Get that Pregnancy
If you have being trying to conceive, understanding some basics
about the reproductive system would go along way in aiding your
course.
Normally, at the mid period of every menstrual cycle, a woman is
said to 'ovulate'. This is the release of the female egg, which
the male sperm must come in contact with, before fertilization
and then conception can take place.
The day you start your menstrual flow is counted as the first
day of the cycle. Averagely, on the 14th day, ovulation takes
place and an egg is released. The important thing to note here
is that this mid-menstrual cycle ovulation is not constant for
all women, some women ovulate before this period, while others
later.
This period of ovulation is your most fertile period as a woman.
The egg released is viable and active for about 24 hours. The
male sperm can live and still be active in a woman's
reproductive system for an average of 48-72 hours. It is very
important to have sexual intercourse during this period. It is
good idea to have sexual intercourse every other day around your
ovulation period, for example days 10, 12, 14 and 16.
Sexual intercourse during a woman's fertile period is the
easiest way to conception when everything is in order. Most
couples either do not time their intercourse for best results or
are not aware of this biological fact. The most important step
towards conception should be to locate and time the ovulation
period of a woman. Concerns over infertility may only arise if
after several months of timed intercourse, conception is still
not achieved.
Several physical and biological factors can contribute to
fertility problems from the man or the woman's side and at times
it could be a combination of factors from the couple. Some of
the factors are within the capability of medical treatment while
others still have no solutions. These infertility factors will
be the focus of subsequent articles.
If the female ovulation period is so vital to conception, the
question that comes to mind is, how do I know when I ovulate?
One major way of determining when you ovulate is by taking your
basal body temperature (BBT) every day and recording it. A
slight increase in basal body temperature for about two
consecutive days lets you know that ovulation has taken place.
This is because, when an egg is released from the follicle
during ovulation, the remnant of the follicle called Corpus
Luteum produces the hormone progesterone, which causes increases
in basal body temperature. The basal body temperature is the
temperature of the body taken in the morning before any
activity. Alternatively, you can get an over-the counter
ovulation predictor kit.
For men, it is critical to avoid things like masturbation during
this phase of their partner's menstrual cycle as this may reduce
sperm count.
You may need to see an Infertility expert or your ob/gyn if
after several timed sexual intercourses you still cannot not get
pregnant. There could something wrong somewhere with your
reproductive organs.
The earlier you start seeking help and answers, the better.