Conception-Pregnancy

Basics of Conception

Conception is defined as the moment the egg of a female, known as the ovum, is fertilised by the sperm of a male.
With all the unplanned and teen pregnancies taking place all over the world, you may be surprised to learn that conception is actually quite difficult to acheive.
The conditions and timing both have to be perfect. Generally, the vaginal secretions are thick, sticky, hostile and acidic. This is natures way of protecting the reprodctive area from bacteria and infection, but it also means that sperm cant survive.
Around the time of ovulation these secretions change consistency to become more sperm friendly.

During ovulation, an egg is released from the ovaries and travels down the fallopian tube. If you have sex during this time, it is possable for sperm to travel through the vagina and cervix ,up through the fallopian tube, and penetrate the egg.
Fertilisation takes place at the start of the fallopian tube, and the egg then divides as it travels down the tube into the uterus, this occurs within 3-5 days after fertilisation.

Once in the uterus, the egg becomes a hollow ball of cells now known as a blastocyst. This tiny ball will then implant itself on the wall of the uterus. The wall of th blastocyst is one cell thick apart from one area which is about three to four cells thick.
The inner cells of the thicker area will develop into the embryo, while the outer cells will penetrate the wall of the uterus to become the placenta.

Tracking your Ovulation

The best way to improve your chances of falling pregnant is to understand your monthly menstural cycle.
Not all cycles are the same, and while the average is said to be 28 days, they generally vary from 22-42 days. Some women have extremely irregular cycles every month, making it harder to pin point ovulation. It is recommended you chart your cycle for 3-4 months to ensure your dates are accurate.

For the average 28 day cycle ovulation usually takes place around 14 days after the first day of your menstural cyclcle, which is the first day of your period.
Your Most fertile stage will actually start about 4 days prior ovulation, due to the fact that sperm can live for this long once in the fallopian tubes, and will last until about 48 hours after you ovulate.

Try our Ovulation Calculator.

There are many ways to track your ovulation.
The first one being the change in vaginal discharge, during ovulation this discharge changes to become more egg white in appearance and texture.
You can easily check for this change when you go to the toilet.

Another way to check for ovulation is to monitor your Basal Body Temperature (BBT), this is because your temperature rises slightly during ovulation.
Keep in mind, that to do this acurately, it will need to be done at the same time each day, as a regular part of your daily routine.You can print your own free BBT Chart Here.

Ovulation tests are obviously the easiest way to track your ovulation, and work the same as a pregnancy test. You simply urinate on the test strip, for a posative or negative result. These are a very simple, time friendly way to get results, but can be expensive , especially if you have irregular cycles.

Another helpful tool, is Maybe Baby, Maybe Baby works by creating a highly-magnified image of your dried saliva that can show the tiny crystals caused by the high levels of oestrogen present around ovulation.
For more information on this useful tool, please click here.

How Do You Chart Your Basal Body Temperature?

Your Basal Body Temperature is your body's temperature at rest, first thing in the morning before you get out of bed is the best time to take your BBT.
You will need a special basal thermometer to do this, they detect extrememly small changes in tempersture.
These can be purchased easily at your local pharmacy, and should be kept by your bed so you have easy access to it when you wake in the morning.

By Monitoring your BBT you can predict your ovulation more accuratley, but it is important to remember, this MUST be done at the same time each morning, as soon as you open your eyes, before you get out of bed, and you should also know that results may not be accurate if you are unwell, or if you have not had at least 3 hours of unbroken sleep.

How Does BBT Charting Work?

Charting starts on the first day of your menstural preiod.
Most people think the rise in BBT occurs during ovulation, but in actual fact, it happens after you ovulate.
For about 12-14 days before a woman ovulates, based on an average 28 day cycle, the BBT will sit around the range of 36.1 to 36.3 Celcius (97.0 to 97.5 Fahrenheit), this is Because of the estrogen in your body keeping your temperature down.
The highest of these 'low' temperatures is your baseline temperature.
Once ovulation has occured the temperature rises, This rise in temperature is caused by the progesterone released from the follicle after ovulation.
this higher temperature will last for up to 16 days, and will drop again as your progeterone levels fall, and you get your period.

Because your BBT only tells you you have ovulated after it has happened, you should chart your BBT for at least 3 months to get a clear picture of your cycle.
Once you can see a regular rise and fall pattern you should be able to correctly determin when you are ovulating.

To chart your Basal Body Temperature, simply print out your free Basal Body Temperature Chart Here.
Record your temperatures on the chart by placing a dot on the appropriate box, Join the dots, record any discharge you may have, and tick off the days you have intercourse.
If you miss a day , just leave the box blank
Temperature results may not be accurate if:

~ You are ill.
~ Have had alcohol.
~ Have had less than 3 hours of unbroken sleep.
~ Stress.
~ Breastfeeding.
~ use of an electric blanket.

So its a good idea to make note of any of these things on your chart aswell.
You can see an example of a filled out BBT chart above.