Do you experience pain or cramps between periods?
If you do, you may be experiencingmittelschmerz.
Ulnike Schmitt-Hartman / Getty images
What Causes Mittelscmerz?
Ulnike Schmitt-Hartman / Getty images
Ovulation normally occurs about two weeks after the first day of menstruation.
During these two weeks, hormonal changes occur that stimulate your ovary to release an egg.
Each of your eggs develops inside their own compartment known as afollicle.
Mittelschmerz Symptoms
Mittelschmerz symptoms can last from a few minutes to a few days.
Your options include:
Prevention
It is common to have an occasional cycle with significant ovulatory discomfort.
However, if you have significant mittelschmerz every month, you may want to considerhormonal contraception.
The birth control pill, contraceptive patch, or contraceptive ring all work by suppressing your ovulation.
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