Ovulation Explained: The Science, the Symptoms, and the Myths We Need to Stop Repeating

✨ Every Woman’s Cycle Is Different and That’s Why Education Matters

Some women barely notice their cycle at all, their month flows from day to day without big shifts in mood, energy, or appetite. Others feel their hormonal rhythm deeply: changes in sleep, cravings, sensitivity, productivity, or pain.

Both experiences are valid.
And neither one makes a woman more or less intuitive, empathetic, or “in tune” with her body, it’s simply biology expressing itself differently in each of us.

I don’t want to make this conversation bigger or heavier than it needs to be, or imply that there’s a “right” way to experience your cycle. But the more we understand our bodies, the easier it becomes to advocate for ourselves, communicate our needs, and have meaningful conversations with other women who may experience their cycle differently.

This post is all about that: awareness, compassion, and practical tools for understanding your own rhythm, whatever it looks like.

🌼 Ovulation: The Phase Many Women Feel (Even If They Don’t Know It)

Ovulation is the hormonal high point of the cycle. Estrogen peaks, libido often rises, and many women feel clearer, more social, or more energized. But for others, ovulation is also the time when they notice something else: mittelschmerz.

Mittelschmerz: What It Is and Why It Happens

Mittelschmerz is one-sided, mid-cycle ovulation pain. It can feel sharp, crampy, achy, or simply “different,” and it can last from a few minutes to a couple of days.

It happens because of:

• Stretching of the ovarian surface as the follicle grows
• Fluid or blood released when the follicle ruptures
• Temporary irritation of surrounding tissues and nerves

It’s common, it’s harmless, and it’s one of the clearest signs of active ovulation.

🔄 Which Side? The Truth About Ovary Alternation

Many women assume ovaries take turns, left one month, right the next.
In reality:

• Ovulation does NOT alternate perfectly
• One ovary can release eggs for several cycles in a row
• There is a slight preference for the right ovary (~55%) due to blood flow differences
• Patterns shift with age, ovarian reserve, stress, and anatomy

If your ovulation pain switches sides, that’s normal.
If it doesn’t, that’s normal too.
Your body isn’t mechanical, it’s adaptive.

🔍 Myth-Busting

1️⃣ “My mood changes depending on which ovary released the egg.”

There is no scientific evidence that left-vs-right ovulation changes mood.
Mood shifts around ovulation are driven by hormonal changes, estrogen, LH, and post-ovulation progesterone, along with stress, sleep, lifestyle, and emotional context.

Differences you feel month to month are real, but not caused by ovary laterality.

2️⃣ Seed Cycling Balances Hormones

Seed cycling (rotating flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds) is popular, but not evidence-based.

The truth:

• Seeds add fiber, healthy fats, and micronutrients
• These support general health
• But seed cycling does not meaningfully change estrogen, progesterone, PMS, or cycle length in research

If it feels grounding or helps you stay consistent with nutrition the please keep it.
Just know it’s supportive, not corrective.

3️⃣ Cycle-Based Training (Cycle Syncing Workouts)

You’ll often see advice telling women to rest during menstruation, do HIIT during ovulation, and avoid heavy lifting in luteal phase.

This sounds nice, but:

• Research is mixed and inconsistent
• Hormone effects vary dramatically between women
• Stress, sleep, nutrition, and training history impact performance more than cycle phase

Some women feel strongest mid-cycle.
Some feel strongest in luteal.
Some feel the same all month.

The most effective plan is the one that respects your energy, not the infographic.

🍽 Cycle-Supporting Nutrition (Evidence-Based, Not Trend-Based)

🏃 Movement That Honors Your Energy

💭 Reflection

Think back to your last cycle, or even the past few months.
Did some days feel lighter, faster, more focused?
Did others feel heavier, slower, or more sensitive?
Or do you move through the entire month without noticing many differences at all?

All of these experiences are normal.
None of them define how “in tune” you are.
We simply express our hormonal rhythm differently.

The more we understand our own patterns (and appreciate that other women’s patterns may look nothing like ours), the easier it becomes to advocate for ourselves and to support each other with empathy rather than comparison.

Awareness creates clarity.
Clarity creates compassion.
And compassion helps every woman feel more supported, by herself and her community.