Ovulation pain

OhHeyB

Another thread mentioned ovulation pain and I am wondering how consistent it is for people and if it feels unique/distinct from other pain (like period cramping or general stomach pains)?  How do you know that it is ovulation pain - b/c it coincides with when you are ovulating or b/c the pain/symptoms are distinct?  These might sound like stupid questions but I'm realizing that I don't notice it regularly - either b/c I don't feel it or b/c I'm not attuned to it.   

As an aside - the more I research about fertility and conceiving the more confused by my body I feel.  I have super irregular cycles and it just makes me feel like my body isn't "working."  For someone that works in health and pays a lot of attention to other aspects of how external things influence how my body feels (food, exercise, stress, etc), it has been weirdly alienating.  Not sure if that makes sense or resonates with anyone else but just had to get that off my chest.

ChelseaC8312

I usually can tell when I'm ovulating but I have never really thought much of it untill recently. For me it's kind of an achy feeling or dull cramps. I can tell its different from cramps and since it happens monthly I just recognize it now. I used to think it was period cramps before I knew I was ovulating. Hope that helps

BillyHorrible

Like FDL said, not everyone experiences ovulation pain.  We're all so different when it comes to signs and signals from our bodies.

For me, growing up I would have mild cramps on one side or the other of my lower back and 14 days later would have my period.  So I figured they were ovulation pains.  Some time in 2006 I think I had an ovarian cyst burst and ever since that time I've had spotting sometimes with that pain.  Of course, that's also when I stopped having my period exactly 14 days after the pain.  I still get the cramping midcycle, but now that I'm temping I can see it's actually a couple days before I ovulate.

aztecash

Everyone's body is different, but I can tell a distinct difference between cramping and my fake ovulation pain. I don't know how much help I'll be since I'm abnormally regular, but for me cramps are dull but overwhelming and stem from the center of my uterus, while O pain is sharp, short, and stems more from my sides. I call my O pain "fake" though because I didn't notice it until I started learning more about my body and paying more attention to it. Now I think it might just be psychosomatic.

Mei&Mei

My ovulation pain is more of a sharp twingey feeling, and it only occurs on one side. It's also pretty quick, like a few hours at most. Menstrual cramps are down low and more crampy than twingey. They feel completely different. 

 I had no idea what the pain was until I started charting and paying real attention. I think it's not exactly common to have o pain though? Like 20% of people? I forgot exactly, but I know more people don't feel anything than do, so don't feel like you are missing something obvious or anything.

nandaboob06

Once upon a time I could tell when it was ovulation "cramps" vs something else. When we were ttc this last time around my cycles were irregular and I didnt notice it too much. This time around is TBD. Meh.

kelley72

My ovulation pains are short lasting, one to two days, very one side concentrated and occur within a few days prior to or one day after O (only decided after temp shift).  I did not notice ovulation pain until the last several years.  When I was younger I just didn't pay particular attention or didn't have it. Cyst bursting pain is, for me, very short lived thank goodness but it is very painful and I often wish I had a shot of morphine prior to it occurring.  I would not worry about not having or noticing ovulation pain.

lgsdesigner

1) Not everyone has O pain.

2) I get O pain, and it feels like a small ball on either the left or right side that is mild throbbing pain. Sometimes it's slightly stronger (like a cramp), and sometimes very light. But-- it stays in that one area and doesn't move (unlike a regular cramp). When the egg releases, you will also sometimes feel a weird burst followed by more mild pain. It is strange, to say the least. 

HTH!

OhHeyB

This is super helpful, thank you! I'll start paying attention and if I feel it, I feel it, and if I don't, I don't.

oxfordstreet

I definitely have the side, sharp pain that PP mentioned and it is associated with ovulation. It usually starts O day and then gradually subsists. I get lower, duller cramps and the tugging sensation closer to AF.

 

edit. words.

gscoville

FINEdoubleLINE said:

My ovulation pain can be sharp or a dull ache or cramping. The sharp or ache feeling is located on either side near my hip bones. I only recently started having cramping around ovulation which feels like normal menses cramps but with the cramps there is a tugging feeling from either side. I didn't realize it was due to ovulation until we started TTC, after charting. I can have ovulation pains starting 5 days before ovulation through to ovulation, and occasionally a day or two after. Most commonly the ovulation pains stop after I ovulate. Not everyone experiences ovulation pains and it is completely normal not too. That doesn't mean something is wrong. Good luck!

I was all set to write out pretty much exactly this.  Did you steal my body when I was sleeping?  

delujm0

I've never had O pain.  Sometimes i'll feel what is most likely a gas bubble on one side or the other around when i'm expecting to O, but i have no idea if that's related and i only started to notice it once i started temping and checking CM.  So it's probably all in my head.  I'm not surprised that i don't feel anything in there...two years ago i had a baseball-sized dermoid cyst removed from my right ovary, and i had no idea that was in there either.

 

(note about the cyst - i SHOULD have noticed that my monthly bleeds from BCP were mostly brown or looked dried up and weird, but i didn't think anything of it...turns out the cyst was so big that my ute was contracting in on itself to make room for it.  bastard.  everything is back to normal.  i guess dermoid cysts are not indicative of PCOS or anything, and are completely random, and during surgery my doctor was able to get the whole thing out without having to remove any of the ovary, so it should not impact my ability to conceive.  just wanted to throw this all out there for lurkers or in case it helps anyone).

DawnLilly

LDW176 said:

I definitely have the side, sharp pain that PP mentioned and it is associated with ovulation. It usually starts O day and then gradually subsists. I get lower, duller cramps and the tugging sensation closer to AF.

 

edit. words.

This is my experience as well. No cramping but a sharp quick pain located on one side or the other. Most often times the left. After being pregnant with DS, I can now more accurately describe it as a similar feeling to round ligament pain.

dazdareis

I've felt it almost every cycle since puberty but have only paid attention the last 12-13 cycles. It's actually been very helpful as I have issues with my right ovary and know not to try when I feel myself ovulating from that side.

Mine feels like a sharp pulling sensation. Last about 2-3 minutes on an off for about a day or so, day before ovulation.

But I also have cysts and they have felt similar but have temped to rule out O.