Many women who know about ovulation have also heard about how it can be tracked to determine when a woman is most fertile. Ovulation is a significant turning point in a woman’s cycle, as it can help them prepare for a possible pregnancy. Although each woman is different, there is no doubt that many have attempted to plan around their ovulation period to try to get pregnant. However, there is a lot of misinformation out there, and many women are confused about the best time to try to conceive. This post will help you understand how you can make the most out of your fertile days to help you start the family you’ve always dreamed of having.
What Is Ovulation?
Ovulation is the release of an egg from a woman’s ovary. Prior to ovulation, reproductive hormones work together to stimulate the ovaries to release an egg while the uterine lining prepares itself to receive a fertilized egg (embryo). These hormones increase your sex drive, thereby possibly increasing the number of times that you are intimate, giving a better overall chance of conception.
How to Plan Around Your Ovulation Period
A PubMed study suggests that women are more likely to conceive if they have intercourse sometime within the five days immediately before ovulation or on the first day of ovulation. Similar studies discussed in an OXFORD Academic article confirm this six-day fertile window and also indicate that the likelihood of getting pregnant may start to decline in the days following ovulation. The fertile window extends prior to ovulation because sperm can remain viable in the fallopian tubes for several days awaiting the release of an egg on the day of ovulation.Unfortunately, peak fertility can vary significantly among women, even for those with regular cycles. Learning more about your body and understanding the benefits of your ovulation period can help you plan around it. However, many women might mistakenly confuse menstruation with ovulating, especially if their period is irregular. If you have an irregular cycle or find yourself having difficulty conceiving, you should schedule a consultation to speak with a fertility specialist.
Preserving Your Eggs
While the fertile window is known to be the best time to get pregnant, a woman’s body does not create new eggs monthly. When a woman is born, she is born with all the eggs she will ever have. As we age, the number of eggs in the ovaries can begin to decrease, as well as the quality of the remaining eggs. This may lead some women to consider egg freezing if they would like to preserve their eggs for future insemination.
Egg freezing is a specialized treatment that keeps your eggs cryopreserved in order to be used at a later date. Once you feel the time is right for you to get pregnant, your specialist will thaw out your eggs and perform a technique called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using your partner’s or donor sperm. ICSI helps to increase the odds of successful fertilization. During your ovulation window, Dr. Saadat will then use a catheter to insert either one or multiple embryos into your uterus after your fertilized eggs have developed into multi-cell embryos to begin the process of a safe and happy pregnancy.To learn more about ovulation, please contact our office at (310) 881-8846 today! Our team is here to help you with any questions or concerns you may have.
