How long does ovulation last?

Ovulation is an important stage of the menstrual cycle. This complex process determines favorable days for fertilization, so many girls are interested in how many days there is ovulation and what its symptoms are. Some women use knowledge about this date as contraception, however this method is very unreliable and can lead to unwanted pregnancy.

What is ovulation?

From the first day of the menstrual cycle, the body prepares for possible fertilization. Conception is necessarily preceded by complex processes. In the first phase of the cycle in one of the ovaries, the egg is maturing, which is in the follicle. Under the influence of luteinizing hormone, it bursts when the egg is ripe. Right now she is ready to meet with a sperm. But you should know that the time in which the egg is able to fertilize is very limited - if conception does not occur in this short period, then the next chance to get pregnant will appear only after a month.

This is the point at which the egg leaves the follicle, experts call ovulation. This process can be compared with a kind of explosion, so the question of how many days of ovulation continues is not entirely true, since it lasts, in fact, only a moment. But it so happened that this term is used to refer to the entire ovulatory period. It covers both the moment of rupture of the follicle and the time at which conception is possible.

No one can say for sure how many days the egg lives after ovulation. It is believed that it can only be fertilized within 24 hours. But this is an average value, in fact this time can be different. How many days ovulation lasts for women will depend on a number of factors. In some girls fertilization can occur and for 48 hours, while in others this time is reduced to 12. This affects the woman's health status, bad habits, taking medications, stressful situations, the characteristics of the body. Therefore, answering the question how many days there is ovulation, we can say that the entire ovulatory period lasts no more than 2 days. Much more important is the full maturation of the egg than the duration of its viability.

When does ovulation occur?

This process takes place approximately 2 weeks before the start of a new cycle. That is, if it is standard (28 days), then ovulation will occur in the middle, about 14 days. In cases where it is longer or shorter, it is necessary to take 2 weeks from the intended start of the next cycle. The resulting value and indicate when to wait for the maturation of the egg. But this does not always happen on the expected date, because of all the same individual characteristics.

To determine the time for possible conception, you can purchase special tests. They will help the girl to be more confident in her calculations. Before using them, you need to study the instructions and follow it clearly. It is worth to clarify how many days will be a positive test for ovulation. It reacts to the increase in luteinizing hormone, the level of which increases approximately 1-2 days before the rupture of the follicle. Usually the test shows a positive result within 2 days and this indicates the onset of ovulation.

You can also specify the time of rupture of the follicle with ultrasound diagnosis.

Of course, after ovulation, conception is possible for as many days as an ovum lives in a particular woman (up to 2 days). But it is worth remembering that spermatozoa can be fertile up to 5-7 days after sexual intercourse. Therefore, favorable days for fertilization are considered not only the ovulatory period itself, but also the time preceding it.