Sometimes you may experience cycles where you bleed but don’t ovulate. This can make it tough to know whether or not you’re ovulating regularly. Here’s how to tell if you didn’t ovulate, even when you get a period.
Most people think that a period and ovulation always go hand in hand. However, this is actually a (very common) misconception.
As surprising as it may seem, it’s possible to get your period without ovulating. If this happens, how do you know whether or not you ovulated?
Not to worry, there are signs your body gives you that can tell you if ovulation didn’t happen. And if you know what to look out for, you’ll be more equipped to recognize if there are any issues, then figure out how to treat them from there.
Let’s go over what it means when you don’t ovulate, and take a look at some of the signs that ovulation didn’t happen—even if you get your period.
What is an anovulatory cycle? First, a quick reminder: ovulation is when your ovaries release an egg. Ovulation generally happens around the midpoint of your menstrual cycle, during the second phase, or luteal phase .
The egg then travels down your fallopian tube, where it can be fertilized by sperm. In the meantime, the follicle that released the egg becomes a structure called a corpus luteum, which releases progesterone and estrogen. These rising hormone levels trigger your uterine lining to thicken and stabilize in preparation for a potential pregnancy.
If the egg gets fertilized by sperm, it makes its way down to your uterus, where it implants in your uterine lining and you may soon get a positive pregnancy test . If the egg isn’t fertilized, it disintegrates and your body sheds the thickened lining during your period, generally about two weeks later.
However, it’s possible to have cycles where you don’t ovulate. When this happens, it’s called an “anovulatory cycle.” In an anovulatory cycle, your ovaries don’t release an egg and you can’t get pregnant. Plus, without a newly-empty follicle, the hormone-producing corpus luteum never forms.
Contrary to what you might think, you may still get your period even if you didn’t ovulate. Or rather, it’s possible to have bleeding very similar to a period—it technically isn’t a period without ovulation.
This type of bleeding is what’s known as “breakthrough bleeding,” or the more technical mouthful “abnormal uterine bleeding associated with ovulatory dysfunction” (AUB-O). When the uterine lining is thick but unstable, it can’t support itself and is more prone to shed—or bleed—irregularly and heavily. The result is the bleeding that you may mistake for a period.
>>RELATED: Is It Implantation Bleeding or Just My Period?
What causes anovulatory cycles? If you don’t ovulate, there are a couple of underlying causes that could be the culprit. Some of the most common include:
Stress Excessive exercise Weight loss or weight gain Anorexia Obesity Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)Luteal phase defect Premature ovarian failure Dysfunction in endocrine glands like the adrenal, pituitary, or thyroid glands Medications that affect dopamine metabolism, like antiepileptics or antipsychotics Anyone of reproductive age can experience cycles where they don’t ovulate. However, anovulatory cycles are more common in people who:
Just started getting periods Are perimenopausal , meaning approaching menopause Have obesity Have anorexia Period without ovulation: signs Now the big question. How can you know if you didn’t ovulate, even when you experience period-like bleeding during a given cycle?
There are a few signs you can look out for. While an anovulatory cycle can look different from person to person, some of the most common signs that you didn’t ovulate are:
Irregular cycles Changes in premenstrual syndrome symptoms No changes in cervical mucus No changes in basal body temperature Low progesterone levels Irregular cycles If you experience irregular cycles , it may be a sign that you’re not ovulating regularly.
The bleeding you may experience during anovulatory cycles tends to be:
Irregular , occurring at different times from month to month Prolonged , lasting longer than your typical period lengthVery heavy Many people also experience intermenstrual bleeding, or spotting at various moments outside of when you would expect to get your period.
Irregular cycles are partly due to hormonal changes that are different from what happens in your body when you ovulate. For example, unusually heavy bleeding may be due to high levels of estrogen and low levels of progesterone (remember: no corpus luteum) making the uterine lining less stable and more likely to bleed more heavily.
Of course, not getting a period is also a sign of anovulatory cycles. If you miss one or more periods but you’re not pregnant, it’s likely that you’re not ovulating.
Changes in premenstrual syndrome symptoms Many people experience symptoms from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) prior to getting their period. Some experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a more severe form of PMS. Symptoms can include headaches, menstrual cramps, nausea, and mood changes .
However, ovulating may be a prerequisite to experiencing PMS and PMDD symptoms. Research suggests that typical PMS symptoms often don’t occur during anovulatory cycles. Even PMDD symptoms may disappear during cycles without ovulation.
If you typically experience symptoms before your period and notice significant changes from one cycle to the next, or if you suddenly don’t have any symptoms at all in a given cycle, it may be a sign that you didn’t ovulate.
