How Many Days Before Your Period Do You Ovulate?

Dr. Dunn A. (M.B.B.S) - Written or Reviewed on March 15th, 2017 in Pregnancy, Women Fertility, Women Health

Last updated on July 27th, 2018 at 05:22 pm

Question: How many days before your period do you ovulate?

If you’d like to detect when ovulation occurs before your period, you must learn your menstrual cycle, its length and factors that can affect your period.

Menstrual cycle, What does it mean?

By 16 years most women start having period. Menstrual cycle, commonly called monthly cycle, is the number of days between two periods. While it may fluctuate some calendar months, 21 to 35 days cycle is normal.

If your preceding period began on the 24th of June and your following period starts on 23rd of July, it implies that your menstrual cycle is roughly 30 days.

To estimate your cycle length, record when your period starts each month. The days between your periods is your menstrual cycle length.

What is ovulation?

Ovulation is the cyclical or monthly release of one or more ova from most matured follicles in your ovaries. Somewhere between your menstrual cycle, ovulation takes place on day 14 to day 16 before next period.

Recognizing ovulation symptoms and signs is key to detect when it occurs before period.

What causes ovulation to occur?

The menstrual cycle commences the 1st day your period starts. During this time, hormones secreted by the pituitary gland (follicle stimulating hormone) stimulates ovarian follicle to increase in size.

As these follicles grows, they begin to secrete female hormone —estrogen, which helps to

Thicken the endometrium previously washed out as period
Stimulate the pituitary gland to trigger LH (luteinizing hormone) surge

LH surge occurs 36 hours before ovarian egg is released during ovulation. If you are able to discover LH surge you can easily predict your ovulation date before next period.

Ovulating kits and fertility monitors can help women who find it too difficult to know when ovulation occurs.

How can i detect ovulation before period?

There are different ways your body tells when ovulation has occurred or will occur soon.

Vagina mucus

Vaginal discharge can give a clue of when ovulation is about to occur. During period cycle, discharge down there can vary in thickness and volume. After your period stops, discharge in women is thick or creamy white discharge that occurs 5 to 6 days after period ends.

Towards ovulation, vaginal discharge becomes increasingly watery, slippery, egg-white and stretchy. On the day egg is released into the Fallopian tube (ovulation), discharge become even more watery.

Checking for your vaginal mucus during ovulation is easy. Wash you hands properly to prevent introducing infections and dip 2 fingers into your vaginal to get your mucus. During ovulation, discharge can be so stretchy that it hardly breaks.

This type of discharge (ovulation discharge) occurs just before ovulation and on the day ovulation occurs. If you can detect this slippery and stretchy discharge before your period, you can get pregnant or prevent pregnancy.

After ovulation has occurred, your vaginal discharge gets sticky and thick as you get closer to your next period.

Basal body temperature (BBT)

Basal body temperatures, which means your temperature before any activity in the morning, is a straight forward way to detect ovulation before period. It is best carried out following 6 hours of rest and while you’re still lying down in the morning.

How can i check my basal temperature?

Buy a good sensitive thermometer that can identify minimal change in temperature
Have a good night rest
While still lying down each morning, check your temperature
Record your basal temperature every morning for months

So when does ovulation occurs?

Basal body temperature can detect

When ovulation will occur
After ovulation has occurred
If you are pregnant
When your next period is close

⇒ To know when ovulation will occur before period, you need to monitor your basal temperature for a slight dip 2 weeks before your next period.

⇒ After ovulation, BBT rises due to effect of hormones

⇒ Just before your period will start, your basal temperature will fall again.

⇒ In early pregnancy before you miss your period, basal body temperature will be not still be high.

Ovulation predictor kits and monitors

Over the counter kits that test for ovulation detects LH surge which occurs hours to days before ovulation. Fertility monitors can detect your most fertile days in your menstrual cycle.

Other ways you can know when ovulation will occur are

Ovulation cramps or pain 2 weeks before your period
Increased urge for intercourse
Low cervix before period
High cervix after ovulation
Breast swelling and pain days after ovulation
Ovulation or brown discharge that occurs 2 weeks before your next period
Change in smell and taste