Ovulation pain, also know as "Mettleshmertz", which literally translates to "Middle Pain", can occur before, during and/or after ovulation occurs, which is why ovulation pain is normally considered to be a secondary fertility sign, used to help pinpoint ovulation, when utilized in conjunction with primary fertility signs, such as temperature, cervical fluid observations and cervical position.

Ovulation pain occurs in the pelvic region, below or near the hip bones, on one or both sides of the pelvis. The difference in sensation can help many women distinguish where they are in their cycles. For instance...

• When some women have a dull ache on one or both sides, or an alternating achiness, that often means that ovulation is going to occur soon and the ovaries are swelling with follicles.

 

• When a sharp, quick, stabbing pain occurs, that often means ovulation is taking place right at that time, and the sharp pain is from the egg shooting out of the follicle very, very quickly.

 

• The third kind of pain happens after ovulation has already taken place, and it like a nagging ache on *one side, which some describe as a "pulled muscle-kind-of-feeling", which relates to the corpus luteum (the left over shell from the egg, which, when it was whole, was considered a follicle) being left behind on the ovary as a temporary cyst, in order to produce Progesterone until the end of the luteal phase, or the end of the pregnancy, whichever the case may be. 

 

• (*Although with fraternal twins or multiples, a woman could ache on both sides if she ovulated from both sides that cycle.)