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Conception is possible only in a few days of a woman's menstrual cycle.
The period in which a sexual relationship can lead to a pregnancy is called a " fertile window " and has a maximum duration of six days.
So when you want a child, one factor to take into consideration is the timing of sexual intercourse over ovulation.
To understand at what time it is most likely fundamental conception be familiar with the progress of one's menstrual cycle and identify the fertile window in advance. For this purpose, it can be helpful to monitor the signals that precede ovulation and to evaluate the statistics of the previous cycles.
A look at the reproductive system
The female reproductive system, in addition to being responsible for the production and transport of egg cells, makes available everything needed to start a potential pregnancy.
Cyclical changes
Throughout the fertile age (from puberty to menopause), the female reproductive system goes through a series of important structural and functional changes ( menstrual cycle ) every month. These changes are associated with periodic and regular variations in the secretion of hypothalamic, pituitary and ovarian hormones.
The beginning of each cycle, which lasts about 28 days, is characterized by menstruation, ie a loss of blood and tissue from the surface of the uterine wall (endometrium). During the first part of the menstrual cycle, the endometrium changes and thickens, thus preparing itself to receive the egg cell if it is fertilized; at the same time, the oocyte undergoes maturation processes, which end with the expulsion of the same from the ovary ( ovulation ).
When conception does not occur, the lining of the uterine wall flakes off and is expelled with the menstrual flow; otherwise, the fertilized egg cell lurks in the uterus, where it finds the most favorable environment for its implantation and for the continuation of pregnancy.
Limited fertility period
The eggs mature at different times and are released individually from the ovaries at intervals of about 28 days (one for each menstrual cycle).
The release of the egg from the ovarian follicle, an event known as ovulation, is a prerequisite for fertilization and normally occurs 14 days before the start of the next menstrual flow, about halfway through the cycle.
Fertile days
In every menstrual cycle, the most favorable moment for conception coincides with ovulation and with the days in the vicinity of this event. Generally, if the woman has regular cycles, this process occurs approximately every 28 days.
After the onset of menstruation, in fact, an oocyte takes on average 14 days to mature adequately and, under the hormonal stimulus, to escape from the follicle that contains it to enter the fallopian tube (or oviduct). Here, the egg cell can be fertilized by a sperm of male origin.
Limited production of gametes
The eggs develop from a group of germ cells whose number is fixed at birth, about 2-4 million. The number of potential eggs decreases over the course of life, as most germ cells degenerate at some point in their development (the phenomenon is called atresia).
Over the course of a woman's life, about 400 egg cells are released.
... and in man?
- For the purpose of conception, the male reproductive system has a relatively simple task: to produce sperm and transfer it to the female apparatus during the act of mating.
- The secretion of sex hormones in males is fairly constant and is not subject to the cyclical variations that occur in females during the menstrual cycle.
- Sperm production (spermatogenesis) lasts for an indefinite period after puberty, as spermatogonia (undifferentiated sex cells from which mature spermatozoa originate) are repeatedly subjected to mitosis. This ensures that the group of potential male gametes does not run out.
Ovulation and fertilization
Fertilization is the result of the combination of a paternal spermatozoon with the maternal egg cell. From this union originates the zygote, a cell that develops and splits repeatedly over a period of 9 months to give birth to a child.
We have seen how conception is possible only in a few days of a woman's menstrual cycle. Indicatively, the period in which it is possible for the egg to be fertilized starts 4-5 days before ovulation and ends 1-2 days later. This is possible in view of the fact that the mature egg cell, when it is expelled from the ovary, manages to survive for about 24 hours, while the spermatozoa can remain viable in the female genital apparatus up to 72-96 hours from intercourse.
Within this "fertile window", conception is more likely in the two days preceding ovulation and on the day on which it occurs.
What happens after ovulation
After ovulation, the menstrual cycle is completed by the luteal phase, which runs from about the 16th to the 28th day. The so-called corpus luteum, which produces progesterone, is formed from the remains of the follicle that housed the oocyte. This hormone is important as it prepares the endometrium (ie the inner lining of the uterus) to accommodate the fertilized egg cell (implant) should conception occur.
If the oocyte is fertilized, it begins to divide and implants itself in the endometrium (at the blastula stage) 3 or 4 days after reaching the uterine cavity, ie 6-7 days from sexual intercourse.
