Fertility Cycle – How the Body Makes a BabyWhat’s the fertility cycle and why is it important? If you want to give your body a better chance of conception, it’s important to put on your high school health hat and learn more about the reproductive cycle. Your Period 101 * On the first day of your period, the body releases the hormones that stimulate eggs to grow inside the ovary’s follicles. * 7 to 10 days after the first day of your period, hormones start to thicken the uterus’ lining, which helps it to prepare for the implantation of a fertilized egg. * 11 to 21 days after the first day of your period is when ovulation happens. A substance called luteinizing hormone, or LH, triggers the egg’s release. During ovulation, the cervical mucus becomes slippery and almost egg-white in consistency — to make traveling easier for sperm. * After ovulation, the egg lives for a short period - about 24 to 48 hours. * If the egg isn’t fertilized, it starts to breaks down. This triggers a release of hormones that tells the uterus to shed its lining through menstruation. The cycle starts all over again. Why is it so important to understand your cycle? Timing is everything when it comes to conception. Although a woman can become pregnant at anytime during her cycle, fertility peaks during the two days before and two days after ovulation. Boost conception potential by pinpointing exactly when during the fertility cycle you ovulate. Once you know that info, you can plan to have intercourse at the right time. Sperm can live, after ejaculation, for 3 to 5 days so you’ll want to start having baby-making sex about one or two days before you expect to ovulate and about every other day after that. Unfortunately, the tricky part for some women can be figuring out their cycles. Mother Nature doesn’t make fertility an exact science. Ovulation can occur at any time during the cycle and can even happen on a different day from month to month. Factors such as stress or illness can disrupt ovulation, too. In fact, experts say that only 12% of women have a 28-day cycle. If you want the best chance of conception start charting your personal fertility cycle. How do I start to chart my own personal cycle? It’s easier than you might think! There are a variety of tools available to help you understand when your body ovulates. You might consider basal body temperature (BBT) charting or an
ovulation prediction kit.
For more information, check out our
Home Fertility Test Guide.
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