fertility
WHAT IS OVULATION? Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have. They are used progressively and cannot be replaced. These eggs are stored in the ovaries. At least one egg ripens each menstrual cycle (when you have your period). Ovulation occurs when the egg is released from the follicles of the ovaries and travels into the Fallopian tube. Here, if it meets a sperm to fertilise it, could be the beginning of a new life.
FALLING PREGNANT
FACT
EVERY CELL HAS 23 CHROMOSOME PAIRS. THE LAST PAIR REPRESENT THE GENDER. XX IS A GIRL AND XY IS A BOY
OVULATION
to swim. Once sperm reach the cervix, this mucus keeps them nourished for up to five days while they wait for the egg.
HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN I’M OVULATING? The general rule is that most women will have a 28 day menstrual cycle and most are at their fertility peak around day 14. It’s important to note that the egg that was released doesn’t survive for more than 24 hours. While men may be fertile 24/7, women are only fertile for about five days in their cycle. And during this time you only have a 24 hour window period in which to conceive. To get pregnant, a couple must have
sex when the woman’s body is receptive to sperm. This only happens during ovulation when the egg is released and the vagina becomes a sperm friendly zone (thanks to a special mucus made by the cervix). This slippery mucus is released into the vagina, where it helps the sperm
COUNTER HELP...
OVER THE
72 YOUR PREGNANCY
HOW TO KNOW YOU ARE OVULATING: Your CERVICAL MUCUS is a good indicator of your most fertile period. As your menstrual cycle progresses, the rising levels of oestrogen will reflect in volume and texture changes. You are considered most fertile when the mucus is clear, slippery and stretchy – think of egg whites. A change in BODY
TEMPERATURE
(check with a thermometer). Following ovulation, your temperature can increase by up to 1.6 degrees. Experts say that women will be most fertile in the two or three days before your temperature rises. The release of an egg stimulates the production of the hormone progesterone,
HORMONES
YOUR HORMONES ARE INVOLVED IN THE PREPARATION FOR OVULATION, FERTILISATION AND IMPLANTATION. OESTROGEN IS PRODUCED IN LARGE QUANTITIES PRIOR TO YOUR OVULATION PROCESS. THIS HELPS THE UTERUS TO REBUILD ITS LINING (OR ENDOMETRIUM)
AFTER MENSTRUATION. WHEN OVULATION
OCCURS, PROGESTERONE THICKENS THE NUTRIENT RICH ENDOMETRIUM IN PREPARATION TO RECEIVE A FERTILISED EGG.
THANKS TO MODERN TECHNOLOGY, YOU CAN LEAVE THE GUESSWORK UP TO THE EXPERTS STORE BOUGHT OVULATION KITS can predict ovulation up to 36 hours in advance but they’re not 100 percent accurate. The tests detect the surge in luteinizing hormone (LH) but be warned that LH can surge with or without the release of an egg. FERTILITY MONITORS will test for both LH and oestrogen in the urine, with a six day window of fertility opportunity. SALIVA TESTS will allow you to monitor the levels of oestrogen in your system – oestrogen surges before ovulation and before the LH surge, so an oestrogen rise reading is more accurate.
Understanding ovulation goes a long way to boosting your fertility
which raises your body temperature. Some women NOTICE SPOTTING – said to be caused by a drop in oestrogen right before ovulation. SWOLLEN VAGINAL LIPS just before ovulation is also said to be another sign. The swelling is usually on the side from which you ovulate.
CAN YOU FEEL YOUR OVULATION?
Approximately 20 percent of all women suffer from ovulatory pain, known as mittelschmerz. This German word translates to mean “middle pain” and can usually be felt mid-cycle. This pain can manifest as mild aches or twinges to one sided backache. The pain part of it aside, it is a useful tool when it comes to a guide for ovulation. Mittelschmerz occurs during ovulation when the egg is released from the ovaries. YP
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