In this article you will learn the following
Fertile days
A woman can become pregnant during her fertile days. This is the most succinct of all answers. But when exactly are they, the fertile days? Where are they in the monthly cycle and how long do they last? How reliable is their determination with regard to the realization of a desire to have children or – on the contrary – as a quasi-natural contraception? The fertile days thing is simple, but that doesn't make it easy.
Actually, we know everything from biology class. Or maybe from a long-ago, taciturn educational discussion with mum and dad. Somewhere between fourth grade, puberty, and puberty, it's all an issue.
The fertile days, the bees and the flowers. Nevertheless, the topic of fertile days is often accompanied by questions well into adulthood and is fraught with uncertainty for some younger people. The fertile days are basically very simple. And then again not.
First the bare facts.
The so-called fertile days are a regularly recurring phase within the female cycle. The fertile days affect the female body and are part of female biology. They are the period in which a pregnancy through the fertilization and implantation of an egg cell is possible at all. A biologically healthy woman can become pregnant and father a child on these fertile days every month from puberty until the so-called menopause.
The „Arrival“ of the fertile days is announced by the first menstruation (period or monthly bleeding) of the sexually mature young woman. From now on, the fertilization of an egg cell in the uterus is theoretically and practically possible on the fertile days. While menstruation itself and the entire cycle can be different for every woman, the fertile days are always about the same length of time, lasting about six to seven days, i.e. about a week. Nevertheless, this „safe“ Ultimately determine the period only approximately. We want to show why.
Cycle, ovulation, menstrual bleeding
Women and men deal with the fertile days for two reasons or approach the topic from two possible directions: Either they want to use this phase in a targeted manner to become pregnant successfully and father a child. Or, on the contrary, they do not want to have intercourse during the fertile days to avoid unwanted pregnancy.
That is why it is important to know a little: what does it have with the fertile days ahead? From when to when exactly can fertilization be successful or almost naturally avoided?
In order to determine the fertile days as precisely as possible, a few terms and details are important. Some of the relevant dates vary from woman to woman. However, one thing is the same for everyone: the fertile days are related to the length of the menstrual cycle and ovulation.
Ovulation always occurs about 14 days after the last menstrual period. In those two weeks before the „jump“ A new egg cell matures in the ovaries, which then travels through one of the two fallopian tubes into the uterus. During this time, the uterus itself forms a mucous membrane to accommodate a fertilized egg and make it „comfortable“ so to speak. close. If fertilization by male sperm does not occur, the egg cell with this lining of the uterus is rejected after about ten more days during the next menstrual period. A new cycle follows. And everything starts all over again.
The new, released egg first travels back through the fallopian tube, where it “waits” for fertilization, into the uterus. During this time, about 14 days before the start of the next menstrual period, penetrating sperm can reach the fallopian tube. These are then the fertile days of a woman. From a purely biological point of view, fertilization is only possible on the day of ovulation itself and a few days before and after. At this time, fertility is at its highest and the partner's sperm have a reasonable chance of reaching and merging with the new egg during this time alone. Always assuming the sperm are strong, fast and healthy enough for it. If the fertilized egg implants permanently and firmly in the endometrium, a new child will grow in the uterus.
If you have read carefully, you will quickly find that despite the facts it is already getting vague again: „Approximately after 14 days“, „a few days before and after ovulation“ are relevant as fertile days. What does that mean exactly? How many days before and after ovulation are few? To anticipate: There are six to seven in total. It is better to assume about a week. In the following we show why the fertile days are so long and why they cannot really be precisely determined with a stopwatch with start and stop.
A calendar helps
To get a little closer to the point and to determine the fertile days as individually as possible, women (and of course their partners too) can use a „ Ovulation-“ or „Cycle calendar“ lead.
Male partners can also help to keep up to date. Such a calendar records when ovulation takes place and when the fertile days are within the entire monthly cycle.
The female cycle begins on the first day of the period and ends with the last day before the next menstrual period. In addition, a woman's cycle length, i. H. the total number of days between the first day of menstruation and the first day of the following period, used to determine the fertile days.
