What Does Ovulation Mean?
What does
ovulation mean, to the woman who is not a health professional? The quick guide
below should help you confidently answer the question “What is Ovulation?” as
well as the female hormones of the ovulation process?
What is
Ovulation?
Ovulation is
simply the process by which the ovary of the woman releases the egg( or the
ovum) for possible fertilization. At the beginning of each menstrual cycle, the “immature
egg is contained in little structures
called follicles as seen in the diagram below( Number 1). As the days of the cycle approach the date of ovulation, the
follicle becomes bigger and the egg becomes marture ( Number 3). When the egg
is ready, the follicle ruptures and the egg is released as shown in Number 4.
This process by which the egg is released is what is called ovulation. Did you notice the little round egg within the follicles?
It will
enhance your understanding of the ovulation process to learn the different phases of the ovulation cycle
to better appreciate all the “beauty” of the ovulation.
The
Ovulation Process
There is an
intricate interaction of the female hormones that work harmoniously for ovulation to occur. The details of this process are
be too complex to be presented here. Hormones are simply chemical messengers
that tell different parts of the body to act in a particular way. You may ask,
why does the follicle release the egg at that particular day of the cycle?
Well, hormones tell it to do so!
There are three hormones that interact with
each other to cause the release of the egg
- Luiteinizine hormone( LH)
- Estrogen
- Progesteron
LH
About 34 to 36h before the release of the egg,
there is a sharp rise in the amount of a hormone called Luteinizing hormone(
or LH) which gets to its peak about 10 to 12 hours before ovulation. This is
the hormone that triggers the mechanisms that lead to the release of the egg.
That is why LH measured in the urine
is used as a test for ovulation. See
ovulation kits.
Estrogen and progesterone
There is a slight decrease in estrogen and
increase in progesterone during the hours preceeding ovulation. The slight
decrease in estrogen is what is responsible for a
mild bleeding that might occur during this process, called mid cycle bleeding or ovulation
bleeding.
When Am I Ovulating?
The ovulation date is the most sought-after date of all the days of the menstrual cycle,
especially amongst women who are trying to conceive, or even avoiding pregnancy. Reliable determine the period of you cycle when you are ovulating!
Is ovulation a process that takes a few hours or a day? Few days or one week? Read How long does ovulation last? to learn to know how long it takes for the egg to be released.
Still not having all the answers to What does ovulation mean? Contact Doc!
References
Leveno KJ, Hauth JC, Rouse DJ, Spong CY. Chapter 3. Implantation,
Embryogenesis, and Placental Development. In: Leveno KJ, Hauth JC, Rouse DJ,
Spong CY, eds. Williams Obstetrics. 23rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill;
2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6030341. Accessed December
9, 2013.
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