I am writer and creator of www.bodylanguageproject.com. This is an abridged version of a longer article I compiled on nonverbal cues indicating ovulation (link at bottom).

 

If you are interested in material like this, please let me know and I can add more - even present some of the research (I have buckets of it). To find citations and more detail follow the links below. Feel free to x-post this to the main reddit as I am not an active contributor (but regular reader) and therefore it would not pass moderation. If you think this sucks and isn't helpful, then just downvote it and I will go away! I read here often and use it to tweak my views and also produce material that will HELP men (and woman) make their lives work better - and mine too...obviously.

 

Whether you are with a LTR or aiming for a short term hook-up, reading these signals and understanding what they mean is key to getting correct results.

 

For years, it was argued that ovulation was “hidden” or at best “concealed”, because women, unlike animals, do not covertly advertise ovulation. However, upon closer inspection, it has been found that many signals are significantly correlated to ovulation in women.

 

Women who are ovulating show a greater desire for sex. Additionally, and contrary to common belief, there is a noticeable difference between women in their non-reproductive phases of their cycle, versus those in their peak fertility, as we will see. While men are always fertile (and have a steady state of mind and action), woman cycle in terms of fertility and therefore so does their (nonverbal) behaviour.

 

Understanding the differences can be particularly beneficial for couples trying to successfully conceive, but also for men seeking particularly willing sexual partners. Peak fertility in women bolsters sexual desire. Women at peak fertility make themselves more attractive to desirable men (more prosocial - less argumentative i.e. more nice).

 

As we will discuss, this signals happen naturally, but only if women are cycling naturally – without hormonal contraceptives – thus for some, these traits must be done consciously so as to appeal to men they wish to attract.

 

As a general rule, peak fertility occurs around the center of the menstrual cycle – at around day 15 on a 30 day cycle. Absent visible cues, you could simple estimate that ovulation occurs 15 after the first onset of menses (the first day of her period). The 12-15 day are key fertility days, after those days, she is significantly less likely to be fertile and thus, nonverbal fertility signals will decline or even become absent (such as in an LTR). Keep in mind that these are ways that she signals sexual receptivity. While humans can have sex year-round, the most intense drive for sex in women, occurs, at around peak fertility at ovulation [note: women have sex for more reasons than just to get pregnant, but we have no time to discuss this here].

 

Interestingly, the rules of fertility and the symptoms that indicate it are not followed as rigorously in women taking hormonal contraceptives. When women take oral contraceptives, the artificial hormones trick her body into a state it believes is perpetually pregnant. She will tend to still be relatively attracted to her mate, but she won’t lust for him in the same way she would if she was undergoing a natural cycle. This will flatten out the cycle or make it less (or sometimes) more apparent - women react differently to artificial hormones. I highly recommend using the copper IUD to actually see a more natural cycle when in a LTR.

 

The Comprehensive List Of Female Sexual Cues To Ovulation Appearance Changes During Ovulation (14 Changes)

 

Women who are in peak fertility:

 

  1. Reported engaging in greater appearance-related product (Saad and Stenstrom, 2009).
  2. Do more self-grooming and ornamentation such as jewelry (Martie G et. al., 2007).
  3. Preferred clothing that is more revealing and sexy rather than conservative (Durante, Griskevicius, Hill, Perilloux, and Li, 2011) especially when they were attending discotheques away from their partners (Grammer, Renninger, and Fischer, 2004).
  4. Have an increased desire to wear revealing clothing (Durante et al., 2008; Grammer, Renninger, and Fischer, 2004).
  5. Have a tendency to wear clothing that leads women to be judged as trying to look more attractive (Haselton et al., 2007).
  6. Showed more skin (Haselton, Mortezaie, Pillsworth, Bleske, and Frederick 2007).
  7. Have a preference for warm rather than cool colors (Kim and Tokura (1998).
  8. Are more likely to wear red or pink at peak fertility (Alec T. Beall and Jessica L. Tracy. 2013).
  9. Spend more time putting on makeup and makeup artists evaluated their level of use to be higher and of better quality. (Nicolas Guéguen, 2012).
  10. Tend to be rated as more attractive even if they had no make-up applied (Puts et al., 2013; Roberts et al., 2004).
  11. Dress more fashionably (Haselton et al., 2007).
  12. Report a desire to purchase and wear sexier clothing when imagining attending a social gathering at which they might meet men (Durante et al, 2011).
  13. Have improved facial skin tone, vocal pitch, body symmetry, and waist-to-hip ratio (Kirchengast and Gartner, 2002; Manning et. al, 1996; Pipitone and Gallup, 2008; Roberts et al., 2004).
  14. Have a more attractive face shape, an “ovulating shape” which is rated be men as being more attractive, healthy, sexy, sociable, trustworthy, young, and likeable than luteal faces (Oberzaucher et al, 2012).

