How to calculate your ovulation date?

Whether you're trying to better understand your body or are considering pregnancy, knowing your ovulation period and tracking it is particularly interesting. But how do you calculate your ovulation date ? Is it different if you have a shorter or longer menstrual cycle than average, or if you have an irregular menstrual cycle? In this article, we offer a method for calculating your ovulation while giving you tips and advice in case your cycle is longer than average.

How to calculate your ovulation date?

There are several ways to calculate your ovulation date , or at least to better anticipate it. Knowing your ovulation date for each cycle will give you a more accurate idea of your fertility window.

Depending on the length of your menstrual cycle

The first way to estimate your ovulation is to base it on the length of your menstrual cycle. Here's how to calculate your ovulation using your cycle length , and then we'll give you some examples based on your cycle length!

Method for calculating ovulation using the length of your menstrual cycle

How does it work? As we mentioned earlier, ovulation occurs 14 days before the first day of your period. So, subtract 14 days from your menstrual cycle to find out which day of your cycle you should ovulate on.

The steps:

1. Calculate the length of your menstrual cycle: for this method, knowing the length of your menstrual cycle is essential! Find the method for calculating the length of your menstrual cycle in our article on The length of the menstrual cycle ;
2. Subtract 14 days from the length of your menstrual cycle and you get a number: this is the day of your cycle when you ovulate;
3. Track your menstrual cycle to spot this day.

So-called “normal” menstrual cycle

For a cycle with an average duration of 28 days, the calculation is as follows:

28 days - 14 days = 14

In other words, if your menstrual cycle has an average length of 28 days, your ovulation day occurs on day 14 of your menstrual cycle, which is 14 days after the occurrence of your first period.

Short menstrual cycle

If your menstrual cycle is rather short at 22 days, the calculation is as follows:

22 days - 14 days = 8

In other words, if your menstrual cycle has an average length of 22 days, your ovulation day occurs on the 8th day of your menstrual cycle, which is 8 days after the occurrence of your first period.

Long menstrual cycle

If your menstrual cycle is rather short at 34 days, the calculation is as follows:

34 days - 14 days = 20

In other words, if your menstrual cycle has an average length of 34 days, your ovulation day occurs on day 22 of your menstrual cycle, which is 22 days after the occurrence of your first period.

Irregular menstrual cycle

You can use this method of calculation and have a fairly accurate idea of your ovulation day if your cycle length varies by 1 or 2 days maximum. If your cycle is more irregular, this method will not be relevant for you to predict your ovulation and you will have to use another one. We offer you three other methods to predict your ovulation below!

According to your basal temperature

The second way to estimate your ovulation is to monitor your basal body temperature (also called BBT for those in the know).

How does it work? The body temperature of menstruating people changes throughout the menstrual cycle. If the body temperature is below 37 degrees Celsius, it drops just before ovulation and then rises above 37°C during the luteal phase (after ovulation). In pregnancy, the basal body temperature remains above 37°C for at least 10 to 14 days, until the next menstrual period is due.

The steps:

1. Acquire a basal thermometer : it is not possible to monitor your basal temperature with a conventional thermometer; you need a specific thermometer to measure the temperature during ovulation ;
2. Take your temperature about 5 times a week: it is essential to take it regularly to monitor its variations. To record it, you can use acycle tracking app or an app specific to basal temperature tracking;
3. Identify changes in your body temperature: if your temperature drops and then rises again, you can tell if you have just ovulated.

I want this basal thermometer

According to your ovulation symptoms

The third way to anticipate ovulation is to know and track your ovulation symptoms . These vary from woman to woman: some may be significant or even painful, while other women may not experience them. Don't feel guilty if you don't feel them or only some of them.

Mild ovarian pain (pinching)

Around the time of ovulation, some women feel a slight pinch in their abdomen, similar to pain in the ovaries , where the egg is released. The location varies greatly from person to person: generally, the pinch is felt in the lower abdomen, on the side where the ovary that released the egg is located.

Chest pain (swelling sensation)

Menstruating people with breast tenderness may experience breast pain around the time of ovulation. The breasts feel swollen, ready to burst, and are particularly sensitive to the touch. This discomfort can sometimes continue until the next period is due, 14 days after ovulation.

Translucent white discharge, similar to egg white

White discharge changes with your cycle . It changes texture and color when ovulation occurs. It becomes more viscous and translucent. Slippery, it helps sperm move through the genitals.

