Does having a period mean you ovulated?

MamaMehl · May 2009

My doctor said if I get my period that it's a good sign that I ovulated. Is this accurate? I feel like I am reading conflicting information.

Man am I kicking myself for not charting this cycle b/c I am way too obsessive to just take this as it comes, as I was intending to do!

Sorry if this is a dumb question ... just trying to learn.

Mrs.Foreste · May 2009

No it doesn't automatically mean you Od.

wlknsnlrn · May 2009

No. Just look at my charts.

MrsDT · May 2009

No. I can't believe your doctor would say that

Rubys_Mom · May 2009

No having a persiod does not indicate that you O'd. For instance, I am pretty sure I didn't O after my D&C, due to CM, but I didn however have a short period 6 weeks after my D&C. A period is just the lining of your ute shedding.

mystic_J · May 2009

I would get a new doctor.

AJflowers · May 2009

In general it is a sign that you are. But as you can see from pp, this is not always the case. I talk about this all the time, Drs saying rediculous things. Sorry.

ETA: I mean, just look at withdrawl bleeding when you are on the pill!

Joyous1106 · May 2009

I'm actually not surprised that your doctor told you this, since my primary doctor said basically the same thing. Your doctor may not be all that familiar with the little details of women's cycles if s/he has been out of school a long time, or s/he may just be telling you what s/he thinks you want to hear.

So, in answer to your question, no, it doesn't necessarily mean that you ovulated. Menstration is supposed to happen b/c of a drop in progesterone, but if you don't ovulate, you don't get the high levels of prog. Instead, the uterine lining just continues to build, and then gets to the point where it can't sustain itself any longer and sheds. This is why some women experience brown spotting/bleeding (old blood) along with normal bleeding after an anovulatory cycle. The only way to really know you've O'd is with BBT charting or by doing lots of bloodwork for hormone levels.

If you haven't already read TCOYF, I'd definately reccomend it. I just finished it myself, and I learned a lot.

MamaMehl · May 2009

Thanks, I know he didn't say it was an absolute definitive sign that I ovulated, but he did say that it was a good sign that you are ovulating. I believe he meant that coupled with the u/s results and blood work, if i have my period its a good sign. We will see I guess b/c I very rarely have periods.

Kie310 · May 2009

Nope. two cycles ago my cycle was 57 days long - I never O'd.

Mrs. BZ · May 2009

jme515:
I would get a new doctor.

this

tct1219 · May 2009

no, if you want to know for sure when/ if you ovulated, charting is the best thing to do.

Ms_Shell · May 2009

tct1219:
no, if you want to know for sure when/ if you ovulated, charting is the best thing to do.

This.

Becky19 · May 2009

A lot of doctors say that if you have regular periods, the assumption is that you are regularly ovulating as well. However, that is definitely not always the case.

Additionally, even if you have regular periods and regularly ovulate, it's normal to have an anovulatory cycle now and then.