Most of us are somewhat familiar with what happens in our bodies when we ovulate.
Ovulation is the time in your cycle when you could become pregnant.
What is ovulation?
Ovulation usually happens about halfway through your menstrual cycle, and it lasts only12 to 24 hours.
We’re each born with about400,000 eggs per ovary, and that number drops as we age.
When you ovulate, your body releases a mature egg into the fallopian tube.
It is then ready to be fertilized by your partner’s sperm.
Most women ovulate every month.
As we age and our eggs decrease, the chances of becoming pregnant get a little trickier.
However, if you’re trying to conceive right now, remember: it just takes one!
You get pregnant!
By the time you reach 40, that number drops to5 percent.
This will help you know when your most fertile time is.
You may have abdominal cramps
Those annoying period cramps don’t just happen during menstruation.
About20 percent of womennotice cramping or pain in their lower abdomens during ovulation.
This is probably due to the fact that your body is releasing an egg into a fallopian tube.
These cramps should be mild and go away after a day.
Your gaydar is on point
You may be better able to find a suitable mate during ovulation.
First, you have to see to it he’s into you.
A study inPsychological Scienceasked female college students to look at photos of 80 men and determine their sexual orientations.
The women who were ovulating were more accurate in determining who was straight and who was gay.
You’ll heat up
Our cycles and their symptoms are ruled by hormones.
That rise in progesterone causes yourbasal body temperature(BBT) to increase.
Studies have shown that you may evenfeel flushed and have slightly redder cheekswhen you’re ovulating.
Many women trying to conceive measure their BBTs every day to be able to note that increase.
And it’s not just your BBT heating things up.
Schedule a date night and take advantage of your frisky feelings!
Your cervix, between the vagina and the uterus, is usuallyhard and closed off.
However, during that ovulation window, it softens and even opens up a little.
Most women don’t notice a difference, but some can feel the change.
Around ovulation, the cervical mucus becomesthin, clear, and slippery.
It almost has the same appearance as egg whites.
This change is another way Mother Nature helps us get pregnant.
Sperm need a friendly, moist environment to survive and fertilize your egg.
This thin, slippery cervical mucus is the perfect welcome wagon.
You’re feeling yourself
During ovulation, many women are feeling pretty sexy.
In addition to your libido increasing, you’ll naturally spend a little more time on your appearance.
AUniversity of Texasstudyfound that women tend to dress in a more revealing way when they’re ovulating.
A similarstudy atUCLAfound that ovulating women tend to put more effort into “looking attractive.”
While you may not notice it, ovulation even affects our voices.
Ovulating women have slightly higher pitched voices than they normally would.
It’s just our body’s way of helping along the process of attracting a mate and becoming pregnant.
Breaking news: men are attracted to youth.
When we’re most fertile, our bodies want to help us conceive.
That heightened sense of smell helps you smell yourpartner’s pheromones.
However, that desire to play the field doesn’t stop with potential partners.
You could be making different choices in every area of your life.
Ovulating women aremore likely to try a new productwhen shopping.
You may even play the political field.
No, I don’t mean you’ll be more attracted to politicians, but you could vote differently.
Your breasts are sore
Ovulation is a busy time for your hormones.
As they rush in and get to work, you may notice somebreast and nipple sensitivity.
You could also have some soreness and tenderness.
Taking an over-the-counter pain medication like Ibuprofen can help those symptoms.
ANorwegian studyfound that women’s asthma symptoms improve during and around ovulation.
Ovulation is also a great time to have your annual physical exam.
Not only will you be feeling good, your labs will look better as well.
According to theNational Institutes of Health, our cholesterol levels start to drop during ovulation.
Ovulating women tend to prefer men over women and even feelmore competitive with fellow women.
The ones who were ovulating only shared half as much as their non-ovulating buds.
“This is consistent with other research that’s been done on animals,“says Kristina Durante.
However, there is one gal pal you’ll be favoring over the guys.
Ovulating women aremore likely to talk with their mothersand for longer durations during this window.
As for the dads, sorry, pops.
We tend to speak to our fathers for only half the amount of time.
Just remember that the symptoms should only last a day, and attempt to focus on the good ones.
Throw on your sexiest dress and plan a night out with your partner.
Enjoy the extra attention and revel in your gorgeousness.
Just remember to have a birth control plan if you’re not ready to become pregnant right now.
Your body is doing its best to make you a mother!
