by Tash Hughes of Word Constructions
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.
LH detecting kits have been available in the USA for some time,
but are newer and generally more expensive in Australia. Simple,
urine based LH tests can now be obtained in Australia.
About the Author
Melbourne writer Tash Hughes writes articles on health and
family issues for ezines, websites and magazines. Tash is a microbiologist
and also owns Word Constructions to help business owners have a
professional presentation on paper and on the internet. For all
your business writing needs, contact Word
Constructions then get on with business.
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