Introduction
Fertility in women is a complex process orchestrated by the intricate interplay of hormones and reproductive organs. Our menstrual cycle is closely tied to our fertility. Each menstrual cycle, lasting from 26 to 35 days, involves a series of events that prepare the female body for pregnancy.
Every menstrual cycle, our ovaries release an egg, a process called ovulation, which marks the midpoint of the cycle. This egg travels down the fallopian tube, where it may meet sperm for fertilization. At this time, the uterine lining thickens, whether or not fertilization happens. If fertilization occurs, the fertilized egg, or zygote, implants itself in the thickened lining of the uterus, where it develops into an embryo and eventually a fetus. If fertilization doesn’t occur, the uterine lining is shed during menstruation, marking the start of a new cycle. Fertility is influenced by various factors, including age, hormonal balance, and overall health.
Knowing Our Menstrual Cycle
During a women's menstrual cycle, there are certain days when they are most likely to get pregnant. That is the fertility window. For most, it’s the five days before ovulation, the day of ovulation, plus the day after ovulation. If you’d like to track your ovulation to know the optimal time to have sex with your male partner, there are several ways to do it:
- Calendar method: If you have regular periods, this method works well. Tracking your period either with an app or a physical calendar, mark the first day of your period. Your ovulation occurs about 12 to 14 days before the start of a new menstrual cycle (first day of next period). Mark about five days leading up to your estimated ovulation, the day of ovulation, plus the day after—these seven days are your fertile window. Track for at least 6 months for more accurate data.
- Basal body temperature: Using a basal body thermometer (as it’s more sensitive than a regular one), check your temperature every morning when you wake up. Your basal body temperature increases, ever so slightly, right after ovulation (about 0.3 degrees Celsius more than usual). Track this for at least three months to get a better view of when ovulation occurs for you. Once your temperature has risen, it’s a signal that you have ovulated already. So while it’s good to use this as a way to get to know your ovulation patterns, you’ll need to have sex 3-5 days before this increase in temperature.
- Cervical mucus: We can use the amount and consistency of vaginal mucus to determine our menstrual cycle as well. Hormones fluctuate during ovulation and cause the mucus to be slippery and heavy, kind of like raw egg whites. Record in a calendar the look and feel of your vaginal mucus every day for at least one to two menstrual cycles for better data. You may also check with your gynecologist if you’re unsure what to look for.
- Ovulation test kit: These test strips or test kits look similar to a home pregnancy test. They are urine tests that test for luteinizing hormone (LH), which is the hormone that triggers ovulation. Their accuracy depends on the test kit itself and whether you use it correctly. Once you get a positive result, it means you’re ovulating. If you have irregular menstruation, you may need to talk to your gynecologist for the best timing to use the test.
Improving Health Improves Fertility
In order for pregnancy to happen, many things have to go right. If women haven’t had success after having sex for a year without birth control, it may be due to a myriad of reasons, such as structural (uterine or fallopian tube conditions), hormonal (ovulation issues or early menopause), or fertility issues with their male partner.
This is where the importance of health comes in.
- Reducing stress is a bigger deal than you think! We’re talking about both mental and physical stressors. If you are constantly under high stress, that could impact your health and, consequently, your fertility. For mental stress, try deep breathing, meditation, being outdoors, or light exercise. Physical stress could include being ill, smoking, environmental toxins, exercising too hard, or not getting enough sleep.
- Fending off sexually transmitted diseases could highly increase your chances at conception. Chlamydia and gonorrhea, left untreated, could ascend along the reproductive tract and cause inflammation, damage, and scarring to reproductive organs. Due to this, sexually transmitted diseases have been strongly attributed to infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease.
- Maintaining a healthy weight could help with regular ovulation. Being underweight or overweight could cause hormonal imbalances and disrupt your menstrual cycle. Don’t be afraid to have some healthy fats to aid your hormone production, curb inflammation, and lift your mood.
Conclusion
In Asian culture, there are many options to consider when it comes to holistic care and health maintenance. Acupuncture, Chinese herbal remedies, Ayurvedic medicine, and other traditions can help regulate hormonal balances, ovulation, and overall health.
Delving into the science behind fertility helps us understand how our health holds all biological processes in a delicate balance. Not only is it crucial to be healthy to conceive, women's baseline health helps them to have a smoother pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
