How does ovulation actually work?

[dependantdragon]

Title. I've been having pain in regions that, after checking my belly for where it hurts, my mom seems convinced is my ovaries, specifically that I'm currently ovulating. While I was talking to her about my pain, I wondered aloud why ovulating could hurt so much, as my vague understanding of the mechanics involved (which to be fair isn't that good, as my only interest in conception is related to my fictional-only impregnation fetish, and I have no interest in getting pregnant myself, ever) didn't have any obvious indications of what would make it painful. My mom explained it in a way that, while I do genuinely appreciate her attempt to educate me, hasn't done me many favors; she described that when the egg exits the ovary, it makes "a wound", popping out of the ovary "like a zit". In addition to my belief that I should get checked for polycystic ovarian syndrome, as I've displayed at least two of the symptoms and my older sister has it, I also am actually diagnosed with cystic acne. As a result I know the pain they can cause and the mechanics of how a pimple "pops" in a very intimate fashion! That, combined with... I think it's an autistic trait, but it could also be my ADHD or my (undiagnosed) OCD, that's causing me to fixate on the mental image I have of the mechanics of ovulation now. And due to this fixation, I also keep fixating on and worrying about the pain I'm experiencing that's been connected to my ovaries.

All this to say: Could someone explain the mechanics of ovulation, particularly the movement of and changes in the internal reproductive system, to me in a significantly more detailed way? Or perhaps just link me to a resource that does so. Diagrams would be especially helpful! I would research it myself, but I'm worried I'll get sidetracked by potential symptoms and such; that's already happened at least once, where I got fixated on the likely possibility that I have PCOS. I strongly believe that understanding the details and realities will help me feel less anxious about this, as I'll have facts to fill in the blank spots where my brain is creating scary possibilities, so to speak. Thank you in advance!

[KierC]

Hey there Dependantdragon, and welcome back to the boards!

I’m sorry to hear you’re having pain, and that the unfortunate metaphor your mom used was more anxiety-inducing than helpful. Sexual metaphors are fascinating because they do reveal some of our internal biases and fears surrounding sex. I don’t think your mom meant for it to be a “bad” metaphor, but I totally hear you that it doesn’t sound like a very pleasant metaphor at all, and that it’s been hard to think about ovulation a different way now.

If it helps to have a matter-of-fact description:

At the beginning of your cycle, your pituitary gland tells your ovaries to make some follicles, and those follicles grow for a bit and secret estrogen, which helps thicken or strengthen the walls of the uterus. Then, the follicles stop growing except for one, and that one follicle matures to become an egg (oocyte). That egg continues to mature in the follicle, and then it releases a bunch of estrogen, and the estrogen signal goes back to the pituitary gland to say “hey, time to release the luteinizing hormone to grow the egg one more time!” The luteinizing hormone finishes maturing the egg, and then during ovulation that egg comes out of the follicle and travels through the fallopian tube to the uterus.

Would it help to go through that description of ovulation and make your own way of thinking about it that feels more positive?

In terms of the pain you’re experiencing, when the egg comes out of the follicle, there is fluid released, so you can experience some discomfort in your abdomen after the follicle burst but before it’s reabsorbed. It should be temporary discomfort, but the biggest thing I’d add is that you never have to experience pain or discomfort, and if you feel like the cramping your feeling during ovulation is too much, you can absolutely see a doctor about this! Does that sound like something you’d like to do?