Miscarriage is as emotionally taxing as it physically. You might need time to heal, and therefore want to avoid another pregnancy, or you might be eager to try to conceive again.

When your body is on a regular menstrual cycle, it's easy to tell when you're fertile and when you should expect your period. But when you have irregular menstrual cycles, your fertile period can be different each month. This fertile time, centering around ovulation, gives off some tell-tale signs.

Many women notice that pimples pop up around the time of ovulation, which occurs approximately two weeks before their periods. It's perfectly normal for the hormonal surges women experience around ovulation to exacerbate acne.

Abdominal pain can be a sign of many different health concerns, but some women experience a non-threatening—although sometimes intense—pain as a normal part of the ovulation cycle. About once every 26 to 28 days, a previously immature egg in one of the ovaries develops and bursts out of the ovary.

Ovulation is the stage of the menstrual cycle during which a mature egg is released from the ovary into the fallopian tube and is available for fertilization. Usually, one egg is released per ovulation cycle and the egg can survive for 12 to 24 hours after leaving the ovary.

Progesterone plays an important role in the regulation of your menstrual cycle. This hormone also helps maintain a uterine lining suitable for the implantation of an embryo if you get pregnant. A low progesterone level can affect your menstrual cycle, cause symptoms in perimenopause or threaten a pregnancy.

The menstrual cycle has several discreet events, the most noticeable of which is the menstrual period. Some women also experience minor discomfort around the time of ovulation, or release of the egg, but for many this event goes entirely unnoticed.