What fertility signs are you likely to display?

When a woman ovulates, hormonal changes in her body can cause a range of symptoms. If a woman is aware of these changes she can tell when she is at her most fertile and therefore most likely to conceive. Ovulation calculators and ovulation calendars will of course pin point very accurately when ovulation takes place, but recognising the signs of fertility could mean doing away with complicated methods for predicting ovulation. So what are the signs to look out for? Cervical mucus The cervical mucus a woman produces is usually sticky or thick which essentially traps sperm or makes it tough for sperm to reach the egg. When a woman ovulates the consistency of the cervical fluid changes and becomes thin, stretchy and looks like egg-white. This more fluid consistency is ideal for transporting the male sperm to meet the egg. This EWCM (egg-white cervical mucus) may be evident in a woman’s underwear. Feeling wetter As well as changing in consistency a woman’s cervical mucus also becomes more abundant. So when she is fertile she may notice feeling wetter and her vagina will feel more lubricated and not just during intercourse. Tender breasts Immediately after ovulation a woman’s progesterone levels go up. If a woman keeps an ovulation calendar, she will see that this hormonal change causes her temperature to rise slightly. One effect of this rise in progesterone is that breasts can feel more tender. So breast tenderness - and not because of a due period – is a possible sign a women is ovulating or has ovulated recently. A High, Soft and Open cervix The position of a woman’s cervix is a fertility indicator. After a menstrual period, the cervix feels low, hard, and closed. As ovulation approaches, it moves higher up and feel s soft and mushy and more open. You can manually check your cervix by reaching up inside your vagina with one or two clean fingers. Feel for a lump that has a little opening. Getting familiar with the feel of your cervix will enable you to recognise when you are fertile without the need of an ovulation calculator. Feeling sexy Some women notice they feel more ready for sex around ovulation. This is again connected to a surge in hormones. Cramping One in five women notice some pain during ovulation. This pain, called mittelschmerz, occurs around the middle of a woman’s cycle and is most likely caused by the egg breaking through the follicle during ovulation. Some women experience a little blood loss, or spotting, as well. A one-sided pain may also be experienced as the fallopian tube contracts to help the egg move down the fallopian tube into the uterus. Bloating and nausea Some women say they feel more bloated or nauseous around ovulation. Hormones are again likely to be the blame. Headache If a woman gets headaches or migraines around menstruation, there’s a good chance she will also notice headaches around ovulation.