By Tash
Huges
Women‘s bodies work in cycles, and they are only able
to conceive in one particular part of their cycle, and this part is
called their fertile period. The exact length of a fertile period varies
between women, and even for one woman at different times in her life.
Knowing when her fertile period is can be of great use to a woman; it
can be used to avoid pregnancy or increase the chances of becoming pregnant.
Thus, many women like to know when they are likely to be fertile each
month.
In very general terms, a woman menstruates (or has a
period) every twenty-eight days. The first day of bleeding is counted
as day one of her cycle, with day 28 being the last day before her
next cycle. In this “typical” woman,
ovulation, or release of an egg from the ovary, then occurs on day 14
of the cycle. The peek fertile period is three days on either side of
ovulation, although pregnancy can occur within 7 days of anticipated
ovulation.
For pregnancy to occur, sperm must reach the egg within 12 - 24 hours
of release. Allowing for sperm's potential life span of 72 hours, there
is a small amount of time for conception to occur and this is why knowing
when ovulation happens is of such importance.
However, as very few women have a cycle of exactly 28 days, it can be
hard to predict exactly when she will ovulate. Menstruation always occurs
13-15 days after ovulation, so women with regular cycles may be able
to determine the likely time of ovulation from this. Some women experience
a small amount of spotting or abdominal pain at ovulation, which certainly
simplifies the issue.
The majority of women, however, need other methods to determine their
peek fertility period. Two common methods are basal temperature rates
and mucous consistencies. Both of these methods are effective, although
they usually require careful monitoring for a few months prior to relying
on them.
Now days, there are ovulation tests available which clearly
determine when a woman's fertile period is. These tests are based on
measuring levels of LH (Luteinizing Hormone) in the woman's blood.
A surge of LH is a key indicator that ovulation is about to occur,
usually within 12 – 48
hours. Once the surge is detected, intercourse over the next day or two
has the most chance of resulting in conception. |
