Recognizing the signs ovulation is over can help you figure out when you’re out of your fertile window, improve family planning, predict your period, and understand your cycle. Here’s what you need to know.
Ovulation, when an ovary releases an egg, is a crucial time in the menstrual cycle — especially if you’re trying to conceive (or prevent pregnancy). It’s one thing to know the signs of ovulation so you can understand when it’s happening, but just as important is knowing the signs ovulation is over.
Recognizing the signs ovulation is over can help you figure out when you’re out of your fertile window , improve family planning, predict your period, and understand your cycle.
What is ovulation and how long does it last? Ovulation occurs when your ovary releases a mature egg that’s ready for fertilization. Before ovulation, luteinizing hormone (LH) increases — often referred to as the LH surge — which triggers the release of the egg. The egg then travels down the fallopian tube, where it can be fertilized by sperm. If fertilized, the zygote (a fertilized egg) travels to the uterus for implantation and potential pregnancy.
If the egg isn’t fertilized, it dissolves and the uterine lining sheds, leading to menstruation.
Ovulation is a brief window in your cycle, typically lasting 12-48 hours. Once ovulation is over, progesterone increases to prepare your body for potential pregnancy.
>>RELATED: Is Low Progesterone Hurting Your Fertility?
Signs ovulation is over If the ovulation window is so short, how can you tell when it’s over? There are a mix of physical, emotional, and even hormonal signs that ovulation is over.
Changes to cervical mucus During ovulation, estrogen levels rise, which causes your cervical mucus to become clear, stretchy, and slippery; this consistency and appearance is often compared to egg whites.
After ovulation, progesterone increases, and cervical mucus becomes thicker, cloudier, and stickier.
Shifts in basal body temperature Basal body temperature is the temperature of your body at rest. If you track BBT consistently, you’ll likely see a slight but sustained rise in temperature after ovulation. Typically, this difference will be about around 0.5°F .
It’s crucial to track basal body temperature precisely and consistently to see accurate results. This means taking your temperature right when you wake up, at the same time every day.
Reduction in libido Many people experience an increase in sex drive around ovulation. Once ovulation is over, you may feel your libido return to its baseline.
Subsiding mood swings If you’re feeling moody during ovulation, you’re not alone; 75-80% of women have some sort of psychophysiological symptoms during their cycle due to fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone. These mood swings may feel like rapid shifts in what you’re feeling, or unexpected overwhelming feelings in emotion.
These mood swings may lessen after ovulation, a sign that this period is over.
Breast tenderness Before ovulation, your estrogen levels are up, which can cause breast tenderness. One of the signs ovulation is over is when that tenderness remains after a few days — or even worsens — as progesterone takes over and tries to prepare the body for pregnancy.
Cramping or abdominal pain Up to 40% of women experience some pain or discomfort during ovulation. This pain can range from uncomfortable pressure to strong or sharp pain. Typically, people feel this pain in their lower abdomen, and it lasts anywhere from a few minutes to multiple hours.
When the pain subsides, it can indicate that ovulation is over.
Cervical position Throughout your cycle, your cervix position changes. Before ovulation, it’s usually higher and firmer, but then becomes softer, lower, and more open around ovulation. After ovulation, it returns to what it was pre-ovulation (firmer and higher).
How can I confirm that ovulation is over? The best way to confirm the signs ovulation is over is by measuring progesterone levels. After ovulation, progesterone levels increase to start to prepare the body for a potential pregnancy.
You can measure your progesterone levels from the comfort of your own home, without a blood test, with the Oova kit. The Oova kit is a urine-based hormone test that measures your specific hormone levels — not basing them off a “standard.” By measuring your unique hormone levels, you can get a sense of what an increase in progesterone looks like in your body and get accurate, clear proof that ovulation is over.
Can I still get pregnant after ovulation is over? The chance of pregnancy after ovulation is very low; however, it’s not impossible.
After an egg is released into the fallopian tube during ovulation, it can only survive for about 12-24 hours after. Sperm, however, can live up to five days. This is why your fertile window is longer than ovulation; if you have sex in the days leading up to ovulation, your sperm can wait in the fallopian tube and fertilize the egg once ovulation occurs.
So, it’s theoretically possible for sperm to fertilize an egg right after ovulation if they were in the fallopian tubes; however, once the egg has disintegrated, there’s no possibility of pregnancy, even if there’s sperm there.
Signs ovulation is over: the bottom line If you’re trying to conceive—or trying to avoid it!—knowing not just when ovulation occurs, the signs ovulation is over, is crucial. Luckily, your body gives some physical, emotional, and mental signs ovulation is over, from changes in cervical mucus to fewer mood swings. Of course, the main confirmation ovulation is over—and that ovulation has occurred at all—is if you see a rise in progesterone. Getting insights into your specific hormone levels, with tools like the Oova kit, can give you the confidence and control of your reproductive health.
