Getting Pregnant
Pregnancy is one of the most wonderful events in a couple’s life. Conceiving a child brings utmost joy in the life of a woman making her feeling complete. A complex series of events take place in a woman’s body in the process of pregnancy. The central nervous system (mainly the hypothalamus), the pituitary gland, ovary and the uterus (endometrium) each have an active role for the normal reproduction to occur.1
To understand the process one has to know what the process goes on inside a pregnant woman’s body before, during and after getting pregnant.
Menstrual cycle:
Understanding the menstrual cycle can be considered as the first step towards knowing how pregnancy occurs. In short, menstrual cycle is a process of making the woman ready for pregnancy during which an “egg (ovum)” is produced within the ovary.2 The period during which the egg is formed and ready for fusion with the sperm is commonly known as the “fertile period”. In case, if the fusion does not take place the egg along with other tissues is shed out and this process is referred to as the “menses” or “periods”.
The menstrual cycle is a result of complex interaction between several hormones including
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) (secreted by the anterior pituitary) and
- Estrogen and progesterone (secreted in the ovary).2
These hormones play a vital role in getting the body ready for the pregnancy and maintain it. A number of other hormones and proteins also have either a direct or indirect role in these processes.
The mean menstrual cycle length is indicated to be between 28 and 30 days. In women with a regular 28 day cycle, day 7 to day 21 is considered as the fertile period during which there is a maximum chance of getting pregnant.3 A successful fusion between the egg and the sperm signifies a positive pregnancy and the resulting “embryo” gets implanted in the uterus, where it grows into a baby. The process of fusion and implantation altogether require about 3–4 weeks.
Next page: Home pregnancy tests
Written by: Healthplus24 team
Date last updated: April 21, 2012