Ovulation Pain and Cramping. Medically Reviewed by Mark Payson, M. Medical Review Policy All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals. Pain during ovulation is never fun — but it just might help you get pregnant.
Here's how ovulation pain and cramps can play a role in your fertility. Back to Top. In This Article. Continue Reading Below. Read This Next. View Sources. But using mittelschmerz to time sex to avoid pregnancy usually doesn't work. When you ovulate, a mature egg is released from one of your ovaries. Two things happen naturally at this time that may cause the pain:. Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety.
Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse call line if you are having problems.
It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take. Call your doctor or nurse call line now or seek immediate medical care if:. Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor or nurse call line if:.
Author: Healthwise Staff. Care instructions adapted under license by your healthcare professional. If you have questions about a medical condition or this instruction, always ask your healthcare professional. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.
Another term for ovulation pain is mittelschmerz. Ovulation pain doesn't necessarily occur at the exact moment the egg is released from the ovary. It may occur a few days before or after ovulation. Most experience a dull, achy feeling that lasts for a few hours or even over a couple of days. Other women experience a sudden, sharp pain, lasting just a moment. Though the pain is typically mild, it has been known to land some women in the emergency room for suspected appendicitis—though such a severe reaction is rare.
You may notice that the pain is more frequent on one side versus the other. While you may have been taught that the ovaries "take turns ovulating," this isn't true.
It's normal for one side to ovulate more often than the other. No one is sure what causes ovulation pain, but there are a few theories. Endometriosis can cause pelvic pain at any time, but it can be quite severe during your menstrual cycle and near ovulation. Some women with endometriosis experience such bad pain before and during ovulation that they can't have sex comfortably , which makes timing sex for pregnancy difficult.
Endometriosis isn't the only possible cause of abnormal cramping around ovulation, though. For example:. Some research suggests that ovulation pain can actually signal ovulation. One study found that it came on the same day that the luteinizing hormone LH peaked.
It peaks during your most fertile time, just before you ovulate. However, another study used ultrasound technology to connect mid-cycle cramps to actual ovulation and discovered that ovulation occurred a couple of days after women reported the side pain. Although it could be a symptom indicating ovulation is imminent, it's probably best not to rely on ovulation pain as a primary way to detect your fertile window. Some women report cramps during the time of embryo implantation. Certainly, women feeling cramps are experiencing real pain, but whether this pain is embryo implantation, ovulation, or something else is difficult to discern.
Some women will only have ovulation pain in a quick, burst of sharp pain. It hurts! Other women, however, may experience longer-lasting discomfort. Mittelschmerz pain usually lasts a few minutes to a few hours, but it may continue for as long as a day or two.
Pain from mittelschmerz may be:. Mittelschmerz pain occurs on the side of the ovary that's releasing an egg ovulating. The pain may switch sides every other month, or you may feel pain on the same side for several months. Keep track of your menstrual cycle for several months and note when you feel lower abdominal pain. If it occurs midcycle and goes away without treatment, it's most likely mittelschmerz.
Mittelschmerz rarely requires medical intervention. However, contact your doctor if a new pelvic pain becomes severe, if it's accompanied by nausea or fever, or if it persists — any of which could indicate you have a condition more serious than mittelschmerz, such as appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease or even an ectopic pregnancy. Mittelschmerz occurs during ovulation, when the follicle ruptures and releases its egg. Some women have mittelschmerz every month; others have it only occasionally.
Pain at any other point in your menstrual cycle isn't mittelschmerz. It may be normal menstrual cramping dysmenorrhea if it occurs during your period, or it may be from other abdominal or pelvic problems. If you have severe pain, see your doctor. Ovulation is the release of an egg from one of the ovaries.
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