If you notice one or more of these symptoms, it's likely that you're about to ovulate or have just ovulated. You can combine this tracking method with the previous two methods to be sure of how you're feeling.

A tool to track your ovulation: menstrual cycle tracking apps

Let's conclude this article by mentioning a tool that will allow you to compile all of these methods (calculate your menstrual cycle, record your basal temperature or even track your symptoms throughout your cycle): menstrual cycle tracking applications.

The advantages of these applications are:

1. Their practicality: you probably always have your phone with you: if you experience a symptom, you can easily note it down. Unless you need to check where you are in your cycle: just take out your phone!
2. Their simplicity: a stomach ache, a headache, mucus that is a little thinner than the day before: in just a few clicks, you can report your symptoms and save them;
3. Their teaching methods: Most apps offer educational content to answer your questions in real time. You can also check out our blog articles to learn more!
4. Their adaptation: we told you, a little earlier in this article, about the method for calculating your ovulation based on the length of your menstrual cycle. Well, the applications save you this calculation, they do it for you: you give them information about your cycle and they take care of calculating the length of your menstrual cycle and calculating your most likely day of ovulation!

In short, we highly recommend using a menstrual cycle tracking app to help you calculate your ovulation date and track your symptoms. This will make your life much easier and reduce the mental strain associated with tracking your menstrual cycle.

There are many apps out there, each very different from the other and with quite varied objectives (getting pregnant, tracking your cycle, etc.). We recently presented them to you in a comprehensive article, in the form of a comparison between existing cycle tracking apps.

Why is it important to track your ovulation period?

Tracking your ovulation period is particularly important because it allows you to reclaim your body by gaining better control over it, track your ovulation symptoms and help you conceive a baby.

Reclaiming your body

The first reason to understand and track your ovulation is to better understand what's happening in your body. As menstruators, being unaware of your menstrual cycle and its impact on your body, hormones, and well-being can be frustrating. Understanding your cycle and ovulation helps you better understand your body and anticipate issues.

To spot your ovulation symptoms

Like periods and the famous premenstrual syndrome, ovulation is accompanied by symptoms such as stomach cramps and breast pain, vaginal discharge, and so on. Knowing these symptoms means knowing your body, on the one hand, but it also gives you the ability to defuse particular symptoms and identify abnormal situations. Even more, it also means developing the ability to identify your ovulation—we'll talk about that right after!

To conceive a baby

The third reason to track your ovulation is to be able to identify your ovulation and thus increase your chances of getting pregnant if that's your desire. The fertility window for menstruating people lasts 5 days, including 2 days following ovulation. Being able to track your ovulation allows you to maximize your chances of conceiving.

To avoid getting pregnant

Some women use ovulation tracking as a form of contraception, with the true but somewhat dangerous idea that if they don't ovulate, they can't get pregnant. However, tracking your ovulation and calculating your menstrual cycle to avoid getting pregnant is not a method of contraception that can be used on its own: the fertile window begins two to three days before ovulation and ends two days after. Not to mention that other factors can come into play, such as double ovulation, for example. This is why we recommend that you don't rely solely on your ovulation tracker to avoid getting pregnant.

A quick reminder about what ovulation is

Before going any further in this article on calculating ovulation, it is essential to spend a few moments on ovulation. The latter corresponds to the natural process which results in the release of a mature egg by one of the ovaries of a woman of childbearing age. It is the essential condition for fertilization and a pregnancy of natural origin. It is an integral part of the menstrual cycle and ovulation is even part of the second phase of the menstrual cycle .

👉 Want to learn more about the ovulation process and its direct link to the menstrual cycle? Check out our article on what ovulation is . It covers everything you need to know about how ovulation works.

When does ovulation occur?

Regardless of the length of your menstrual cycle (average menstrual cycle of 26 to 32 days, long menstrual cycle , longer than 32 days, or short menstrual cycle, shorter than 26 days), ovulation occurs 14 days before the occurrence of the first day of your period.

There are some exceptions to this rule, particularly in the case of very short menstrual cycles, less than 21 days. These may be linked to specific health issues or hormonal imbalances (PCOS, endometriosis, or thyroid problems). These issues can cause ovulation to not occur well or not at all (anovulation). We talked about this in our article on short menstrual cycles .