No changes in cervical mucus Your cervical mucus, or discharge, usually changes before you ovulate. In a typical cycle, hormonal changes prior to ovulation cause your cervical secretions to increase and become clear and stretchy. This is called “egg white mucus,” and it generally appears about three to four days before ovulation .
If you don’t notice any changes in your discharge throughout the month, or if your discharge changes some but never becomes egg white mucus, it may be a sign that you didn’t ovulate.
No changes in basal body temperature A slight increase in your basal body temperature (BBT), or your temperature when you’re fully at rest, can be a sign that you ovulated. After ovulation, rising progesterone levels tell your body to increase your BBT. Some people may notice an increase of around 0.5 to 1°F for a couple of days in a row.
Without a rise in progesterone levels, your body doesn’t get a signal to raise your temperature. If you regularly track your BBT (because sidenote: you need a few cycles-worth of tracking for accurate readings) and don’t notice any increases, it may be a sign that you didn’t ovulate.
However, an elevated BBT is not the most accurate indicator of ovulation and some people never notice changes. This means that if your BBT doesn’t rise, it’s not necessarily a sign that you didn’t ovulate, and vice versa—a potential rise isn’t an automatic indicator that you did ovulate.
Low progesterone levels Ovulation impacts the hormone levels in your body. When hormone levels don’t change in the way that would normally be expected, it may be because you didn’t ovulate.
In particular, low progesterone levels are one of the main indicators of an anovulatory cycle.
Other hormones are affected, too, and not just during the cycles that are anovulatory. This study found that people with one anovulatory cycle also had atypical hormone levels during their ovulatory cycles. Most notably, estradiol (a type of estrogen), progesterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels tended to be lower, while follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels tended to be higher.
>>MORE: What Are Low Progesterone Symptoms?
Hormonal changes are difficult to observe in your body without assistance, but tests can help. At-home fertility tests allow you to track hormone changes throughout your cycle and notice when those changes are different than usual. The Oova kit helps you track your specific hormone levels—including progesterone—with lab-quality accuracy, without a blood test, and you can share all of your results with your provider.
Is there any way to confirm I didn’t ovulate? While there are some physical signs you didn’t ovulate, the best way to confirm that you didn’t ovulate is by looking at your hormone levels.
When you ovulate, your LH typically surges right before—about 12 to 36 hours. After you ovulate, your progesterone levels increase. To know if you’ve ovulated, you can look at these two hormone levels to understand when ovulation might have occurred and confirm if it did.
Ovulation predictor kits typically just measure LH, but to truly understand if you’ve ovulated, you’ll need to know your progesterone levels, too. Oova’s cartridges measure LH, progesterone, and estrogen, and give you actual, quantitative measures so you can learn exactly what’s happening with your specific hormone levels.
When should you see a doctor? Many people experience anovulatory cycles from time to time and aren’t even aware of it. Sporadic anovulatory cycles can be caused by a period of stress, like starting a new job or moving. Grief or trauma can also trigger anovulatory cycles.
When you only occasionally have cycles without ovulation, you may not notice any differences in your cycle bleeding. Occasional anovulatory cycles are not cause for concern.
Other people may experience anovulatory cycles regularly. If this is the case for you, anovulation could be the result of an underlying condition and you may want to consult your doctor for additional testing. Depending on your results, your doctor will help determine how to treat the root cause and manage symptoms.
Anovulatory cycles may be a more pressing issue for you when you’re trying to conceive (TTC) , since you can’t get pregnant without ovulation. If you’re TTC and suspect that you’re not ovulating, you can talk with your doctor about how to move forward. Not to worry, there are treatment options that can help you get your ovulation back on track.
Period without ovulation signs: The bottom line If all goes well, you ovulate each menstrual cycle. However, it’s possible to have a cycle where you don’t ovulate, or an anovulatory cycle.
Even during an anovulatory cycle, you may experience bleeding that can seem a lot like a period. While this may seem confusing, there are signs that can help you figure out if you didn’t ovulate, even if you have period-like bleeding.
Signs that you didn’t ovulate include irregular cycles, changes in PMS or PMDD symptoms, no changes in cervical mucus or BBT, and atypical hormone levels.
It’s common to experience an occasional anovulatory cycle and not even realize. This could be due to stress or life changes.
If you suspect that you’re not ovulating regularly, though, it may be a symptom of more serious underlying concerns — and it can affect your ability to get pregnant. In this case, you may want to make an appointment with your doctor to get tests done. They can help you get to the problem behind your ovulation and develop a treatment plan according to your needs and fertility journey.
