Spotting During Ovulation
What Spotting During Ovulation Means
Spotting during ovulation can raise many questions for women. Is there something wrong? Am I pregnant? Do I have polyps? This guide serves to educate women on just one of the mysteries of the female body and put some of these questions to rest. Please speak with your gynecologist regarding any unusual amounts of blood or other concerns you may have regarding bleeding or spotting during ovulation.
What is Spotting?
Many women confuse spotting with their actual period. In actuality, you are no on your period until you experience full bleeding. When you go to the restroom and wipe you will sometimes see light pink, red, or rust colored streaking on the toilet paper. This is spotting. Spotting is a very small amount of blood that rarely makes its way completely out of the vagina. Spotting may also occur following a period, and can last for several days.
How Do I Know When I’m Ovulating?
Ovulation occurs when your body releases a single, mature egg for fertilization. It happens generally around the 14th day of a menstrual cycle, but there are ovulation calendars and calculators available online for free use to help you determine the exact day.
Your body also exhibits certain symptoms and signs of ovulation as well. One of the easiest signs to spot is a change in your vaginal moisture and mucous. A few days before ovulation, you will notice that the slippery mucous in your vagina becomes clear and stretchy, similar to raw egg whites. During this time you may feel a hormonal surge that increases your libido and makes you feel more attractive and attracted to your partner. This is Mother Nature’s way of encouraging procreation.
You can also insert a finger into your vagina and feel if your cervix is firm like the end of your nose of pliable like your ear lobe. If it’s soft, you’re ovulating. Pain and a rise in temperature are signs that your ovulation period is ending, but most women do not notice this. Tests are also available at the doctor’s office for you and are the most accurate way of identifying when you are ovulating.
Spotting During Ovulation
Now that you understand what spotting is and when ovulation occurs, you can better understand what your body is going through and why. Spotting during ovulation is normal and considered to be a tell-tale sign of increased fertility.
There are a couple schools of thought regarding the actual cause of the bleeding, but in actuality, the spotting may be a result of the two. Some doctors believe that spotting occurs as e result of the egg rupturing. As the egg is released from the follicle, it would be understandable for some light bleeding to occur. This would also explain why some women who spot, experience a brownish or rust-colored tinge, since brown blood is older blood.
Another possibility being discussed by doctors is that this spotting is caused by changing hormones in your body during ovulation. When your body readies itself for ovulation, the follicles grow and mature, producing greater amounts of estrogen. The estrogen then triggers a surge in another hormone, LH. The surge of LH then triggers the egg to release. The hormonal activity, particularly the sharp increase in estrogen, is thought to possibly cause light spotting you see.
As stated before, spotting during ovulation is perfectly normal, and if you’re trying to get pregnant, a very good sign. If you experience abnormal bleeding, however, it is very important that you seek out a gynecologist immediately, as this may be a sign of something wrong with your reproductive organs.