The key to getting pregnant (or preventing pregnancy) is to understand your ovulation cycle. Ovulation is when a mature egg is released from one of the ovaries, which usually takes place near the 14th day of a 28-day cycle. However, the 14th day is only an average. In reality, a woman with a 28-day cycle may ovulate one of the days between the 11th and 21st cycle day (the first day of your period is cycle day 1). We call these 10 days your “fertility window.”
As a woman, it is important that you keep track of your cycle; otherwise, it is nearly impossible to know when you are most likely to ovulate. A typical cycle is measured by the first day of your period to the first day of your next period, with the average being 28-32 days. If you are like me, this isn’t always cut in stone. Everybody is different. Discover your Fertility Window in seconds with the APA ovulation calendar.
Ovulation is a delicate hormonal process of the female reproductive system governed by five main hormones. Each hormone triggers one another, coordinating the development and release of an egg from the ovaries.
This is the simple yet complex process that creates a monthly cycle.
Three hormones are produced in the brain, the Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). While the other two hormones estrogen and progesterone, are made in the ovaries.