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Print pageIt is important that you are in tune with your monthly menstrual cycle in order to understand how to improve your chances of getting pregnant.
By understanding firstly whether your eggs are capable of being fertilised, and then secondly the time of ovulation (when your egg is released), you can improve your chances of getting pregnant.
Your menstrual cycle starts on the first day of your period and ends the day before your next period starts. Cycle lengths can vary from one period to the next, and from one woman to another. For most women, their cycle usually lasts between 21 and 35 days, but for some, periods don't always come regularly.
There are four key stages in your cycle: menstruation, a follicular phase, ovulation, and a luteal phase.
While the luteal phase usually stays fairly constant at 14 days, the follicular phase can vary in length. As you can see from the diagram below, that means that you can't always predict your ovulation by counting forward from the beginning of your menstrual cycle.
What happens during my menstrual cycle?
The menstrual cycle is a complicated process involving many different hormones, women's sex organs and the brain. The activity of a woman's sexual organs, including their development is under the control of a small gland at the base of the brain, called the pituitary gland. Two of the most important hormones of the pituitary gland are Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinising Hormone (LH).
A woman has 2 ovaries and each one holds thousands of follicles. Within these follicles are the immature eggs. Usually one follicle reaches maturity each month.
At the start of a menstrual cycle, oestrogen levels are low.
Low oestrogen levels stimulate the pituitary gland to produce Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), which stimulates a number of follicles in the ovary to start to develop.
The developing follicles produce oestrogen, which acts to thicken the womb lining and is also responsible for the type and quantity of cervical mucus.
High oestrogen levels lead to 'sperm friendly' mucus and the beginning of the fertile days. Fertile mucus supports sperm survival and aids in sperm transport. In the absence of fertile mucus, sperm usually only survive for a few hours.
Once the follicle has reached a certain size and maturity, the rising level of oestrogen in the blood signals to the pituitary gland that the ovary is ready to release the egg. The pituitary gland then sends out a high level of the hormone LH (this is commonly known as 'the LH surge') and this signals the ovary to release the egg (ovulation) 24-36 hours after the surge. The follicle bursts and the egg leaves the ovary and travels through one of the fallopian tubes to the womb and can survive for up to 24 hours.
The empty follicle forms a corpus luteum, which secretes the hormone progesterone.
Progesterone reverses the effects of oestrogen, causing non-sperm friendly mucus to be produced. It also causes the lining of the womb to thicken preparing it to receive an egg.
If a woman has sexual intercourse with a man at this time and his sperm fertilises the egg, the woman becomes pregnant. The fertilised egg attaches to the womb lining and the corpus luteum keeps producing all the progesterone needed, to keep the egg implanted and growing. Progesterone also blocks the release of more LH and FSH from the pituitary gland so that further ovulation does not occur during pregnancy.
If the egg is not fertilised, the corpus luteum stops producing hormones and gets reabsorbed in the ovary. The levels of progesterone and oestrogen fall and the lining of the womb starts to break up. The lining of the womb is released through the vagina as your 'Period' (this process is also called menstruation). The pituitary gland detects the falling oestrogen levels and produces FSH, beginning a new cycle.
For educational purposes only
