Pregnancy is one of the beautiful experiences a woman can have in her life. Pregnancy took place when there is a meeting of sperm and ovum which is medically known as fertilization. The peak time when a sperm and ovum meet is the time when ovulation takes place in mid of the menstrual cycle. Late ovulation is the reason which might cause late pregnancy and for this, we have to understand the irregularities of the cycle.
In this article:
What is Late Ovulation?
Causes of Late Ovulation
Symptoms of Late Ovulation
How Late Ovulation Affects Fertility and Conception?
When to Consult a Doctor for Medical Treatment?
Treatments for Late Ovulation
A Guide for Late Ovulation and Pregnancy
What is Late Ovulation?
There are many phases in the menstrual cycle of women among this one of the phases is the phase of ovulation. During this phase of the cycle, an egg is released from both the ovaries and then this egg travels in the fallopian tube where it meets with sperm and fertilization takes place. After this zygote is formed which is implanted in the uterus and pregnancy took place. If in fallopian tube fertilization does not take place then the released egg from the ovaries is released from the uterus along with its lining during the menstrual cycle.
As it is well known that the time period of the menstrual cycle is 28 days, ovulation occurs around 14th day of this cycle. If a female is trying to become pregnant then she must conceive on the day of ovulation because this is the crucial time for fertilization. If a woman is having regular cycle then she must ovulate on the 14th day but it is studied that only 10% of the women have regular cycle means the cycle can range from 21 days to 35 days. So it is hard to find the time of ovulation for women having an irregular cycle and also challenging for her to find that when the conception is most likely to occur.
So late ovulation is said when the phase of ovulation occurs anytime after 21 days of the cycle.
Causes of Late Ovulation
There are many causes of delayed ovulation and some of them are mentioned below:
Breastfeeding
During breastfeeding there is the absence of the menstrual cycle, so the ovulation phase is absent. When a mother feeds a baby then the body of the is very much busy in producing prolactin so that there can be excessive milk production, this lowers the fertility of a woman.
Stress
Women in her life face various kinds of stresses either they are physical, mental or emotional. There can be stress due to many work challenges etc. Stress in a woman life affects her regular cycle of periods. If a woman is having sex regularly and is not getting pregnant then it means the reason behind this is stress.
Medications
Drugs like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-psychotic and other drugs like cocaine. can also affect the phase of ovulation. If a woman is having doubt that the drugs taken by her are affecting her ovulation then she must consult her doctor.
Malfunctioning of the Thyroid Gland
Ovulation is affected by both overactive and underactive thyroid gland. If the thyroid is overactive then it causes irritability, irregular heartbeats and mood swings. An underactive thyroid causes tiredness, weight gain and depression.
In all these situations women should consult her doctor so that the doctor can advise her possible treatment of these problems of the thyroid.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS)
PCOS affects the function of the ovaries. In PCOS there is an irregular menstrual cycle, an increased level of male hormones and ovaries with fluid-filled around the eggs. Due to fluid-filled sacs ovaries are unable to release eggs so ovulation does not occur.
A woman should consult a doctor if she is having irregular periods, excessive hair growth on the face and weight gain, to confirm if she is having PCOS or not.
Symptoms of Late Ovulation
Symptoms of late ovulation and pregnancy are as mentioned below:
Cervical Changes
Changes in the cervix are noticed by putting the fingers in the vagina and feeling the cervix, for this practice is needed because it is a difficult procedure. During ovulation, the cervix is soft, wet and open and this can be noticed by doing the above procedure. Increased sensitivity of the breast, discomfort in the abdomen and increased urge for sex, are the other symptoms that are observed during ovulation.
Increase in Basal Body Temperature
There is an increase in basal body temperature if someone is at rest. This increase in BBT has also observed if a woman is in her phase of ovulation or close to it. So a woman should regularly monitor her body temperature at the time of ovulation.
Increased Secretions of the Vagina
If the secretions of the vagina are increasing and are clear and white the one should understand that she is going to ovulate soon.
Cervical Mucus Changes
During normal days if one finds any discharge which is thick and sticky then it is cervical discharge but if one finds discharge which is thin and slippery then it is a sign of ovulation.
How Late Ovulation Affects Fertility and Conception?
Due to late ovulation, it is difficult to estimate the time when a woman is going to be pregnant and this requires multiple by her partner to conceive.
Consequences of Late Ovulation – Following are the consequences of late ovulation:
- There is delayed fertilization because ovulation takes place around day 20 or beyond this.
- Due to difficulty in estimating the time of ovulation one has to conceive multiple times to get pregnant.
- There is increased sensitivity of breasts and an increased desire for having sex.
- There is an imbalance in levels of hormones due to delayed maturation of eggs.
- If ovulation is delayed means not on the usual time then the lining of the uterus is not ready for implantation so the fertilized egg passes out of the uterus instead of implantation.
When to Consult a Doctor for Medical Treatment?
A woman should consult a doctor if –
- She is having sex regularly without using oral pills or any other contraceptive method and not getting pregnant.
- She experiences excessive abdominal pain during her periods.
- She is having any medical condition.
- She has excessive bleeding in every few hours.
Treatments for Late Ovulation
As it is known that medical conditions like the malfunctioning of the thyroid gland and PCOS can affect ovulation, so the doctor plans a treatment to treat these underlying conditions. Some medicines like clomiphene and letrozole are also given by the doctor.
Here are some other measures which a doctor advise to women simply to just boost her reproductive health –
- A woman is advised to do some yoga just to get relief from breast stress.
- She is advised to sleep well and take power naps because of less sleep or insomnia imbalances the hormonal levels which directly or indirectly affect the ovulation.
- During sex, she should use protection just to avoid STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) which are also one of the main causes of the decreasing fertility of women.
- She is advised to make healthy food and avoid alcohol intake.
- Smoking affects the fertility of a woman so she is advised not to smoke if she wants to be pregnant.
Conclusion
Late ovulation in a woman’s life affects her pregnancy so she should consult the doctor if she notices some abnormal findings and should follow whatever the doctor advises her.
References
https://flo.health/getting-pregnant/trying-to-conceive/tracking-ovulation/late-ovulation-causes
https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/late-ovulation
