Baby Dust

So, it's baby making time? The first thing you need to befriend, and get to know really well, is the thing you've hated since high school--your period. Without understanding what each phase of your menstrual cycle does, you could be missing the best time of the month to conceive.

Let's Let's break down the average 28 day cycle, and what happens during each phase. The day you begin your period is Day One. The bleeding is actually the lining of your uterus being sloughed off, like dead skin (I know, eeeww). Days 5-13 are called the follicular phase. On about day five of your cycle, your ovaries start to prepare follicles, one of which will become the dominant follicle. Once this follicle is mature, it will release an egg into the fallopian tube. This is ovulation, and it the diving point of a cycle. Now, this egg has an expiration date. It will only live in the fallopian tube for about 24 hours. Yep, a measly 24 hours to get that egg paired up with a sperm, or no baby. (Now, just so you don't think you have to actually time having sex within those 24 hours, Mother Nature has built in a time extension, and it's all about the sperm.

Next post, we'll look at how the lifespan of sperm gives you some flexibility).If a sperm fertilizes this egg in the fallopian tube, the egg takes a two week journey to the uterus. It implants in the uterine lining, which has become thick and cushy, the perfect landing for the fertilized egg, and that's it! BFP (in baby-speak, that's a Big Fat Positive). If the egg isn't fertilized during this 24 hour window, it will begin to deteriorate. The breakdown of the unfertilized egg will cause a drop in hormones that will signal the body to shed the uterine lining. It also takes two weeks for the body to complete the process of breaking down the egg (which will be absorbed by the body), and then start menstruation. So, the last 14 days of the cycle, whether fertilization occurs or not, is called the luteal phase. The length of time of the luteal phase is fairly consistent.

If your cycle is longer than 28 days, then it is taking more time prior to ovulation for your body to produce and release an egg. If the length of your cycle varies from month to month, the time your body is taking to ovulate is inconsistent. This will make targeting the optimum time for conception more difficult. In order to maximize your chances of conception each month, you want to be sure you know the when you are ovulating.

Timing sex around this 24 hour window can be challenging, but there are tools to help you figure out the best time of the month.