The length of the cycle varies from woman to woman and can range from 26 to 32 days. On average it is 28 days. Cycle length also depends on the duration of menstruation. Here, too, the last day of the female menstrual period serves as a fixed point for determining the approximate time of ovulation. So all this is important for determining the fertile days. This is how some women have their „period“ for three days, others for five days. The intensity of menstruation also varies, as do the physical conditions that accompany it.
However, neither the number of days is used to calculate and determine the fertile days concomitant symptoms such as headaches, abdominal pain and others are crucial. The last day of menstruation is crucial. This is another important point of reference for roughly determining the fertile days.
A small example:
Eva had the first day of her last period on March 1st. This lasts for her three days, i. H. up to and including March 3rd. Eva has measured her entire cycle length, i. H. all the time until the next first day of her menstrual period. This is 30 days, so this time it ends on March 30th. So Eva can expect her new menstrual period on March 31st.
Like all physically fit women, Eva can normally expect to ovulate 14 days after the last day of her period. In her case, that's around March 17th. As already mentioned, the fertile days are a few days before and a few days after ovulation – in Eva's case between March 14th and 20th. That's pretty much exactly a week.
Despite these generally valid facts, there are always uncertain factors. Despite our fondness for precise dates and our habit of timing our whole life, it is not possible to pinpoint the exact time of ovulation and thus the exact beginning and end of the fertile period. In nature there is no data. An egg doesn't care that we count a new day from 12:00 a.m.!
No guarantee of pregnancy!
If a couple knows approximately the fertile days of the woman and knows where they are in the cycle, they also know about the high probability or at least the best possibility of pregnancy.
However, having sex within these fertile days is by no means a guarantee of a successful pregnancy! „We did everything right and mainly had sex on the fertile days. Why can't I get pregnant?!“ – Many a woman may argue helplessly and many a man may wonder why that is because a calendar was created especially for this and everything is right with the other biological parameters.
But just as it's possible to conceive outside of your fertile window, there's no guarantee of success within those six or seven days either.
The fertile days only define the biological time frame that nature has set up over millions of years for the further development of our species. In other words: it can happen in those six or seven fertile days – but it doesn't have to. Not only the fertile days, a healthy uterus, a regular menstrual cycle, intact and fit sperm and an unconditional will can accompany and promote the desire to have children.
(In)fertile days do not mean reliable contraception!< /strong>
On the other hand, if a couple wants to use their ovulation calendar to avoid getting pregnant easily, they can consider the fertile days as a time to Sex restrains.
The idea behind it: The male sperm cannot fertilize an egg cell outside the fertile days, which does not exist at all. But this „natural method“ is by no means certain! Because when exactly the egg cell is where or how long exactly sperm cells survive undamaged in the vaginal environment are real uncertainty factors!
One can therefore speculate how many children saw the light of day despite avoiding the fertile days in terms of sexual encounters, especially in earlier times.
What is particularly perfidious is that nature, through the effects of evolution, sexually „charges“ and makes lustful. Studies and research worldwide have shown that just before, during and just after ovulation a woman – So on your fertile days – is sexually more open, willing and lustful! – The woman is more sexually open, willing and receptive to adventure, and also responds differently to potential sexual partners. What is behind it is as clear as it is unromantic: biological evolution is about the gene pool and the ability to protect species. The rather short time span of the fertile days should and is used to produce fit offspring.
Regardless of this excursion into evolutionary biology, it should be expressly pointed out that determining the fertile days is not a reliable contraceptive tool! So if you absolutely don't want to get pregnant and don't want to father a child, you should also use the usual contraceptive measures outside of the fertile days!
In summary: The fertile days – a lot of about
The fertile days last about a week. They start about three to four days before ovulation and end about three to four days after ovulation. Ovulation occurs about 14 days after the last menstrual period. Keeping an „ovulation calendar“ helps to determine the fertile days. The woman and her partner should measure the length of the menstrual cycle. A woman can become pregnant within these days, but she does not have to. Pregnancy is also possible outside of the fertile days.