Does ovulation make you emotional? Causes and management

Ovulation is a part of your menstrual cycle that takes place on day 14 in a 28-day cycle. At this time, your ovaries release a mature egg for further fertilization, and this process can be accompanied by a number of symptoms, including pain, spotting, and others.

Does ovulation make you emotional? Shortly, yes. Mood swings can intensify during this time due to rather rapid changes in your follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone, and estrogen. Additional ovulation symptoms, such as pain, can also contribute to irritability and anxiety. Luckily, you can manage your emotions through healthy habits and rituals, such as:

• Proper sleep
• Healthy eating
• Regular activity
• Comforting rituals and stress-coping techniques

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Ovulation is a part of your monthly menstrual cycle. In an average 28-day cycle, it occurs on day 14. At this time, your ovary releases a mature egg (ovum) that waits to be fertilized and then travels down the fallopian tube to the cervix, where it implants and starts a pregnancy. The ovulation lasts between 12 and 24 hours. This is the time during which the released egg survives and can be fertilized. If this doesn’t happen, it becomes reabsorbed in your body.

Playing one of the key roles in reproduction, of course, ovulation is associated with hormonal changes. These changes bring along a range of symptoms, such as breast tenderness, increased sex drive, appetite changes, and heightened senses. But does ovulation make you emotional? In fact, mood swings are also among the common symptoms. In this article, we’ll discuss what causes them and how you can manage your emotions better.

Does Ovulation Make You Emotional?

The short answer is “yes.” Getting emotional during ovulation is possible and rather common. According to experts, about 20-30% of women report tangible emotional changes during this time. The most common ovulation symptoms mood include:

• Frustration
• Anxiety
• Depression

Apart from negative emotions, it’s generally common to have increased emotional sensitivity during this time. Many women also report more rapid, often uncontrolled, changes in emotions.

How Long Can Ovulation Mood Swings Last?

Although mood swings during ovulation can feel frustrating and disrupt your daily life, they are usually temporary. Most often, these symptoms surge right before ovulation or during it and last for a few days.

Sometimes, however, this emotional instability can continue through the entire luteal phase that follows after ovulation. During this stage of your menstrual cycle, many women experience what is known as “premenstrual syndrome (PMS),” which is associated with many discomforting symptoms, including mood swings, breast tenderness, food cravings, fatigue, and others.

Hormones During Ovulation & Mood Swings

As you already know, getting emotional during ovulation isn’t uncommon. But why does this happen in the first place? In order to answer this question, it’s important to understand the deep hormonal changes that take place in your body at this time.

There are four essential hormones that participate in the process of ovulation – follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone, and estrogen. Here’s a brief explanation of the role each of these hormones plays in ovulation and their impact on your mood:

Estrogen

Estrogen is a hormone that is the first one to rise before ovulation. It begins to rise in advance to change your cervical mucus to thinner and more slippery, so that it’s easier for sperm to move and meet the egg. Typically, estrogen levels peak around 1-2 days before ovulation. Then they fall immediately after ovulation until the next (smaller) surge in the luteal phase.

Estrogen and mood: Estrogen has a massive impact on multiple neurotransmitters in your brain. In particular, it’s closely associated with serotonin and dopamine availability, as well as the sensitivity of your brain receptors. When it rises prior to ovulation, you can feel more energised, positive, and confident. However, it also stands for increased sensitivity and, sometimes, anxiety. And when this hormone starts rapidly dropping during the ovulation phase, it can cause irritability, sadness, and mood swings.

Follicle-stimulating hormone

FSH levels start surging rapidly right before the ovulation day. This hormone stimulates your ovarian follicles (sacks that contain eggs) to start growing and maturing to prepare for the egg release.

FSH and mood: FSH is known to affect emotional regulation. Although there are still insufficient data to understand the FSH-brain relationship in full, studies show that rapidly changing and high FSH levels can cause mood swings and increase the likelihood of developing depression.

Luteinizing hormone

LH also surges right before ovulation. This hormone stimulates your ovaries to release a mature egg.

LH and mood: LH is less commonly associated with mood changes. It’s often believed that ovulation symptoms mood changes are primarily associated with fluctuations in other hormones. Nevertheless, some studies suggest that rising LH levels can cause increased anxiety in women.

