What is conception? Favorable and unfavorable days

The beginning of a new life is a great mystery of nature, and not all the mechanisms and nuances of this mystery have been studied by doctors and scientists. Conceiving a baby is an amazing and exciting process, which many people don’t even know about at the time of the miracle. We will talk in more detail about what actually happens at the moment of fusion of maternal and paternal germ cells. This information will help those planning a pregnancy, and will also be of interest to anyone who is already a parent or is expecting their baby.

What is it?

Conceiving a child is a very complex biological, chemical process, in which not everything can be explained only from the point of view of physiology. There is always something of the divine in conception that cannot be measured or counted. Thanks to him, conception sometimes miraculously occurs in those for whom, from a medical point of view, it should not occur.

In medicine, conception is the moment of fertilization of a female reproductive cell - an egg - by a male cell - a sperm. It is from this moment that the actual pregnancy begins; from this starting point, its embryonic gestational period begins. The obstetric period is counted from the first day of the last menstruation before pregnancy. Thus, by the time of conception, which usually becomes possible during the period of ovulation, a woman is already 2-3 obstetric weeks of pregnancy. The medical definition of the onset of pregnancy hardly reveals the full meaning of this amazing process.

In a woman’s body, changes begin from the very first tenths of a second, as soon as the fusion of germ cells occurs. The fertilization process triggers a whole cascade of changes aimed at creating the most comfortable conditions for maintaining and developing a new life.

Fertilization

A man can conceive a child any day if he is healthy. Spermatozoa - male reproductive cells - are always in “full combat readiness”. But in a woman, fertilization is possible only on certain days of the menstrual cycle. After the next menstruation ends, the stage of follicle maturation begins. Several follicles mature in a woman’s ovaries, but only one or at least two of them will become dominant. Around the middle of the cycle, the size of the dominant follicle approaches 20 mm, which means that the egg inside is mature and ready to be released. The moment the follicle ruptures is called ovulation. For women, this day occurs depending on the length of the menstrual cycle on different days. If 28 days usually pass from period to period, ovulation should be expected on the 14th day, if 30 days pass - on the 15th day.

Ovulation calculator

Cycle duration

Duration of menstruation

• Menstruation
• Ovulation
• High probability of conception

Enter the first day of your last menstrual period

Ovulation occurs 14 days before the start of the menstrual cycle (with a 28-day cycle - on the 14th day). Deviation from the average value occurs frequently, so the calculation is approximate.

Also, together with the calendar method, you can measure basal temperature, examine cervical mucus, use special tests or mini-microscopes, take tests for FSH, LH, estrogens and progesterone.

You can definitely determine the day of ovulation using folliculometry (ultrasound).

Sources:

1. Losos, Jonathan B.; Raven, Peter H.; Johnson, George B.; Singer, Susan R. Biology. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 1207-1209.
2. Campbell N. A., Reece J. B., Urry L. A. e. a. Biology. 9th ed. - Benjamin Cummings, 2011. - p. 1263
3. Tkachenko B. I., Brin V. B., Zakharov Yu. M., Nedospasov V. O., Pyatin V. F. Human physiology. Compendium / Ed. B. I. Tkachenko. - M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2009. - 496 p.
4. https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovulation

With an irregular menstrual cycle, it is quite difficult to determine the day of ovulation on your own, but this can be done using ultrasound - the process of maturation and growth of the follicle is clearly visible through the introduction of a vaginal ultrasound sensor.

The place of egg production is the ovaries. After the follicle ruptures, the female reproductive cell leaves the ovary and exits into the wide part of the fallopian tube. This is where fertilization must occur. The process of cell fusion itself can occur immediately after its release or a day later. The egg lives and retains the ability to fertilize for 24-36 hours.

During unprotected intercourse, sperm enter the vagina, from where they begin their journey to the location of the egg. The path of the sperm can be compared to natural survival, natural selection - only the strongest and strongest representatives from tens of millions of cells will survive and reach the goal. By the time sperm arrive, ovulation may not yet have occurred, but in this case, nature has endowed male reproductive cells with vitality - they can remain in the tube and retain their abilities for 3-4 days.

