Mittelschmerz - Other Ovulation Symptoms

Other Ovulation Symptoms

Women may notice other physical symptoms associated with their mittelschmerz, or near ovulation. The most common sign is the appearance of fertile cervical mucus in the days leading up to ovulation. Cervical mucus is one of the primary signs used by various fertility awareness methods. Other symptoms are sometimes called secondary fertility signs to distinguish from the three primary signs.

• Mid-cycle or ovulatory bleeding is thought to result from the sudden drop in estrogen that occurs just before ovulation. This drop in hormones can trigger withdrawal bleeding in the same way that switching from active to placebo birth control pills does. The rise in hormones that occurs after ovulation prevents such mid-cycle spotting from becoming as heavy or long lasting as a typical menstruation. Spotting is more common in longer cycles.

• A woman's vulva may swell just prior to ovulation, especially the side on which ovulation will occur.

• One of the groin lymph nodes (on the side on which ovulation will occur) will swell to about the size of a pea, and may become tender.