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| From the onset of menstruation to menopause,
every woman’s body prepares for a potential pregnancy
according to the particular cycle she is bestowed with. This
cycle can be interrupted by various invasive medical procedures,
psychosomatic or emotional problems. The actual number of days
a woman can utilise to get pregnant spans only a few days per
cycle. This varies not only from woman to woman but for cycle
to cycle. Chelvam’s Method treats infertility by adopting
an approach catered to each woman’s particular needs.
At birth, 200,000 – 2,000,000
eggs (oogonia) start in each ovary of the female. Of these,
about 40,000 remain at puberty. Out of this, only approximately
400 will mature and ovulate during a woman’s entire
reproductive lifetime. The remainder undergoes degeneration
(atresia).
Throughout the adult lifetime, each
female will experience a cyclical sequence of changes in the
ovaries and uterus. Each cycle takes approximately a month
not unlike the cycle of the Moon, but not limited to the same
number of days. This exercise occurs to prepare the female
reproductive system to receive a fertilized ovum cyclically.
The cycle is triggered by hormones secreted by the hypothalamus,
anterior pituitary gland, and ovaries.
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If fertilization does not occur,
the functional layer of the endometrium in the uterus is shed.
The general term female reproductive cycle encompasses the
ovarian and uterine cycle, the hormonal changes that regulate
them, and the related cyclical changes in the breasts and
cervix. The duration of the female reproductive cycle is typically
between 24 and 36 days, divided into four phases of the menstrual
phase, the pre-ovulatory phase, ovulation, and the postovulatory
phase.
In each cycle, the egg bursts through the ovarian wall to
travel down the fallopian tube. It may take as little as 20
seconds for it to reach the end of the fallopian tubes. If
fertilization does not occur, the egg remains alive for another
24 hours. If fertilization does occur, it will take place
in the outer third of the fallopian tube within a few hours
of ovulation. The fertilized egg will then be pulled toward
the uterus by vibrating cilia (hair like projections that
line the fallopian tubes). Then, after a week or so, it reaches
its ultimate destination of the uterine lining, and begins
the burrowing-in process.
Because sperms can live up to 5 days
in fertile-quality cervical mucus, it is actually possible
to have intercourse on Monday, and get pregnant from this
on Friday.
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When the fertilized egg burrows into the
lining, it starts releasing a pregnancy hormone, HCG (human
chorionic gonadotropin). This signals that the ovum would
like to remain alive, beyond its usual maximum of 16 days
(based on a 28 day cycle). Consequently, progesterone continues
to be released long enough to nourish the fertilised ovum.
The menstrual cycle is an amazing orchestration
of biological events. It is a like a continual hormonal chorus
working together toward the ultimate goal of releasing and
nurturing a healthy egg.
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