Menstruation or the menstrual cycle defines the fertile period of a woman. This determines the phase when her eggs are available for fertilisation. This naturally entails that if conception occurs during her fertile days, she will be pregnant. Generally menstruation comprises of a combined action of three prominent organs: the hypothalamus, pituitary and the ovary. They act in tandem to form a cycle that usually last for twenty-eight days. It is important to note here that this cycle period can vary between individuals depending on a number of associated physiological and other factors.

What Actually Happens During Menstruation?

During this menstruation period, the ovaries that go on to prepare the uterus for getting pregnant produce certain hormones. Every month the female ovary release an egg(s), that gets deposited in the fallopian tubes. This process is known as ovulation where the uterus walls develop an inner lining known as the uterine lining. The wall basically thickens in order to act as a cushion to the egg if it gets fertilised during this period. And if the egg does not get fertilised, the endometrial lining is shed off in the form of menstrual fluid. This is how menstruation begins. The menstrual periods usually last from three to seven days, though it may vary in different women.

Pregnancy and Menstruation

As said earlier, the fertile period of a woman is determined by her menstrual cycle. According to researchers, almost everyday of her menstrual cycle can determine her potential fertile stage. The age of twenty-five to thirty-five is considered to be the most reproductive stage of a woman’s life. This is because during this phase the menstrual cycles of the woman are the most regular. The fertility potential becomes very unpredictable in teenagers as they have just entered the menstrual cycle or the women who are beyond their mid-thirties as they are advancing towards menopause.

When Does Pregnancy Occur? 

Pregnancy can potentially occur whenever conception occurs during the fertile phase of the woman and it is calculated by counting the number of days from her ovulation to the next date of her periods. Although it needs to be noted here that there is no uniform calendar that can ascertain the exact fertile phase of a woman.

There are lot of relative factors at play that have a significant role in determining whether there is a possibility of conception or not. Say, the viability of the sperm and the egg can cause an impediment in attaining successful conception, or there can be a problem in the uterus that renders it unreceptive to the settling down of the egg along with innumerable individual factors. In fact sporadic ovulation can be a different factor altogether that can play havoc in the woman’s menstrual calendar and her chances towards planned pregnancy.

Most of the times the factors can be physiological, psychological or a combination of both.

Determining Fertile Window of Woman  

Determining the fertile window of a woman’s menstrual cycle is more of a trial and error method according to doctors and researchers. Fertile window are the few days of the menstrual cycle when the chances of a successful conception and pregnancy is maximum. But then again pregnancy might not happen due to several other associative factors. This is why couples who desire pregnancy are advised not to emphasize too much on the fertile window. They need to engage in unprotected intercourse at least thrice a week during the time that is mentioned as the fertile window in the menstrual calendar of the woman.