Getting Pregnant: What You Need to Know
You may never need to see a fertility specialist like Dr. James Douglas with IVF Plano. Most women will get pregnant within an average of three months, simply by timing intercourse to coincide with ovulation.
Fertility Fact: The best odds of conceiving a baby fall in a woman’s 20s and 30s. During that age range, a woman has a 30 percent chance of getting pregnant each month.
First, it’s important to identify your fertility window to optimize your efforts to get pregnant. Dr. Douglas, a fertility specialist with two decades of experience, supports your goal to get pregnant, and provides this primer on reproductive best practices.
The Miracle of Conception: Understanding Basic Female Biology
Every woman should possess a basic knowledge of female biology, whether waiting for a first period, trying to conceive or experiencing the onset of menopause.
A woman is born with a million eggs in her ovaries; that number decreases to 300,000 with the onset of puberty. A monthly cycle (on average, 28 days) called menstruation signals the beginning of a woman’s reproductive years and the release of those eggs.
Follicular and Ovulatory Phases (Days 1-14): Each month, follicle stimulating hormones (FSH) prepare one of the ovaries to grow a follicle(s), which houses and matures an egg(s). Meanwhile, estrogen prepares the cervical lining and luteinizing hormone (LH) activates ovulation. The mature egg then travels down the fallopian tube where it will meet the sperm. This act is called fertilization.
Optimal days for conception are the 2-3 days before and 12-24 hours after ovulation occurs.
Luteal Phase (Days 15-28): Progesterone and estrogen nurture a fertilized egg by enhancing the uterine lining for implantation (around day 20). When pregnancy does not occur, the body sheds the uterine lining and begins a new menstrual cycle.
