- With Mayo Clinic obstetrician and medical editor-in-chief
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
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Roger W. Harms, M.D.
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
"Nothing helps people stay healthy more than the power of real knowledge about health." — Dr. Roger Harms
As medical editor-in-chief, Dr. Roger Harms is excited about the potential for MayoClinic.com to help educate people about their health and provide them the tools and information to live healthier lives.
The Auburn, Neb., native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1981 and is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Harms is a consultant and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and his specialty areas include office gynecology, high-risk obstetrics and obstetrical ultrasound.
From 2002 to 2007, Dr. Harms was director for education for Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Harms was the 1988 Mayo Medical School Teacher of the Year and served as associate dean for student affairs and academic affairs before taking this leadership role. He is the co-author of the "Mayo Clinic Model of Education." In 2008, Dr. Harms was presented the Distinguished Educator Award, Mayo Clinic, Rochester.
Dr. Harms is vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and medical editor of the Pregnancy section on this Web site. In addition, Dr. Harms is editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy" book, a month-by-month guide to everything a woman needs to know about having a baby.
"My medical education experience has grown out of a love of teaching, and that is what this site is about," Dr. Harms says. "If any visitor to this site makes a more informed and thus more comfortable decision about his or her health because of the information we provide, we are successful."
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Question
Ovulation signs: When is conception most likely?
I'm hoping to get pregnant. How can I tell when I'm ovulating? Are there any obvious ovulation signs?
Answer
from Roger W. Harms, M.D.
Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary. Ovulation often happens around day 14 of the menstrual cycle, although the exact timing may vary among women or even from month to month.
Ovulation signs and symptoms are often subtle. Just before ovulation, you might notice an increase in clear, slippery vaginal secretions — if you look for it. These secretions typically resemble raw egg whites. After ovulation, when the odds of becoming pregnant are slim, the discharge will become cloudy and sticky or disappear entirely.
Your basal body temperature — which increases slightly during ovulation — may provide another clue about ovulation. Using a digital thermometer or a thermometer specifically designed to measure basal body temperature, take your temperature every morning before you get out of bed. Plot the readings on graph paper and look for a pattern to emerge. You'll be most fertile during the two to three days before your temperature rises.
For some women, ovulation triggers mild abdominal cramps.
In addition to watching for ovulation signs and symptoms, you might want to try an over-the-counter ovulation kit. These kits test your urine for the surge in hormones that takes place before ovulation.
To maximize your fertility, have sex once a day around the time of ovulation. Daily intercourse during the days leading up to ovulation may increase the odds of conception.
Next questionBaby's sex: Can parents choose?
- Trying to conceive. The National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.4woman.gov/pregnancy/tryingtogetpregnant/tryingtoconceive.cfm. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
- Stanford JB, et al. Timing intercourse to achieve pregnancy: Current evidence. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2002;100:1333.
- Welt CK. Evaluation of the menstrual cycle and timing of ovulation. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
- Natural family planning. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp024.cfm. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
