Mittelschmerz is German for \u201cmiddle pain,” the telltale ovulation pain or cramping that signals that your body is in ovulation mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mittelschmerz happens in an estimated twenty percent of women [1], and is often felt on one side of the lower abdomen (although pain on both sides is also possible). Mittelschmerz can happen before ovulation, just as ovulation occurs, or right after ovulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mittelschmerz pain can vary from woman to woman, and even from cycle to cycle. <\/span>For some women, mittelschmerz feels<\/span> <\/span>dull<\/span> and<\/span> aching. Some women may <\/span>even <\/span>e<\/span>xperience mild cramping<\/span>, akin to light menstrual cramp<\/span>s<\/span>. Others may feel <\/span>a sharp, sudden pain.<\/span> Sometimes mid-cycle cramping may even be accompanied by spotting. <\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n T<\/span>he exact cause of <\/span>mittelschmerz<\/span> is u<\/span>n<\/span>kn<\/span>ow<\/span>n. <\/span>One theory is that<\/span> <\/span>the<\/span> pain comes from the<\/span> swelling of a<\/span> mature follicle pressing against the wall of one of your ovaries<\/span> as it<\/span> <\/span>tr<\/span>ies<\/span> to break through and release an egg<\/span>. Another theory is that <\/span>blood and fluid <\/span>released during<\/span> the bursting of the follicle caus<\/span>es<\/span> irritation in the abdominal cavity.<\/span> Another theory is that<\/span> <\/span>the actual bursting of the egg from out of the follicle<\/span> may cause a sharp<\/span>, sudden pain. Finally, <\/span>it is thought that the <\/span>spasming of the fallopian tubes or uterus<\/span> as the body <\/span>aids movement of the egg<\/span> after ovulation<\/span> may cause <\/span>some <\/span>cramping or discomfort<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n While some may find mittelschmerz annoying, to me, it\u2019s a good thing to recognize! Good, because ovulation is a good thing\u2014it is a sign of health, and I want to know that I am healthy. Don\u2019t you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, p<\/span>ain is <\/span>generally <\/span>not <\/span>thought of being<\/span> good<\/span> for us<\/span>. <\/span>I<\/span>n fact, it\u2019s<\/span> <\/span>often<\/span> a sign that something is wrong<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>But i<\/span>n th<\/span>e <\/span>case of ovulation,<\/span> I\u2019m not so sure<\/span> that\u2019s true<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps we can think of <\/span>normal <\/span>ovulation pain in terms of \u201chealthy pa<\/span>in,\u201d similar to the pain we feel when we exercise<\/span>. <\/span>After all, when <\/span>our <\/span>muscles work hard, sometimes there<\/span> is pain\u2014and it\u2019s not always a bad thing! <\/span>Similarly, <\/span>when a woman\u2019s uterus is contracting as she prepares to give birth<\/span>, <\/span>the pain she feels is<\/span> precisely because her body is d<\/span>oing what it is supposed to do. Of course, people who exercise regularly know the difference between the \u201cgood burn\u201d you feel during a great workout<\/span> <\/span>and the feeling of injury<\/span>, and women who have <\/span>gi<\/span>ven birth before know what normal contractions <\/span>should<\/span> feel like<\/span>.<\/span> That is where trusting <\/span>that you know <\/span>your body<\/span> best<\/span>\u2014and <\/span>trusting <\/span>your <\/span>instincts\u2014can be an important part of figuring out when something is wrong, and advocating for yourself in the doctors\u2019 office.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Normal mittelschmerz pain is generally not severe, debilitating, or disruptive of your life and activities\u2014and it is never accompanied by a fever. It is also short-lived, usually lasting for less than a day. If you experience severe mid-cycle pain (especially pain so severe as to cause nausea, or make sex incredibly uncomfortable or even painful), it may be a sign of another issue, such as endometriosis or ovarian cysts. If your mid-cycle pain is this severe or disruptive, or if your pain persists or is accompanied by other symptoms like fever, it is likely not healthy ovulation pain, and you should definitely talk to your doctor about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, <\/span>w<\/span>omen who go to mainstream doctors complaining of pain that occurs every month may be prescribed birth control to suppress ovulation.<\/span> While this may prevent mid-cycle discomfort, it <\/span>will also interrupt<\/span> the process of ovulation<\/span>. <\/span>But g<\/span>iven that ovulation is a <\/span>normal<\/span><\/a>, healthy thing for a woman<\/span> to experience<\/span>, arguably even an essential part of what <\/span>makes <\/span><\/i>her<\/span> a woman, <\/span>is<\/span> suppressing it <\/span>really<\/span> the right thing to do<\/span>?<\/span> <\/span>Equally troubling is that birth control<\/span> may <\/span>mask<\/span> the symptoms of an underlying disorder (like <\/span>endometriosis<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>polycystic ovary syndrome<\/span><\/a>),<\/span> making it harder to detect or diagnose the disorder, and to get<\/span> real, restorative treatment<\/span> for it<\/span>.<\/span> Finally, it must be said that <\/span>hormonal birth control <\/span>can<\/span> <\/span>affect your body <\/span>in <\/span>other negative ways<\/span><\/a>, too<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re experiencing mid-cycle pain or cramping, i<\/span>t\u2019s important to determine that the pain is <\/span>actually due<\/span> to the egg-releasing process, and not a symptom of a disorder. To do so, you need to figure out the timing of the pain and to see if there is <\/span>a pattern.<\/span> This is <\/span>an example of <\/span>where an understanding of your <\/span>own unique <\/span>menstrual cycle <\/span>is invaluable to your health!<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, <\/span>like most women, you likely<\/span> do not ovulate at the same time every month<\/span>. You <\/span>may<\/span> <\/span>have long<\/span>er<\/span> <\/span>cycles<\/span> or short<\/span>er<\/span> cycles, and <\/span>you may not<\/span> ovulate <\/span>on the textbook <\/span>14<\/span>th<\/span> <\/span>day of your cycle<\/span>.<\/span> However, what is likely pretty consistent is the length of your luteal phase\u2014that is, the number of days between when you ovulate and when your next period begins<\/span>\u2014which is between 12 and 16 days long for a woman with a healthy cycle.<\/span> Knowing this information can help you figure out<\/span> <\/span>when you should expect ovulation pain to occur<\/span> (no guesswork involved!) and when <\/span>your<\/span> next<\/span> period will begin<\/span>. <\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every time you experience mid-cycle pain, you should <\/span>p<\/span>ut a symbol on your calendar indicating when the pain occurred and on what side. If you want to be the best expert on YOUR BODY, do what one client of mine does and put abbreviations like \u201cRAP\u201d or \u201cLAP\u201d for right ab pain or left ab pain. Or make up your own appropriate symbols based on where the pain occurred, <\/span>ie<\/span>. low back, etc.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n After charting your discomfort, mark when your period starts and stops. Then, after a few months, you\u2019ll be able to see if there is a relationship between your body\u2019s efforts to ovulate and your discomfort.<\/span> <\/span>Some w<\/span>omen <\/span>who have never paid much attention to their cycles before <\/span>may<\/span>What causes ovulation pain or cramping?<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Healthy ovulation pain vs. bad ovulation pain: When to go to your doctor<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Using b<\/span>irth control <\/span>for mittelschmerz<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to determine whether your mittelschmerz is normal, or the symptom of an <\/span>underlying disorder<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
T<\/span>racking ovulation pain<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n