A mild pain that precedes ovulation by about 12 hours, felt in the left or right side, but not by everyone or in every ovarian cycle. A good indication of ovulation if it is felt. Can be exaggerated in endometriosis and in so-called pelvic congestion. The time from ovulation pain until the onset of menstruation (ignoring for this purpose any premenstrual spotting) is a good measure of the length of the luteal phase. Should not be treated with NSAIDs such as Advil or Nurofen if you are trying to get pregnant, because these analgesics have been linked to the so-called luteinised unruptured follicle syndrome, or LUF.

An inexpensive way of detecting ovulation through the effect progesterone has on the hypothalamus, increasing the body's temperature a few tenths of a degree. Best recorded using a BBT thermometer (with a smaller scale than thermometers used to record fevers or high temperatures) first thing in the morning before rising, and preferably in the vagina for accuracy. Day 1 of the chart is the first morning when there is menstruation (a period). Commonly there's a dip in the temperature just before the sustained rise that indicates that ovulation has occurred (a "biphasic chart"). The chart typically records the days you are menstruating, when you have sex and when you're aware of mucus and ovulation pain. Best used to document: (1) the presence and length of the luteal phase, especially if clomiphene is being used for ovulation induction; and (2) the timing of symptoms such as premenstrual spotting. Not as good for predicting ovulation as LH-testing in urine.

German for ovulation pain.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, e.g. aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Nurofen etc), mefanamic acid (Ponstan), naproxen sodium (Aleve, Naprosyn, or in Naprogesic in combination with dextropropoxyphene), which stop the production of prostaglandins; useful for dysmenorrhea and prior to a hysterosalpingogram. Excessive use at the time of ovulation might predispose to a luteinised unruptured follicle, so NSAIDs should not be used for ovulation pain if you are trying to get pregnant.