OVULATION

This is when an egg is released from an ovary into the fallopian tube. After it’s released, an egg remains viable for 12 to 24 hours. It is during that 12 to 24 hour window when the egg can be fertilized if sperm is present in the fallopian tube. If fertilization doesn’t occur, the egg will disintegrate. If fertilization does occur, it usually takes 6 to 12 day after ovulation for a fertilized egg to implant in the uterus. Ovulation usually occurs midcycle, on around day 14 of a 28-day cycle. Most women will have their period 14 to 16 days after ovulation if conception did not occur. Around the time of ovulation, the cervical fluid becomes wet, slippery, and looks like egg whites. A woman’s body temperature also increase slightly after ovulation. See basal body temperature, cervical mucus and menstrual cycle.