Bleeding during ovulation also known as mid cycle bleeding, takes places in between two menstrual cycles, which is commonly referred to as ovulation spotting, and is considered to be a sign of fertility in women. During ovulation the body undergoes some changes like tenderness in breast, cramps, excessive secretion of mucous, increase in basal body temperature, lower abdominal pain also known as mittelschmerz, increase in sex drive and occasional spotting.
In a menstrual cycle of 28 days, ovulation will take place on the 14th day. If the menstrual cycle is longer, then the day of ovulation will vary accordingly. Only few of the fertile women go through the symptoms of mid cycle bleeding, therefore, though normal, it is not a common occurrence. It may last around 2 -70 hours depending on the physiological factors of the woman.
Any unusual bleeding is a matter of concern for women, as they do not understand the reason behind it, hence it is important to note down the dates of menstruation, watch out for other signs of blood and inform your gynecologist about it, to rule out any issues. The symptoms could also indicate endometriosis, irritation or infection of cervix, polyps in cervix or uterus or sub-mucous fibroids in reproductive organs.
Causes of Bleeding
There are various reasons for bleeding occurring during ovulation. If the blood is very less in quantity with brownish tinge to it, then it could possibly due to the rupturing of follicle due to the ovum passing through it. During ovulation, the levels of hormone estrogen increases in the body which may be another reason for the bleeding during this period.
Estrogen is responsible for thickening of the uterus wall after the menstruation, until ovulation takes place. The thickened wall helps the fertilized egg implant itself in the uterus. After ovulation the hormone progesterone holds the lining of the uterus until the next menstruation period. During ovulation, the estrogen level may fall but progesterone levels may not be rising yet. This gap between the secretions of the two hormones may lead to brief bleeding.
The loosening up of the cervix during ovulation may also push out any accumulated blood to pass out through it easily. None of these posses any type of health hazard to women and should not cause concern, though heavy bleeding for more than usual days of menstruation, sudden bleeding during any time between periods or heavy flow of blood during periods should be checked out immediately.
How to Identify Ovulation Bleeding
Ovulation bleeding has to occur almost exactly during the middle period of the menstruation cycle as that is the time when ovulation takes place. Other sign that separates ovulation bleeding from abnormal bleeding is,
- It is scanty and does not flow like menstrual bleeding
- It is not red in color of menstrual blood but has brownish tinge, or is very light in color
- Ovulation bleeding is often accompanied by pain in lower abdomen
Those who are planning for a pregnancy should try for conception during the bleeding or after it, as this is the most fertile period for the woman. This is the time when the ovum lodges itself inside the fallopian tube for fertilization by a male sperm. If fertilization does not occur soon, the ovum will dissolve and will be thrown out of the body.