arcanegirl
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Every woman's body is different in shape, size, color, AND CYCLE. The typical woman's cycle runs as such.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 2
(menstruation) (ovulation) (repeat)
*this chart wont post right but hopefully you get the idea*
menstruation supposed to be day 1 - day 5
ovulation day 13 - day 15
repeat day day 1 and on
The problem with using this typical woman is that for many women ovulation can occur as early as day 5 or 6, or as late as day 27 or 28!
Inside the woman, there are many changes that happen throughout the cycle with her different reproductive organs.
UTERUS: during menstration, the uterine lining and endometrium (what the embryo would attach itself to) is shed, making way for a fresh lining for any incoming fertilized egg. After menstration the lining begins to build up, preparing for the egg. By the time ovulation occurs there should be a thick endometrium waiting.
OVARIES: during menstration, the ovaries are barren, waiting to begin the cycle. Sometime during menstration or soon after, an unripened egg is encased in a cyst called a follicular cyst. This cyst is both healthy and necessary. The egg then ripens inside the cyst, preparing it for ovulation. When the cyst reaches approximately 1.5 cm in diameter, the cyst will rupture, spewing forth the ripened egg. This act of rupturing the cyst and releasing the egg is called ovulation and usually occurs on day 14 of the cycle.but this is not a rule, but a generalization. There is a slight twinge that some women feel when they ovulate.and spotting blood is not uncommon either. The egg will travel down two tubes (fallopian tubes) on its journey toward the uterus.
THE EGG: As stated above, the egg ripens inside a cyst in the ovary. After ovulation the egg has 24 hours in which it can be fertilized.after that it is useless. Because it takes 8-10 days for the egg to travel down the tubes into the uterus, it needs to be fertilized while INSIDE the fallopian tubes.
THE CERVIX: While the uterus is building up its endometrium, the cervix's job is to keep EVERYTHING out of the uterus. This is to prevent infections in the uterus as well as to prevent anything unclean inside the uterus or reproductive system (outside the vagina). The uterus is a small "nub" of an opening inside the vagina and leads to the uterus. To keep everything out, including sperm, it produces a very tacky mucus and is held very very tightly closed. But, as the woman's cycle continues and the body knows that ovulation is about to occur, the mucus surrounding the cervix begins to change. By the time ovulation occurs, the mucus has become a stringy fluid spilling out from the cervix, allowing a sort of "stream" for the sperm to swim up. The cervix itself also opens every so slighty, just enough to allow sperm up inside. After ovulation occurs, the mucus begins to return to it's normal tacky texture to prevent anything else from entering.
THE OTHER SIDE. THE SPERM!
Sperm are able to last inside the woman's body for typically 3 days, but up to 5 days which means that any intercourse as early as 5 days prior to ovulation MAY result in a pregnancy.
WHICH BRINGS US TO THE RHYTHM METHOD
The Rhythm Method, or "Family Planning method" is the method of learning your own personal cycle, and using that information to calculate when your fertile days/week is and avoiding intercourse at that time. There are several ways in which you calculate you own ovulation.
Basal Temperature: This is taken with a special thermometer which calculates the temperature down to 1/10th of a degree. The basal temperature is the woman's temperature taken every single morning at the same time and charted on a chart. The reason for this is that many woman are able to tell if/when they ovulate by the changed in the temperature. The healthy normal woman's chart might look like this.
cycle day temperature
1-12 will hover around a low temperature, usually not varying
more than 2/10ths of a degree.
13 May dip slightly, more than other days had been.
14 temperature does a significant rise.usually about half
of a degree.
15-next cycle temperature stays high.
beginning of next cycle if temperature stays high and no menstration occurs,
you are pregnant. otherwise temperature returns to
the same as days 1-12 listed above.
Mucus check: as explained under "CERVIX", the mucus in the vagina changes consistency as the cycle goes on. A daily check of the mucus, along with the basal temperature, can help pin down ovulation.
