What is a fertile
period?
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 at competitive prices.
Tash Hughes is
the mother of four and owner of
Word Constructions and assists businesses
in preparing all written documentation and web site
content. Tash also writes parenting and business articles for
inclusion in newsletter and web sites.
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