Understanding the menstrual cycle
Be aware of the changes in your body and plan your conception efforts around your cycle for a greater chance of becoming pregnant.
To improve your chances of getting pregnant it helps to understand how the female reproductive system works. While it may seem obvious, and you may think you know everything there is to know about menstruation, making sure you are clear on the facts can help you to organise and plan your efforts at conception to increase the chances of success.
Menstruation
Your body works to a cycle. Every month natural hormonal changes occur that prompt the ovaries to release an egg which may or may not be fertilised during the course of the month. The first day of menstruation- the first day that bleeding occurs- is considered the first day of the menstrual cycle. On average, a cycle will last for 28 days, but this is rarely exact. It is common for a cycle to last anywhere between 24 and 34 days, and many women find that their cycle changes from month to month.
At the beginning of the menstrual cycle, low hormone levels produce a signal to your body to increase hormone production. The egg follicles will begin to produce up to 20 eggs, but usually only one will mature. This matured egg will then be released into the fallopian tube approximately halfway through your cycle. This stage is known as ovulation.
Ovulation
Ovulation is the process of the egg being released by the egg follicles. During this time, increased levels of estrogen cause a surge of luteinising hormone, or LH, which causes the egg to be released. Generally, this takes place 14 days before the onset of menstruation, although it can occur anywhere from 12 to 18 days before menstruation. It is during this period of time, a small window of a few days, that you will be the most fertile, and therefore most likely to conceive.
Due to increased hormone production, the endometrium (the inner lining of the uterus) thickens and takes on a special texture to make it easier for a fertilised egg to become implanted. The cervical mucus becomes thin and slippery, facilitating the sperm's movement towards the fallopian tubes and therefore the released egg, increasing chances of fertilisation. Spasms occur on the outsides of the fallopian tubes when the egg is released, pushing it down the tube towards the uterus. If the egg is not fertilised, it will dissolve upon reaching the uterus. In this case, the thickened endometrium is no longer needed, so it sheds, which is basically what menstruation is.
Conception
Conception occurs when a sperm meets, enters and fertilises the egg, which then closes itself off to other sperm. The genes from the egg and sperm combine to create a cell, which begins to divide, becoming a collection of cells called a blastocyst.
The blastocyst will then continue to travel downwards through the fallopian tube, dividing and growing along the way and after a week or so it will enter the uterus and implant itself into the endometrium so that it can seek nourishment. The implanted egg then produces human chorionic gonadotrophin, or hcG, which helps to ensure that the endometrium does not disintegrate. hcG is the hormone that is detected in pregnancy tests.
