Signs of Ovulation and How to Track Them (Especially if You're Struggling to Conceive)

April 23, 2025

If you’ve been trying to conceive and feel like your body isn’t giving you any clear signs to work with, you’re not alone. Many women navigating infertility feel disconnected, confused, or even betrayed by their cycles. But the truth is, your body is communicating and ovulation signs are one of its clearest languages.

Ovulation is the main event of your menstrual cycle, and tracking it can give you not just a window into your fertility, but insight into your hormonal health as a whole. Whether you’re trying to conceive naturally or simply want to confirm that ovulation is actually happening, here’s how to start tuning in.

What Is Ovulation and Why Does It Matter?

Ovulation is when your ovary releases an egg, ideally around the middle of your cycle. This egg lives for just 12 to 24 hours, and it’s only during this short window that you can conceive, however, sperm can survive in fertile cervical fluid for up to five days.

So even though the egg is short-lived, your fertile window is actually 4 to 6 days long.

If you’re not ovulating regularly or at all, conception becomes difficult or impossible. Tracking ovulation helps you identify whether ovulation is occurring, when it happens, and whether your body is producing the right hormonal patterns to support it.

Key Signs of Ovulation to Look For

1. Cervical Fluid Changes

Leading up to ovulation, rising oestrogen levels cause your cervix to produce more fertile mucus.

Dry or sticky: low fertility (early cycle)
Creamy or lotion-like: approaching fertility
Egg white (clear, stretchy, slippery): peak fertility
After ovulation, mucus typically dries up due to progesterone.

If you’re not seeing any egg white cervical mucus, it could be a sign that ovulation isn’t happening or oestrogen is too low.

2. Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Shift

BBT is your temperature at rest. Before ovulation, your temps are lower. After ovulation, progesterone causes a rise of 0.3–0.6°C (or ~0.5–1.0°F).

Ovulation is confirmed when you see three consecutive days of higher temperatures. No temperature shift = no ovulation.

3. Ovulation Pain (Mittelschmerz)

Some people feel a sharp, dull, or crampy pain on one side of the lower abdomen around ovulation. It’s caused by the egg bursting from the follicle and can be a helpful confirmation when timed with other signs.

4. Cervix Position Changes

The cervix becomes high, soft, and open around ovulation (versus low, firm, and closed during non-fertile times). This one takes a little practice to feel, but it's a great long-term tracking tool. Please comment below if you'd like me to write more about how to figure out your cervical position.

5. Libido and Energy Surges

Thanks to rising oestrogen and testosterone, you may feel:

More social or flirty
Increased sexual desire
Clearer skin or more confident

This isn’t a myth, it’s your biology setting the scene for conception.

How to Track Ovulation (Without Losing Your Mind)

You don’t need to track everything every day. Choose 2–3 signs that feel doable and commit to them for at least 3 full cycles to learn your pattern.

Here’s a sample low-stress approach:

BBT: Take your temperature each morning before getting out of bed
Cervical fluid: Check when you use the toilet (wipe front to back, observe)
Optional: Note ovulation pain, mood, sleep, or energy levels

Record these in an app, fertility journal, or paper chart. Over time, you’ll start to see your body’s unique rhythm.

What If You're Not Ovulating?

If your chart shows no BBT shift, no egg white fluid, and your cycles are irregular or super long, it may mean:

Anovulatory cycles (no ovulation)
Oestrogen dominance or progesterone deficiency
PCOS, thyroid imbalance, or adrenal fatigue
Post-pill recovery
Nutrient deficiencies (especially zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6)

This is where working with a fertility-literate herbalist can make all the difference. Herbs, food, and lifestyle changes can absolutely support ovulation, but they need to be tailored to your specific needs.

Tracking vs Testing

Ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) measure the Luteinising Hormone surge that happens before ovulation, but they don't confirm that ovulation actually occurred. You can get a positive OPK result and still not ovulate.

That’s why tracking your temperature and cervical fluid is so powerful, it gives you real confirmation that your body followed through.

Final Thoughts

If you’re trying to conceive, understanding your ovulation is everything. You don’t need expensive gadgets or lab tests to start; just a thermometer, some body awareness, and a bit of curiosity.

Tracking ovulation gives you real-time insight into your body’s rhythm, and it can help you spot when things are off before they turn into bigger issues. It also helps you time conception with more precision and less guesswork.

Above all, it’s a way to reconnect with your body, rebuild trust in your cycle, and feel a little less in the dark. That in itself is healing.

Start today, even if it feels messy. Your body has something to say and ovulation is one of the clearest ways it speaks.