Many women dream of having a baby. For them, this is a long-awaited event, but for it to take place, certain changes must occur in the body of the expectant mother. It all starts with ovulation - a process in which an egg leaves the ovary. This cell does not exist for long. Only with its presence in the body of a woman is conception possible. About how much an egg lives after ovulation, it will be useful to find out for all the fair sex women planning a pregnancy.
Egg and sperm formation
Even from school biology lessons, everyone knows that pregnancy occurs as a result of the union of two germ cells - male (sperm) and female (egg). However, few people know how these cells appear. Sperm cells form in the testicles, the male sex glands. This process is ongoing. This means that there are always sperm in the body of a man.
Eggs are formed in women in the ovaries - paired sex glands. These cells in ripened form are not always present in the body. That is why women are often puzzled by the question of when a cell ready for fertilization appears and how much an egg lives after ovulation.
The process of forming female germ cells is complex and rather lengthy. To understand it, let's start with the fact that the woman’s ovaries contain ovarian follicles. It is in them that germ cells — oocytes — mature. Eggs are formed from them.
Maturation of the female reproductive cell and the beginning of ovulation
In the body of a woman, absolutely all oocytes do not mature at the same time. After menstruation under the action of follicle-stimulating hormone produced in the pituitary gland, the growth of any one particular follicle begins. This structure gradually increases and in the middle of the menstrual cycle (about 12-14 days) reaches its maximum size. Further, the follicle bursts. This process is called ovulation.
During ovulation, only one egg is thrown into the abdominal cavity, that is, it is precisely one reproductive cell that matures in the follicle. After this process, the egg enters the fallopian tubes. She is motionless. On the fallopian tubes, it is moved towards the uterus by the villi there.
Ovum existence
A mature female reproductive cell does not exist for long. How many hours does an egg live after ovulation? In the body of a woman, she is on average 24 hours. Only at this time is fertilization and pregnancy possible. If conception does not occur within a day from the moment of ovulation, then the cell dies. The woman gets the next chance to conceive a child after about a month - in the middle of the next menstrual cycle.
If the female reproductive cell meets a sperm in the fallopian tube, then fertilization of the egg begins. When this process occurs after ovulation, first the male reproductive cell adheres to the female cell. Then the sperm penetrates through the transparent membrane. After this process, the egg wall becomes impermeable. Other sperm can no longer enter it. The egg continues to move through the fallopian tube. This process from the moment of fertilization to the moment of getting into the uterine cavity takes from 3 to 5 days.
Further implantation
By the time of ovulation in the body of a woman, various changes occur. He is preparing for a possible pregnancy. In the uterus, the mucous membrane grows. When a fertilized egg enters the body cavity , implantation takes place - implantation and engraftment of the fetal egg. So pregnancy begins, and the path of the egg after ovulation ends.
In general, implantation is a unique process, an immune phenomenon of engraftment of foreign living tissue. Experts note that the uterine mucosa, when meeting with a fertilized egg, loses immunocompetent properties. However, any other transplant would still be rejected by the body. The general laws of immune defense during this period only do not obey the fetal egg.
What is important for women to know
The process of conception is quite complicated. It has inherent features that women should know about:
- Today, there are ways through which you can learn about ovulation. Those women who are not yet ready for pregnancy, seek to determine the time of release of a mature egg. They need this information in order to exclude sexual contact on a particular day. It is important to know not only what happens to the egg after ovulation, but also how many sperm cells exist. Male germ cells are active for a rather long period. They can be in the female body after intercourse from 2 to 7 days in anticipation of an egg.
- On average, ovulation occurs on the 13-14 day of the cycle (with a 28-day menstrual cycle). But deviations are possible. When exposed to negative factors, ovulation can shift. Experts note that the release of an egg during a 28-day cycle can occur between 8 and 20 days.
How to feel ovulation
Vaginal discharge may indicate an approach to ovulation. After menstruation, they are scarce. By the time of maturation and release of the egg, they become abundant. According to their consistency, they in some women can resemble egg white. After the release of a ripened egg, the discharge again becomes scarce and loses its ductility.
Some women with the onset of ovulation indicate a change in well-being. They note minor pain in the lower abdomen on either the right or left side (depending on which ovary the egg has matured in). Soreness is caused by a slight tear of the ovary.
Determination of the moment of ovulation by basal temperature
A more reliable way to determine ovulation is to measure basal temperature. Its essence is plotting. The basal temperature with this method is measured daily. Observation of the values allows us to draw the following conclusions:
- From the first day of the cycle until the end of menstruation, the temperature drops from 37 degrees to 36.3 degrees.
- A couple of days before ovulation, the temperature decreases by 0.1-0.2 degrees.
- During ovulation, the temperature rises sharply. If 24 hours are counted from this moment, then in the end it will be possible to determine the most favorable time for the fertilization of the egg after ovulation.
- Further, the temperature is in the range of 37–37.4 degrees.
- Before starting menstruation, the temperature drops to 37 degrees.
The method for determining ovulation at basal temperature is not simple, because a woman needs to follow certain rules to get the right information. Firstly, temperature is measured in those areas that are closest to the internal organs. This is the vagina, the rectum. Secondly, temperature is always measured at the same time. This is best done in the morning after waking up without getting out of bed.
For basal temperature measurements, it is recommended to purchase an electronic thermometer. If desired, you can take an ordinary mercury thermometer, but use it very carefully.
Ovulation Tests
You can find out when the ovulation process begins and how much the egg lives after this, thanks to special tests. They are sold in pharmacies. Tests are saturated with a special compound that responds to luteinizing hormone (LH). As you know, the level of LH increases rapidly 24–36 hours before ovulation. Before ovulation, a saturated strip appears on the test, which is brighter than the control. For the next 4 days, women who want to get pregnant can have sex.
If you test after ovulation, you can see a dull strip. This will mean that the mature egg has already completed its path and it no longer exists in the body.
How long an egg lives after ovulation is an important issue for women. Representatives of the fair sex, knowing this information, can plan sexual intercourse, significantly increase the likelihood of pregnancy. Those women who are not yet ready for the conception of a baby can be protected thanks to knowledge about the duration of the egg. Although this method of preventing an unwanted pregnancy is not very effective. Egg viability after ovulation is known, but when exactly a mature female reproductive cell appears in the body and how many spermatozoa will last after the previous sexual intercourse, no one can say for sure. These processes are individual.