Progesterone

From the previous luteal phase and until around 1 day before ovulation, your progesterone levels remain at their lowest. This hormone starts surging slightly before ovulation and peaks around the middle of the luteal phase. Its primary role is to thicken the uterus lining so that it can accommodate a fertilized egg and sustain early pregnancy.

Progesterone and mood: Progesterone is proven to have a direct impact on GABA – the brain’s calming neurotransmitter. When its levels are low, it can cause anxiety, stress, and frequent mood swings. And when it starts rising, it’s also associated with increased irritability and emotional sensitivity.

What Else Can Ovulation Cause Mood Swings?

If you are feeling more emotional during ovulation, of course, hormonal fluctuations play the biggest role in it. However, it’s also possible that other ovulation symptoms contribute to a less stable emotional well-being.

Apart from hormones during ovulation mood can be influenced by:

• Ovulation pain – According to experts, roughly 40% of women can experience pain during ovulation. Although cramping isn’t always very intense or prolonged, it can still influence your emotions by causing physical discomfort.
• Ovulation bleeding – Some women can also experience light bleeding or spotting during their ovulation. This can be caused by follicle rupture and hormonal shifts, and it can also make you feel less confident and comfortable, thus affecting your mood.
• Bloating – Many women also face bloating during and after ovulation. Although this is normal, having a very bloated belly can affect your body image and also influence how you feel emotionally.

Is It Normal to Get Emotional During Ovulation?

So, does ovulation make you emotional? As you now see, it really does. Hormonal changes and other symptoms that often accompany the process of ovulation can impact your mood and cause rapid changes. And this is a very normal thing. As mentioned earlier, 20-30% of women report having mood swings during this time. So, even if you feel more emotional, it’s usually not a cause for concern.

Still, although it’s normal, this doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t do something about it.

How to Control Mood Swings During Ovulation

Mood swings during ovulation can be very frustrating. Luckily, you can take your emotions under control by implementing the following simple tips:

• Follow a healthy diet. A balanced diet helps supply your body with all the nutrients it needs, stabilizes blood sugar, and can also help support brain health. Besides, there are so-called “good mood foods” that have been shown to positively affect your mental well-being. Some of such foods include fatty fish, berries, dark chocolate, and many others.
• Get quality sleep. Quality and sufficient sleep is proven to engage your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and digest activities, while also reducing the engagement of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your body’s fight or flight response. Thus, improving your sleep can help you balance emotions and promote well-being.
• Implement regular exercise. Physical activity is long known to trigger the release of neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure, happiness, and motivation, such as dopamine. Thus, following a regular schedule of exercise is a good way to promote emotional well-being during ovulation. You can choose any kind of physical activity, including low-impact workouts – whatever feels right to you.
• Address any additional symptoms that may cause you discomfort. If you’re experiencing ovulation pain, consider using heating pads, warm baths, or over-the-counter painkillers to feel better. Also, seek remedies for any other ovulation symptoms that can affect your physical and mental well-being.
• Use relaxing rituals and stress-coping techniques. Whenever you’re feeling low or anxious during ovulation, comforting rituals and stress management activities can help reduce cortisol levels and feel better. There are many options to try, including journaling, walking, yoga, meditation, and others.

FAQ

Can ovulation cause mood swings?

Yes, it’s common to feel more emotional during ovulation, and about 20-30% of women report having this symptom. Increased emotional sensitivity and rapid changes in mood are primarily explained by hormonal changes that take place during this time.

Does ovulation cause mood swings because of other factors?

Of course, hormonal shifts play a big role. However, there are a few other ovulation symptoms that can affect your mood indirectly. For example, dealing with ovulation pain, bleeding, or bloating can make you feel less confident and create a bad mood.

When should I see a doctor if I get too emotional during ovulation?

Generally, mood swings during ovulation are normal and shouldn’t be a cause for concern. However, they should not get in the way of living your daily life. If you experience intense mood swings that hinder your daily life, it can be wise to talk to a healthcare provider about how you feel and figure out the best strategy for improving your mental well-being.

Conclusion

So, does ovulation make you emotional? As you now know, it’s not uncommon to experience increased emotional sensitivity during this part of your cycle. It’s a normal thing that can be explained by hormonal fluctuations and other ovulation symptoms that can affect your mood.

Luckily, even if your emotions are over the top, there are a few things you can do about it. Use the tips on how to control mood swings during ovulation that we shared here to support your well-being and feel great during this time!

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