Video: How Do I Know if I Am Ovulating?

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0:00:00.000,0:00:05.000 (text on screen): Ask the Expert 0:00:05.000,0:00:07.000 Fertility Authority. Your Most Trusted Source 0:00:07.000,0:00:12.000 How do I know if I'm ovulating? 0:00:12.000,0:00:18.000 Eric Flisser, M.D., Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York: The only real proof of ovulation, without doing any in-depth testing, is a regular period. 0:00:18.000,0:00:25.000 So, a woman who has a predictable period every, say, 21, to 35 days, is most likely ovulating. 0:00:25.000,0:00:31.000 A period only really comes in an organized way when there's the release of progesterone hormone, 0:00:31.000,0:00:37.000 which is initiated at the time of ovulation, and then when it is withdrawn when no pregnancy results. 0:00:37.000,0:00:40.000 Then that drop in progesterone is what initiates the period. 0:00:40.000,0:00:45.000 So, without any other testing, that's the, really, only kind of rule of thumb that anyone can use 0:00:45.000,0:00:49.000 to determine whether or not they're ovulating regularly. 0:00:49.000,0:00:53.000 Not all bleeding, obviously, is a period, so it can be confusing, 0:00:53.000,0:01:01.000 but it's unlikely that a woman would have irregular, predictable bleeding patterns without having ovulation. 0:01:01.000,0:01:06.000 The additional tests that can be done are, primarily, blood tests. 0:01:06.000,0:01:14.000 You can look at the progesterone level after the date of expected ovulation to see whether it's risen to a level that is associated with ovulation. 0:01:14.000,0:01:21.000 And then there are some indirect kinds of tests that can be done which don't necessarily prove ovulation, 0:01:21.000,0:01:25.000 but can be very helpful, like using a home ovulation predictor kit. 0:01:25.000,0:01:32.000 And those are urinary tests, or sometimes skin tests, that can be used to predict the LH surge, 0:01:32.000,0:01:35.000 which is the brain hormone that triggers the release of the egg. 0:01:35.000,0:01:42.000 If a woman can consistently pick up the LH surge at a predictable time each month, then it's also likely that she's ovulating. 0:01:42.000,0:01:45.000 While that's clearly not proof of ovulation, and there are some medical conditions 0:01:45.000,0:01:51.000 in which the LH surge can be mistaken for just a constantly elevated LH level. 0:01:51.000,0:01:56.000 The primary one is polycystic ovary syndrome, where LH levels can be abnormally high 0:01:56.000,0:02:00.000 and sometimes reach the threshold of the urine test and turn the test positive. 0:02:00.000,0:02:09.000 And, certainly, perimenopause and menopause are also associated with high LH levels, in which case the tests will be positive every day. 0:02:09.000,0:02:15.000 Normally, that test would only be positive for approximately 36 to 48 hours. 0:02:15.000,0:02:19.000 (text on screen): Ask the Expert 0:02:19.000,0:02:20.000 Fertility Authority. Your Most Trusted Source