has primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) might not ovulate every time they mensurate.

Additionally, as women become older, they will not ovulate as often because there are simply not as many eggs in their ovaries.

A Slightly Elevated Temperature Means You Are Ovulating

The signs of ovulation can be very different in different women; for example, some women will experience an elevated body temperature when ovulating while others won't. Here are some of the other signs a woman is ovulating:

• Improved sense of smell
• Breast tenderness
• Changes in a woman's libido
• Slight abdominal cramping or discomfort
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Changes in vaginal discharge

If you notice these changes a few days after your period, contact your doctor immediately. Your doctor can help you track your ovulation, which is a critical step in your journey to have a baby.

When it comes to ovulating, there are several potentially dangerous and confusing myths and misconceptions that you should not believe. To learn more about ovulation, contact an obstetrician in your area.