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Part One
In many situations, timing is everything. For example, if you spend enough time star gazing, you just might catch a glimpse of a shooting star. Of course, if you happen to be watching during a meteor shower, you've just raised your odds of seeing something spectacular. Similarly, trying to conceive a child by making love randomly may be great fun – but your chances of adding another life to the universe are improved if you know when to shoot for the moon.
If you and your partner have tried to conceive but have not yet hit the
mark, you may need a lesson in both fertility and punctuality. First, you
must understand the key to a woman's fertility: the menstrual cycle. To
increase your chances of achieving pregnancy, you must follow this cycle
very carefully. A closer look reveals its incredible, miraculous
functionality.
The menstrual cycle begins every month on the first day of menstruation and lasts an average of 28 days. Ovulation generally occurs on or around the 14th day of the cycle. It is important to remember, however, that many women have cycles that are very different from this pattern.
How It Works
Ovulation is the essence of a woman's fertility. So it makes sense for a
couple to track ovulation to increase their odds of conception. Normally,
ovulation occurs once every month. Thousands of eggs, which are present at
the time a woman is born, are stored in the ovaries. An egg is released from
one of the ovaries, where it then travels down through the fallopian tubes
(the passage between the ovary and the uterus) and into the uterus.
Conception occurs when a sperm breaks through the thick barrier of the egg
cell. This generally happens while the egg is in one of the fallopian
tubes. Once inside the uterus, the egg attaches itself to the uterine wall.
Pregnancy has been achieved.
If the egg is not fertilized by sperm, the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) is shed, which rids the egg and creates a clean environment for the next ovulation cycle. This process is the menstrual period.
Why It Works
Hormones control the menstrual cycle. The hypothalamus in the brain
controls the production of hormones secreted by the pituitary gland. Two of
the hormones that act on the ovaries are called follicle stimulating hormone
(FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). FSH stimulates follicles in the ovary.
These maturing follicles produce estrogen. LH levels are responsible for
maturing the egg and for ovulation itself. At ovulation, estrogen and
progesterone are secreted by the ovaries.
The entire process of egg maturation, ovulation and menstruation is quite detailed. Entire books have been written on the subject. A solid understanding of how the cycle works will help you understand how to track your fertility more precisely.
