Whether or not you want babies, your fertility can be a window into your overall health. Here's a puberty-to-menopause handbook covering the facts of life every woman needs to know
Know how ovulation unfolds
Here's a close-up look at the first half of your menstrual cycle.
Days 1-5: Triggered by dropping
levels of estrogen and progesterone at the end of the previous cycle, uterine tissue breaks down and is shed during your period. Bleeding lasts about five days.
Day 7: By this point, several fluid-filled follicles, each containing an egg, have developed on the ovaries, spurred by the hormone FSH.
Days 7-14: One of those follicles will reach maturity as estrogen levels begin to rise again, causing the uterine lining to start to rethicken.
Day 14, ovulation day: The mature follicle bursts to release an egg. Next steps: uniting with a sperm in the fallopian tube, then implanting in the nutrient-rich uterine wall.
Days 1-5: Triggered by dropping
levels of estrogen and progesterone at the end of the previous cycle, uterine tissue breaks down and is shed during your period. Bleeding lasts about five days.
Day 7: By this point, several fluid-filled follicles, each containing an egg, have developed on the ovaries, spurred by the hormone FSH.
Days 7-14: One of those follicles will reach maturity as estrogen levels begin to rise again, causing the uterine lining to start to rethicken.
Day 14, ovulation day: The mature follicle bursts to release an egg. Next steps: uniting with a sperm in the fallopian tube, then implanting in the nutrient-rich uterine wall.
Your period hints at your fertility
There's no crystal ball to predict your baby-making prospects. But your monthly cycle can offer some clues: "If it's longer than 25 to 30 days, that could be a sign you're not ovulating regularly," says Fahimeh Sasan, DO, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Short menstrual cycles are a red flag, too. A 2011 study found that women whose cycles lasted fewer than 25 days were 36 percent less likely to conceive than women whose cycles were 27 to 29 days long. Periods that come too close together could also indicate a structural problem (such as uterine fibroids or polyps), which can affect an egg's ability to implant. And if you're in your mid- to late 30s, irregular periods could be a sign of perimenopause.
Your weight needs to be just right
About 12 percent of infertility cases are related to the number on the scale. Why? Since your body fat produces estrogen, too much weight (and too much estrogen) or not enough weight (and too little estrogen) can interfere with normal ovulation, explains fertility specialist Alan B. Copperman, MD, of The Mount Sinai Hospital.
Exercise also has an impact
The Goldilocks principle applies to workouts, too: Research has shown that moderate activity (think brisk walking) is associated with better fertility. Intense sweat sessions, not so much. A 2012 Boston University study found that normal-weight women who did vigorous exercise (such as running or aerobics) for five hours a week were on average 42 percent less likely to get pregnant than those who didn't. "If you're working out strenuously, your body interprets the activity as severe stress or energy deficiency and shuts reproductive function down," says David Adamson, MD, chief medical officer of ARC Fertility in Saratoga, Calif. But once you stop, say, scaling mountains, your fertility should recover.
Taking the pill may preserve your eggs
Not only do oral contraceptives not harm a woman's fertility, but sustained use might provide a fertility benefit, suggests a 2013 Boston University study. While the data showed a lag in the return to peak fertility for women stopping the pill, the delay lasted only for two to three cycles. What's more, women who took the pill for longer than four years had a higher likelihood of getting pregnant than women who took it for less than two years. "The pill prevents ovulation, which may help preserve some of your egg supply," explains study co-author Elizabeth Hatch, PhD, professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health. More research is needed to determine whether the pill is truly a fertility saver, but for the time being, this may be one more reason to love your birth control.
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