You’re still ovulating during perimenopause, even if it’s not as frequent. How can you tell?
Perimenopause is a transition with lots of changes in your reproductive system. As you near your last period, hormonal fluctuations can often lead to irregular cycles , meaning you might go a while without getting a period, or get them when you wouldn’t usually expect them. The same goes for ovulation; while ovulation becomes less predictable during this time, it doesn’t necessarily stop. Understanding symptoms of ovulation—especially compared to general perimenopause symptoms —can help you understand when you’re ovulating and how to navigate them.
Do you ovulate during perimenopause? Yes, you ovulate during perimenopause! Even though ovulation might be more irregular, you’re likely still ovulating.
During perimenopause, your ovaries start to produce less estrogen and release fewer eggs. This causes progesterone to decrease, and triggers increased levels of luteinizing hormone . All of these hormonal fluctuations impact how regularly and predictably you ovulate.
It’s possible you might get a period and not ovulate, also known as an anovulatory cycle , or ovulate without a period. You won’t stop ovulating completely until you’ve reached menopause—the 12 months after your last period.
>>MORE: Everything You Need to Know About Perimenopause Ovulation (and How to Track It)
With so much irregularity and unpredictability, it can be confusing to figure out exactly when you’re ovulating during perimenopause—which is why identifying symptoms can be a great first step.
Symptoms of ovulation during perimenopause How can you tell you’re ovulating during perimenopause? Here are a few physical and psychological signs.
Changes in cervical mucus During ovulation, cervical mucus becomes more abundant, clear, and slippery. Often known as “egg white mucus,” this mucus facilitates sperm movement. If you’re ovulating, you’ll typically see this type of mucus three to four days before ovulation.
Pelvic pain or mittelschmerz Some women may experience mid pelvic discomfort during ovulation, known as mittelschmerz (German for “middle pain”). This pain typically occurs on one side of your abdomen at a time, which signals the side of your ovaries that’s ovulating. You may feel dull pain similar to period cramps or a sharp and sudden pain.
It’s crucial to mark when you feel this pain if you’re tracking your cycle or hormones to determine why they’re happening. Perimenopause cramps —caused by fluctuations during this transition—are common, and they may feel similar to the pelvic pain you feel during ovulation.
Breast tenderness Changes in your hormones during your menstrual cycle can lead to breast tenderness or pain. For some, this may feel dull and achy, while for others it may manifest as heaviness or discomfort.
Increased libido Ovulation typically coincides with a heightened sex drive; depending on your perimenopause symptoms, you may or may not experience a change in your sex drive. This is because many women experience an overall decrease in their sex drive during perimenopause. On the other hand, there is a smaller population that might experience a heightened libido.
The difference between ovulation-driven sex drive and perimenopause-driven sex drive is when the changes in sex drive occur. If sex drive only increases in the middle of your cycle, it’s more likely to be ovulation. If your sex drive changes overall and over time, it might be due to perimenopause.
Symptoms of ovulation during perimenopause vs. pre-perimenopause Symptoms of ovulation during perimenopause are similar to those pre-perimenopause—they just might be more infrequent or come when you might not expect.
For example, women entering and in perimenopause are likely to have more irregular cycles, which can change the frequency of symptoms of ovulation during perimenopause. While you may have gotten predictable pelvic pain every month pre-perimenopause, during perimenopause you may experience this pain only every few months, for example, if your cycles become less regular.
Symptoms of ovulation during perimenopause may be more or less intense than those pre-perimenopause, specifically breast tenderness and pelvic pain. Every person’s experience is unique, and you may even notice fluctuations in symptom intensity over the course of perimenopause.
How to track perimenopause ovulation Knowing the symptoms of ovulation during perimenopause is the first step to identifying when and whether you’re ovulating during this transition. However, perimenopause comes with its own slew of symptoms that can often be confused with ovulation symptoms.
The best way to track perimenopause ovulation is getting a closer look at your hormones. Identifying what’s happening with key reproductive hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone can help you identify why these symptoms are happening. When you know the cause of these symptoms, you can better prepare and navigate them.
Oova’s perimenopause hormone kit allows you to track your specific hormone levels to better understand the connection between hormone fluctuations and your symptoms and confirm ovulation.
Symptoms of ovulation during perimenopause: the bottom line Understanding and navigating symptoms of ovulation during perimenopause requires you to be in tune with your body and its changing hormone levels. Some of these symptoms might be similar to what you’ve experienced before perimenopause, but may vary in frequency and intensity. Sometimes, you may even mistake a perimenopause symptom for a sign of ovulation—that’s OK! There’s a lot going on in your body during this transition. Learning more about what to expect is the first step to getting through it.
