What is ovulation?
Ovulation is your body’s way of saying, “Alright, let’s give this another shot!” Every month (more or less), one of your ovaries preps tiny eggs, gets it all ready, and then—boom—it’s released, heading down the fallopian tube. If sperm is around and conditions are just right, fertilization can happen. Meanwhile, your uterus is doing its own thing, thickening its lining like it’s setting up a cozy little nest, just in case a pregnancy happens.
But if that doesn’t happen? No worries—your body hits the reset button. The uterine lining and unfertilized eggs pack up and leave (aka, your period arrives). It’s not just an ending; it’s a fresh start, another cycle, another chance. Your body is always working with you, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
When does ovulation take place usually?
It all starts in your brain, where the hypothalamus (basically your body’s control center) sends out a little wake-up call to your pituitary gland. This call comes in the form of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which then nudges your pituitary gland to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)—aka, the real MVPs of ovulation.
Between days 6 and 14 of your cycle, FSH gets to work, encouraging follicles in one of your ovaries to start maturing. Picture these follicles as tiny fluid-filled sacs, each holding an egg-in-training. But only one gets the golden ticket—by days 10 to 14, a single follicle steps up, fully matures, and prepares for release. Then, around day 14, a surge in LH triggers ovulation, and that eggs is out the door, heading down the fallopian tube.
Now, your body isn’t just about launching eggs into the world—it’s also making sure your uterus is ready in case of pregnancy. Enter progesterone, which rises after ovulation to make your uterine lining all nice and cozy, just in case fertilization happens.
Your body is seriously working overtime every month, even if you don’t always feel it. Kinda amazing, right?