In this case, fertilization occurs immediately after the egg is released. If sexual intercourse took place directly on the day of ovulation, then fertilization occurs approximately 30-40 minutes after ejaculation. Thus, Favorable days for a woman to conceive are the day of ovulation, as well as 2-3 days before it and the day after it. Just 5 or 6 days during the month are ideal for intercourse in order to conceive a baby.

A woman can guess that ovulation is approaching by some characteristic signs. Usually her libido increases - this mechanism is provided by nature so that the fair sex does not accidentally miss the most favorable moment. The discharge becomes viscous, profuse, reminiscent of the consistency of raw egg white. The sensitivity of the nipples of the mammary glands increases, and the breasts themselves may increase slightly in size.

Many women are even able to feel the moment of ovulation. They feel the rupture of the follicle as a slight nagging pain in the left or right lower abdomen - the location of the pain depends on whether ovulation occurred in the right or left ovary.

Some women do not feel this moment, and this is also a variant of the norm: it all depends on the individual characteristics of the female body.

The egg is covered with a three-layer membrane. After a fairly large number of sperm reaches it, a massive “attack” of the membranes begins. Special structures in the head of the sperm secrete substances that can dissolve the membranes of the egg. However, only one sperm is destined to fertilize it. After the most stubborn, persistent and strong person penetrates the membrane of the female cell, the body immediately receives a signal that fertilization has occurred. The membranes of the egg sharply change permeability, and none of the sperm will be able to penetrate inside.

The male reproductive cells left empty-handed swarm around the egg for a few more days and then die. If fertilization does not occur, the egg itself dies a day after ovulation and begins its journey into the uterine cavity. Two weeks after this, menstruation begins - with menstrual blood, the woman’s body is cleansed of biomaterial that has become unnecessary. If conception has occurred, a new stage of development begins.

The egg must also travel to the uterine cavity, but for a different purpose - to attach and create a cozy “house” for the embryo. In the very first minutes after the fusion of germ cells, the future baby’s own genetic makeup is formed. He takes exactly 23 pairs of chromosomes from mom and dad.

From the very first minutes, everything is determined - the gender of the child, the color of his eyes and hair, skin color, physique, hereditary diseases and even talents and abilities. All this information is contained in the genetic code. A fertilized egg is called a zygote, it is constantly fragmented and modified, processes proceed at cosmic speed.

Changes in the body after fertilization

Immediately after the egg is fertilized, a large-scale operation unfolds in the body to create new conditions that are most optimal for the development of new life. The hormone progesterone begins to be produced in large quantities. Its task is to make the walls of the uterus looser so that the embryo can easily attach to one of them and “grow” into the tissue. This place will then become the basis for the placenta.

Under the influence of progesterone, from the first minutes after conception, metabolic processes begin to proceed somewhat faster. Of course, a woman will not be able to feel these changes, at least in the first couple of weeks after fertilization.

Progesterone provides everything for the development of the baby - it suppresses the mother's immunity so that he does not “mistakenly” mistake the embryo for something foreign and destroy it. Under the influence of this hormone, the uterine muscles relax, reducing its tone, which ensures pregnancy.

The cervix also reacts to innovations from the first minutes after conception and begins to fulfill its role. The cervical canal inside it, which is slightly open on the day of ovulation and ensures the transfer of sperm from the vagina, immediately closes, filling with thick mucus.

This mucus plug will protect the uterine cavity from viruses, pathogenic bacteria and other unwanted penetrations throughout pregnancy. Only before childbirth will the mucous plug leave its place. Its departure belongs to the category of harbingers of an imminent birth.