Conversely, if conception does not occur, menstruation appears about the 28th day, with the remains of the endometrium being expelled from the vagina.
Conception and pregnancy
In order for conception to occur, the male seminal fluid must be introduced into the female reproductive tract in the five days preceding ovulation.
The spermatozoa move through the cervical canal towards the uterus and, moving along the walls, manage to reach the fallopian tubes.
Note : of the millions of spermatozoa that are deposited in the vagina, only a hundred normally reach the tubes while the others die during the journey.
Spermatozoa move towards the oocyte, which approaches them from the opposite direction. Therefore, conception, when it occurs, generally takes place in the uterine tubes, more often in the distal tract (called ampulla, closer to the ovary).
The fertilized egg undergoes a series of cellular divisions and heads towards the upper part of the uterus, where it adheres and penetrates into its wall (endometrium). In this way the so - called system occurs. After this event, the development of the product of conception continues, which increases in size and complexity.
In the case in which the fertilization did not have a positive outcome, instead, the implant does not occur and the egg cell flakes within a few hours.
Importance of timing
The most favorable days for conception are six: the day of ovulation and the 5 days that precede it.
The time of ovulation depends on the duration of one's cycle, therefore the time interval from the first day in which the menstrual flow appears to the day preceding the beginning of the next menstruation must be considered.
What are the best days to conceive?
To understand which are the most fertile days it is important to consider, therefore, the rhythm of one's own body.
Ovulation occurs about 14 days before the next menstruation begins. If the menstrual cycle is repeated regularly every 28 days, ovulation will occur around the 14th day (two weeks before the next menstruation) and the fertile window will start on the 10th day. However, the greatest chances of pregnancy are obtained from reports on the day of ovulation and in the two days that precede it.
Therefore, within this period, the most favorable days to undertake a pregnancy correspond to the 12th, 13th and 14th day.
Even if the duration of the menstrual cycle is different from the average of 28 days, it is necessary to consider that the first phase of the menstrual cycle (estrogen) is variable and can undergo oscillations, while the second phase (progestin) is more constant and lasts on average 14 days.
More information on how to calculate ovulation is available in this article.
How to identify the fertile period in advance
To identify the fertile period in advance, it is possible to refer to some ovulation indicators.
This particular moment in the menstrual cycle can be identified by various methods:
- Basal temperature measurement;
- Cervical mucus observation;
- Monitoring of hormone levels (ovulation test ).
To these fertility assessments, we can add some signals that can be associated with the phases of the cycle.
With certain individual variables, ovulation can be associated in particular with abdominal pain, breast sensitivity, increased sexual desire, swelling of the vulva, back pain (lumbar) and intermenstrual spotting.
Online ovulation test
A kit consisting of 50 test strips for ovulation and 10 pregnancy test strips is available online. Specifically, ovulation testing has achieved reliability of more than 99% in laboratory tests, allowing the detection of increased levels of LH (luteinizing hormone) in the urine and therefore to detect days of greater fertility. The peak of LH, in fact, precedes the release of the egg cell by the follicle, which occurs from 16 to 32 hours after the start of the peak. The early pregnancy test, on the other hand, provides the result in as little as a minute and can be performed 7-10 days after any conception.
Alternatively, a digital ovulation test can be chosen with a dual hormonal indicator that detects the LH peak. The detection of the sudden increase in luteinizing hormone 24-36 hours before ovulation is a very useful method for self-diagnostic use to predict the most fertile days. For this reason, being able to predict ovulation is a useful tool to optimize the possibilities of conceiving.
This digital ovulation test identifies four fertile days in each menstrual cycle, ie the days preceding and understanding the day of ovulation. To do this, it detects the two main fertility hormones, instead of just one like the other ovulation tests of the same brand.
Buyable onlineFrequency of sexual intercourse
The calculation of ovulation is susceptible to error, since menstrual cycles can be influenced by many factors and the most fertile period could be unexpectedly anticipated or delayed compared to what was expected.
The success rates in conception increase especially two days before ovulation and the day on which it occurs. It should be remembered that the life of the egg cell does not last more than 24 hours, thus making conception after ovulation highly unlikely, while spermatozoa can remain viable for a longer and more variable period (up to a maximum of 5 days from the report).
To increase the chances of becoming pregnant, therefore, regular sexual activity is important; having reports every 2 or 3 days, allows to cover as much as possible all the alleged fertile period.
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