Can Traveling Delay Ovulation?

Perhaps, you’re trying to conceive, but you must travel at the same time. Therefore, you want to know whether traveling can affect your ovulation. In simple terms, ovulation is a time in the menstrual cycle when one of the two ovaries releases an ovum or an egg. And this happens around two weeks before the menstrual period begins.

In most cases, ovulation predictor kits measure the luteinizing hormone level in the urine. When the luteinizing hormone level increases, it means the woman is almost ovulating. Using reproductive technologies helps women that don’t ovulate regularly.

Traveling Kicks the Menstrual Cycle Out of Balance

If you travel a lot, you might realize that your menstrual cycle changes. For instance, you can notice that the regular-as-clockwork menstrual cycle is out of sync after a trip. Some women find this confusing or nerve-wracking at first.

However, this happens to most women and shouldn’t be a cause for alarm. Essentially, stress and travel cause changes in the ovulation patterns and menstrual cycle in most women.

How Travel Affects Ovulation

Traveling can induce stress that changes the regular ovulation patterns and menstrual cycle. That’s because a specific hormonal balance controls ovulation and the menstrual cycle. And the body is accustomed to this pattern. Therefore, changes in this pattern can shift the ovulation date.

Regular ovulation timing can change when traveling under stressful circumstances or changing your time zone. And this can make identifying your fertile window difficult. Essentially, it’s not the physical traveling act that affects ovulation. Instead, it’s the environmental changes and stressors that travel brings that affect ovulation.

The Bottom Line

Changes in ovulation patterns and menstrual cycle are regular when traveling. However, you may not notice these changes after a short trip. But long-distance travel can agitate your ovulation timing due to the stress that comes with it. Therefore, don’t panic if you notice changes in your ovulation pattern after traveling.