Every month, the reproductive organs in a healthy woman prepare for pregnancy. A complex interaction between the pituitary gland in the brain, the ovaries and the uterus work to create the perfect environment for ovulation the release of an egg to occur, for the sperm and egg to meet and for the fertilised egg to implant itself in the uterus.
After ovulation the egg lives for 12 to 24 hours and must be fertilised in that time if a woman is to become pregnant. The burst of oestrogen just before ovulation also works inside the neck of the uterus the cervix to make protein-rich clear jelly that covers the top of the vagina during sex.
This makes the vagina acidic which prevents thrush and other infections. This is also a suitable environment for sperm survival. The sperm rapidly swim up and into the cervix, where they can survive in the mucus for up to five days before an egg is released. When the egg is released at ovulation, it is covered in sticky cells, which help the fallopian tube to catch it.
The egg and the sperm meet in the fallopian tube where the sperm start to digest the sticky cells. While it takes only one sperm to make a baby, several need to attach to the outer shell and the membrane of the egg before one can enter and fertilise it. After fertilisation, the egg and sperm very quickly merge and divide to become an embryo and chemicals are released to stop other sperm from entering. A short, or long, cycle may be a sign that you are not ovulating.
Most women who have normal cycle lengths of 28 to 35 days are ovulating. Ovulation occurs once a month and lasts for about 24 hours.
With this information, you can start tracking your fertile days and improve your chances of conceiving. The odds of a woman getting pregnant by having sex while on her period are low, but not zero. A stroke can be life-threatening, so it's important to act fast. If you think a loved one is having a stroke, here's what you should and shouldn't do.
Tampons are a popular menstrual product choice for women during their periods. They offer greater freedom to exercise, swim, and play sports than pads. The birth control pill introduces different hormones into your system.
Learn how this may affect your menstrual cycle. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. Apart from being healthy, what else can help you get pregnant? Sex of course - at the right time! Your chance of getting pregnant is dramatically increased if you have sex on the day of ovulation, or two days before that.
When are you more likely to conceive? Ovulation Calculator What day did you your most recent period start? What is an ovulation calculator and how does it help you get pregnant? It can also estimate your due date if you do become pregnant during your next fertile days.
Others ways to help you work out when you're ovulating:. Facts about timing Ovulation is when a mature egg is released from the ovary. A period is when you bleed or menstruate. Example Sarah tracked her last three menstrual cycles by counting the time from the first day of one period, to the day before the next period.
When you know your average menstrual cycle length, you can work out when you ovulate. Ovulation happens about 14 days before your period starts. If your average menstrual cycle is 28 days, you ovulate around day 14, and your most fertile days are days 12, 13 and If your average menstrual cycle is 35 days ovulation happens around day 21 and your most fertile days are days 19,20 and If you have shorter cycles, say 21 days, ovulation happens around day 7 and your most fertile days are days 5, 6 and 7.
FACT A woman can only get pregnant on a few days during her menstrual cycle. Because eggs and sperm only live for a short time: Sperm live for around five days. Eggs can only be fertilised for around 24 hours one day after being released from the ovary. Getting the timing right If you're trying to get pregnant, timing is everything.
What are the chances? Having sex as close as possible to the time of ovulation increases the chance of pregnancy. Short term factors like jet lag , seasonal changes, stress and smoking can have an effect, as well as longer term factors like PCOS and thyroid disorders 4—8.
Tiny eggs develop in sacs called follicles in your ovaries. At any given time, there are follicles at several stages of development in your ovaries Follicles undergo incredible changes leading up to ovulation, developing many parts and layers, each with their own functions.
Most follicles, though, will never reach ovulation, dying off at different phases of development or pre-development. By about midway through the follicular phase, one follicle becomes dominant. Just like a superstar athlete being selected from the pack, all resources then go to preparing that single follicle, and the other potentials die off.
When the follicle is ready, it releases its egg. After its release, the egg has about 12—24 hours to be fertilized by sperm in the fallopian tube. If it is fertilized, it travels to the uterus over the following 6—12 days, to possibly implant for pregnancy 12, All of these events are driven forward by the cyclical changes in your reproductive hormones.
Hormones control the selection and development of your follicles, the release of each egg, and the preparation of your uterus for possible implantation. This first part of the cycle is called the follicular phase now you know where it gets its name.
The brain produces continuous bursts of follicle stimulating hormone , or FSH, throughout your cycle. As follicles grow, they produce estrogen. As a dominant follicle is selected and grows days 6—9 of the cycle , estrogen begins to spike A follicle becomes dominant at about 10mm in diameter, and typically grows to be about two centimeters in diameter and up to about 3. When the amount of estrogen reaches its upper threshold, the egg is ready for release. The brain then produces a surge of luteinizing hormone LH , triggering ovulation.
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