responsible for cyclic changes to the endometrium (inner lining of the womb) and the vagina.
•It sustains new life in the uterus.
•It is important for the metabolism of calcium.
•It can cause headaches, fatigue, irritability, tender breasts and water retention.
PROGESTERONE
•It is secreted by the corpus luteum (the place in the ovary where the monthly egg cell is shed), the adrenal glands and, in pregnancy, the placenta.
•It sustains the endometrium after ovulation in preparation for receiving the fertilised egg.
•It is responsible for the development of the placenta and is later also produced by the placenta.
•Progesterone affects the development of mammary glands.
FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE (FSH)
•This hormone is produced by the anterior pituitary gland.
•It is responsible for the maturing of the egg cell.
LUTEINISING HORMONE (LH)
•It is produced by the anterior pituitary gland.
•It stimulates ovulation.
•It is responsible for the development of the corpus luteum.
PROLACTIN
•It is produced by the anterior pituitary gland.
•It is co-responsible for lactation.
OXYTOCIN
•It is produced by the posterior pituitary gland.
•It is produced during lovemaking, in labour and for successful lactation.
•It causes smooth muscle cells to contract in the reproductive system and mammary cells.
HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN (HCG)
•This pregnancy hormone is produced by the immature, developing placenta as soon as the fertilised egg cell is implanted in the endometrium.
•Levels in the mother’s urine and blood can confirm pregnancy with great accuracy.
FERTILISATION
A baby girl is born with all the egg cells she will ever have, as opposed to a boy who constantly produces new sperm cells after puberty. During each month from puberty, one egg cell is released from one of the ovaries at the time of ovulation, usually alternating between the ovaries every month. The quality of ova deteriorates as a woman ages. This is one of the factors responsible for increased infertility and abnormalities of babies in older women.
Fertilisation is the penetration of an ovum (female egg cell) by a male sperm cell. The ovum is released from the ovary into the Fallopian tube and is moved along by the wave-like motion of the muscle fibres of the tube walls. If one of the myriad sperm cells released into the vagina during lovemaking meets the ovum and penetrates the egg cell’s ‘shell’, conception occurs. In a regular menstrual cycle, this will usually be about fourteen days before the next menstruation. The fertilised egg cell continues down the Fallopian tube until it reaches the womb, about seven to ten days after conception, where it nestles in the thickened endometrial lining of the uterus. This is called implantation.
A brief look at fertility
CONTRACEPTIVES AND PREGNANCY
Chemical contraceptives like hormone tablets (the pill) and injections are generally very effective. Oral contraceptives need to be taken exactly as prescribed to be effective. In other words, you should not skip a day. If you use the mini-pill (progesterone only), you need to take the pill at the same time every day. If you are taking antibiotics or have a digestive disturbance like vomiting or diarrhoea, oral contraceptives may not be effectively absorbed and you might fall pregnant. In this case, it is important to abstain from lovemaking or to use alternative contraceptive methods for the rest of the month, while continuing to take the pill. This does not apply if you are using injectable contraception.
Women do sometimes fall pregnant despite taking contraceptives correctly. In most cases this does not appear to hold any dangers for the pregnant woman or her developing baby although, according to research, malformations in babies are sometimes attributed to this. If, however, you cannot accept an unplanned pregnancy, consult your doctor to discuss termination as early as possible in the first trimester.
You should complete a full pack of the oral hormonal contraceptive pill before trying to fall pregnant, to disturb the hormonal balance as little as possible. It is generally advised to give your body about three months to adjust after prolonged use of contraceptives (hormonal and intrauterine devices), although many women fall pregnant almost immediately or even while using contraceptives without apparent problems. Homeopathic remedies can help the endocrine system to settle sooner and improve the likelihood of conception if your menstrual cycle is irregular.
Generally, the longer you have used hormonal contraceptives, the longer it takes to fall pregnant, but this remains a very individual matter. There are many factors that influence how long it takes to fall pregnant, but if you have not conceived within six to twelve months, you should see your gynaecologist for a general checkup. It is advisable to have a general examination when you stop using contraceptives or plan to fall pregnant and if you have difficulty falling pregnant. Your partner might need a checkup if nothing seems to be the matter with you. Research shows that the male partner experiences as many fertility problems as the female.
OVULATION
Ovulation is the release of an egg from a woman’s ovary. The woman is most likely to fall pregnant in the few days around this time. Traditionally, ovulation occurs close to midcycle or about fourteen days before the next menstruation in an average 28-day cycle. (Day One is the first day of the menstrual period.) Adjust this for a longer or shorter cycle where midcycle will be a few days later or earlier.
We are beginning to realise that menstruation should be seen as the culmination rather than the start of a woman’s cycle. From this point of view, ovulation and pregnancy become most likely as soon as a woman notices a moist vaginal discharge. In other words, the idea that ovulation will occur strictly fourteen days before a period is not necessarily true. Discharge might be a more accurate indicator.
There are also other symptoms of ovulation that are recognised by women who are finely attuned to the functioning of their bodies. You might experience pain in the region of the ovary that releases the egg that month. Basal temperature (early morning body temperature) can also help determine your time of ovulation. These natural family planning and contraception techniques can help increase fertility.
FERTILITY, AGE AND HEALTH
Fertility declines quite markedly from the age of about 35 years and this may contribute to prolonged conception problems. This does not happen overnight though, and in a time when couples are choosing to have babies later in