 

Behavioural Changes During Ovulation (11 Changes)

 

Women who are in peak fertility:

 

  1. Have an increase in female sexual function congruence with rising free and total testosterone (Salonia et. al 2008).
  2. Seek men out to have sex with them as the result of subconscious desire (Haselton and Gangestad, 2006).
  3. Report greater interest in activities associated with finding and attracting new romantic partners, such as attending social gatherings (Haselton and Gangestad, 2006).
  4. Report feeling more attractive themselves, have more interest in attending events where they might meet men and experience more mate guarding by their partner (Haselton et. al, 2006).
  5. Tend to flirt with men other than their primary partner (Gangestad et al., 2002; Haselton and Gangestad, 2006).
  6. Experience increase in libido and sexual interest and attraction towards potential mates (Jones et. al, 2008).
  7. Are more likely to provide a phone number to a prospective male (Gueguen, 2009).
  8. Report an increase in sexual self-stimulation, overall sexual desire, and number of sexual fantasies (Bullivant et al., 2004; Harvey, 1987; Regan, 1996).
  9. Tend to become more interpersonally warm during periods of high fertility (Markey, 2011).
  10. Have walking styles that becomes more feminine (Grammer et al., 2003) and fertile women tended to walk more slowly and for longer periods of time in front of men (Guéguen, 2012).

 

Mate Preferences Changes During Ovulation (13 Changes) Women who are in peak fertility:

 

  1. Prefer men who are physically attractive (Gangestad et al., 2007).
  2. Find men more attractive if they have markers of high health and masculinity (Penton-Voak and Perrett, 2000).
  3. Have a preference for men’s traits, including facial masculinity (Johnston et al., 2001; Little et al., 2008; Penton-Voak and Perrett, 2000; Penton-Voak, et al., 1999; Peters, Simmons, and Rhodes, 2009; Scarbrough and Johnston, 2005; Roney and Simmons 2008; Welling et al., 2007)
  4. Prefer masculine body shapes i.e. muscularity (Little et al., 2007; Peters et al., 2009).
  5. Prefer men who are tall (Pawlowski and Jasienska, 2005).
  6. Prefer voices with masculine characteristics (e.g., lower pitch) (Feinberg et al., 2006; Puts, 2005).
  7. Prefer the odor of masculine men (Grammer, 1993; Havlicek et al., 2005).
  8. Find various nonphysical traits, such as dominant and intrasexually competitive behavior attractive in men (Gangestad et al., 2004; Gangestad et al., 2007; Lukaszewski and Roney, 2009; Havlicek, et al., 2005).
  9. Found men who were seen to be confrontational with other men, arrogant, muscular, physically attractive, and socially respected to be attractive (Gangestad et al., 2004).
  10. Find men who emit scents associated with body symmetry attractive (Gangestad and Thornhill, 1998).
  11. Find men attractive who are social dominant and have social presence (Gangestad and Thornhill, 1998; Havlicek et. al, 2005; Rikowski and Grammer, 1999; Thornhill and Gangestad, 1999; Thornhill et al., 2003),
  12. Prefer men who are or appear to be creative and intelligent, though results in this regard are mixed (Haselton and Miller, 2006).
  13. Use more derogating of other women’s physical attractiveness and are less likely to share monetary rewards with other women than they are during periods of low fertility (Fisher, 2004).

 

How Men View Women During Ovulation (2 Known Changes) Women who are in peak fertility:

 

  1. Are rated as smelling better by men and are accurately discriminated between women’s high- and low-fertility scent samples (Kelly A. Gildersleeve et al., 2012).
  2. Tend to be rated by men for certain characteristics of women (e.g., their scent, their voice, their face) as most attractive during periods of peak fertility (Pipitone and Gallup, 2008; Roberts et al., 2004; Thornhill et al., 2003).

 

Links

 

See part I (the preamble):

 

http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/part-i-40-signals-that-a-woman-is-sexually-fertile-how-high-fertility-around-ovulation-affects-nonverbal-behaviour/

 

Part II (the nonverbal signals of ovulation):

 

http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/part-ii-40-signals-that-a-woman-is-sexually-fertile-how-high-fertility-around-ovulation-affects-nonverbal-behaviour/

EDIT: formatting