What are the symptoms of ovulation?

The most common sign of ovulation is a change in vaginal secretions: the NHS says they become thinner and stretchy, a bit like raw egg white. Some women also feel a one-sided ache low in the tummy, which the NHS calls ovulation pain, and some notice a little light bleeding or discharge. None of these is a reliable test on its own, and plenty of women notice nothing at all.

What you might notice

• Stretchy, thinner secretions. The NHS describes them as like raw egg white, around the time of ovulation.
• A dull ache or sharp twinge on one side. The NHS says ovulation pain is common about 14 days before a period, can feel like a dull ache or sudden twinges, and affects one side of the tummy at a time. It can switch sides from month to month, depending on which ovary releases the egg.
• Light bleeding or discharge. The NHS says some women notice light vaginal bleeding or discharge around ovulation.
• A short duration. The NHS says ovulation pain lasts from a few minutes up to a day or two.

When does ovulation happen?

The NHS says ovulation usually happens around 10 to 16 days before your next period. In a regular 28 day cycle that works out to around day 14, but the NHS is clear that this does not apply to women whose cycles are shorter or longer, and that it is hard to pinpoint exactly when ovulation happens. Its range for a typical cycle is 21 to 35 days, which is why a guess based on day 14 can easily be off by several days. How long a cycle should be goes through the ranges the major medical bodies use.

What this page cannot tell you

Whether a twinge or a change in discharge means you are ovulating cannot be judged from a description. These signs overlap with other things, and a symptom that comes at a particular time of the month is a pattern worth noticing, not a diagnosis. If you are trying to conceive or to avoid pregnancy, do not rely on how you feel; talk to a doctor or pharmacist about methods that are designed for the purpose.

When to speak to a doctor

The NHS advises seeing a GP about tummy pain that does not improve with painkillers or keeps coming back. It says to get urgent help from a GP or NHS 111 if the pain is severe and painkillers have not helped, if it keeps coming back, or if you think you could be pregnant, because an ectopic pregnancy is one possible cause of similar pain.

If you see spotting or coloured discharge, is it hayd?

That is a question for fiqh, not for this page. Light spotting or yellow or brown discharge in the middle of the cycle is covered in whether sufrah and kudrah are part of hayd, which sets out how scholars treat it depending on when it appears. The clear discharge that rises before a period is a different thing; see why discharge increases before your period, and for spotting just before a period, spotting before your period.

Keep the dates

Noticing the same sign at the same point in several cycles tells you far more than any single month. Logging the day it appears, next to your period dates, builds that picture; see what to look for in a period tracker built for Muslim women. Nisaa is free on the App Store and keeps that record, so you have your own pattern to bring to an appointment.

When ovulation falls early, sex near the end of a period can matter; see can you get pregnant on your period.