After several months of calculating ovulation, a woman might find that she's fairly regular.maybe always ovulating on day 12 of her cycle and that she only ovulates once each cycle. She can then fairly safely use this information each month to continue calculating her cycles, avoiding intercourse after day 7 and resuming intercourse after she has ovulated (she can check her charts for that specific month). 24 hours after ovulation, barring any second ovulation for that cycle, there is no chance that a woman may get pregnant.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 2
(menstruation) (ovulation) (repeat)
*this chart wont post right but hopefully you get the idea*
menstruation supposed to be day 1 - day 5
ovulation day 13 - day 15
repeat day day 1 and on
The problem with using this typical woman is that for many women ovulation can occur as early as day 5 or 6, or as late as day 27 or 28!
Inside the woman, there are many changes that happen throughout the cycle with her different reproductive organs.
UTERUS: during menstration, the uterine lining and endometrium (what the embryo would attach itself to) is shed, making way for a fresh lining for any incoming fertilized egg. After menstration the lining begins to build up, preparing for the egg. By the time ovulation occurs there should be a thick endometrium waiting.
OVARIES: during menstration, the ovaries are barren, waiting to begin the cycle. Sometime during menstration or soon after, an unripened egg is encased in a cyst called a follicular cyst. This cyst is both healthy and necessary. The egg then ripens inside the cyst, preparing it for ovulation. When the cyst reaches approximately 1.5 cm in diameter, the cyst will rupture, spewing forth the ripened egg. This act of rupturing the cyst and releasing the egg is called ovulation and usually occurs on day 14 of the cycle.but this is not a rule, but a generalization. There is a slight twinge that some women feel when they ovulate.and spotting blood is not uncommon either. The egg will travel down two tubes (fallopian tubes) on its journey toward the uterus.
THE EGG: As stated above, the egg ripens inside a cyst in the ovary. After ovulation the egg has 24 hours in which it can be fertilized.after that it is useless. Because it takes 8-10 days for the egg to travel down the tubes into the uterus, it needs to be fertilized while INSIDE the fallopian tubes.
THE CERVIX: While the uterus is building up its endometrium, the cervix's job is to keep EVERYTHING out of the uterus. This is to prevent infections in the uterus as well as to prevent anything unclean inside the uterus or reproductive system (outside the vagina). The uterus is a small "nub" of an opening inside the vagina and leads to the uterus. To keep everything out, including sperm, it produces a very tacky mucus and is held very very tightly closed. But, as the woman's cycle continues and the body knows that ovulation is about to occur, the mucus surrounding the cervix begins to change. By the time ovulation occurs, the mucus has become a stringy fluid spilling out from the cervix, allowing a sort of "stream" for the sperm to swim up. The cervix itself also opens every so slighty, just enough to allow sperm up inside. After ovulation occurs, the mucus begins to return to it's normal tacky texture to prevent anything else from entering.
THE OTHER SIDE. THE SPERM!
Sperm are able to last inside the woman's body for typically 3 days, but up to 5 days which means that any intercourse as early as 5 days prior to ovulation MAY result in a pregnancy.
WHICH BRINGS US TO THE RHYTHM METHOD
The Rhythm Method, or "Family Planning method" is the method of learning your own personal cycle, and using that information to calculate when your fertile days/week is and avoiding intercourse at that time. There are several ways in which you calculate you own ovulation.
Basal Temperature: This is taken with a special thermometer which calculates the temperature down to 1/10th of a degree. The basal temperature is the woman's temperature taken every single morning at the same time and charted on a chart. The reason for this is that many woman are able to tell if/when they ovulate by the changed in the temperature. The healthy normal woman's chart might look like this.
cycle day temperature
1-12 will hover around a low temperature, usually not varying
more than 2/10ths of a degree.
13 May dip slightly, more than other days had been.
14 temperature does a significant rise.usually about half
of a degree.
15-next cycle temperature stays high.
beginning of next cycle if temperature stays high and no menstration occurs,
you are pregnant. otherwise temperature returns to
the same as days 1-12 listed above.
Mucus check: as explained under "CERVIX", the mucus in the vagina changes consistency as the cycle goes on. A daily check of the mucus, along with the basal temperature, can help pin down ovulation.
After several months of calculating ovulation, a woman might find that she's fairly regular.maybe always ovulating on day 12 of her cycle and that she only ovulates once each cycle. She can then fairly safely use this information each month to continue calculating her cycles, avoiding intercourse after day 7 and resuming intercourse after she has ovulated (she can check her charts for that specific month). 24 hours after ovulation, barring any second ovulation for that cycle, there is no chance that a woman may get pregnant.
