Lesson No.
4 NCM 107
Ovulation
Prof. Dymphna Casquejo
Ovulation
- means the release of a mature egg from the
ovary
Significance of Ovulation
- when the mature egg released from the ovary
fuses or combines with the sperm (from the
male) it will be fertilized and develop to form a
fetus/baby.
- ovulation is the most important phenomenon in
getting pregnant. A woman must ovulate in
order to get pregnant.
Importance of Ovulation
- generally every month, only one egg matures
inside one of the ovaries
- if no mature egg is released from the ovary, no
egg will be available for fertilization and
pregnancy will not be possible.
- once an egg is released, it will not be fertilized
if no sexual contact is done
When does ovulation happen?
- timing varies with the length of the woman’s
menstrual cycle
- in an average 28-day cycle, the Luteinizing
Hormone, (LH) surge occurs between cycle
days 11-13 and ovulation follows about 24-36
hours later, on or close to cycle day 14.
What is LH?
- it is one of the hormones produced by the
pituitary gland. Ordinarily, it’s secreted at very
low levels throughout your menstrual cycle.
- but once a developing egg follicle reaches a
certain size — usually around the midpoint of
your cycle — LH secretion surges to really
high levels. This hormone surge is what
triggers ovulation about 24 to 36 hours later.
How to keep track of ovulation:
- Check the calendar
o ovulation most often occurs halfway
through the menstrual cycle – the
average cycle lasts 28 days (counted
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from 1st day of one period as day 1 to
the 1st day of the next period
- Using an Ovulation Prediction Kit, OPK
Listen to your body
- in 20% of women, your body informs you when
you’re ovulating in the form of pain or series of
cramps in the lower abdominal area (usually
localized to one side - the side of the ovary
that is ovulating)
- this is referred to as mittelschmerz, german for
“middle pain” as it occurs at the middle of the
menstrual cycle (mid-cycle pain)
- this monthly reminder of fertility is thought to
be the result of the maturation and release of
an egg from the ovary.
Getting to know the cervix
- the cervix is a cylinder-shaped neck of tissue
that connects the vagina and uterus. located at
the lowermost portion of the uterus
- as the body senses the hormonal shifts that
indicate an egg is about to be released from
the ovary, the cervix begins to ready itself for
the incoming large number of sperm and give
the egg its best chance of getting fertilized
The Cervix
- during the beginning of a cycle, the cervix is
low, hard and closed. But as ovulation
approaches, it pulls back up, softens a bit and
opens a little to let the sperm through on their
target 🡪 the egg.
[NCM 107] 4. Ovulation – Prof. Dymphna Casquejo

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[NCM 107] 4. Ovulation – Prof. Dymphna Casquejo

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