A lot of interesting things happen at the cellular level. The zygote, which is the egg that unites with the sperm, begins to form nuclei within the first 30 hours after conception. It is constantly fragmenting, which means that the number of cells increases, but the size of the cell does not, it’s just that the new cells are smaller. The crushing period lasts about three days. All this time, after sexual intercourse and fertilization, the zygote is in constant motion - it strives to reach the uterine cavity.

On day 4, the embryo consists of approximately 16 cells. The blastomeres begin to divide into inner and outer layers. On the 5th day after conception, the zygote changes its status and becomes a blastocyst. It contains about 30 cells at the very beginning and already about 200 cells by the end of the stage. The blastocyst has a round, spherical shape. This is what the former egg looks like at the time of embryo implantation.

Embryo implantation

Implantation is the process of implantation of a blastocyst into the tissue of the uterine wall. The embryo is usually attached a week after conception, often exactly 7-8 days after fertilization. From this moment, the woman’s body begins to produce human chorionic gonadotropic hormone, which is also called the pregnancy hormone and the determination of the concentration of which underlies all currently existing pregnancy tests.

In order for the contact with the endometrium to be more dense and the “docking” to be successful, the blastocyst gets rid of the zona pellucida immediately after the fertilized egg descends into the uterus. Attachment of the fertilized egg is a signal for the start of active work of the corpus luteum of the ovary. Now even more progesterone is produced, because the main task of the entire female body is to maintain pregnancy.

A necessary condition for implantation is the level of progesterone in the blood that supports pregnancy, as well as the viability of the embryo itself. If a baby is conceived with genetic errors, then with a high degree of probability the implantation will be unsuccessful and the fertilized egg will be rejected.

The sensations during implantation are also highly individual. Some women are not even aware of what important processes are happening in their body, others may notice that about a week after ovulation they begin to get tired faster, and their mood changes like the weather in a seaside town. On the day of implantation, a small amount of spotting discharge may appear due to a violation of the integrity of the endometrium. Implantation bleeding does not last long - no more than a day. This is the first obvious sign of pregnancy before delay.

Not everyone can feel implantation; implantation bleeding may not occur. In any case, a week after implantation in the blood and urine of pregnancy, the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin reaches a sufficient level so that the fact of a new life can be determined by a laboratory blood test for hCG or a test strip, which can be easily purchased at any pharmacy or even in a supermarket.

On women's forums you can find descriptions of the sensations after conception. Usually they are left by women who dream of becoming pregnant and have been trying to conceive a baby for quite some time. Such women often describe that their breasts began to hurt almost the next day after intercourse, or that their lower abdomen hurts after the alleged conception. Doctors tend to call such sensations psychogenic, since there are no objective reasons for such pain and symptoms.

There is still not enough progesterone, even if conception is successful, for the breasts to hurt and grow at a rapid pace, and nagging pain in the lower abdomen is unlikely to be associated with cellular processes that so far occur only in the fallopian tube.

Violations

In theory, everything sounds quite optimistic, but in practice, conception and subsequent transportation of the fertilized egg to the uterine cavity can occur with disturbances. In most cases, these disorders lead to termination of pregnancy in the earliest stages. Some women may even remain unaware that they were pregnant. It’s just that the next period comes with a delay of two or three days, and women, as a rule, do not pay much attention to the fact that they are a little more abundant than usual.

Difficulties may arise at the very initial stage - low quality of the egg or impaired sperm properties can prevent conception, even if sexual intercourse was carried out immediately at the time of ovulation.

The female body can be affected by chronic gynecological diseases, sexually transmitted infections, ovarian dysfunction, addiction to alcohol or nicotine. Also, any woman has anovulatory cycles - months in which ovulation does not occur at all.

On the part of men, the causes of infertility can be hormonal disorders, exposure to radiation, harmful substances, alcohol and drugs, prostatitis, varicocele, sexually transmitted infections, sexually transmitted diseases. Even with a common cold, which one of the partners suffers at the time of intercourse, the likelihood of conception decreases.

Problems can arise at the stage of fertilization itself. If more than one sperm penetrates the egg, a triploid embryo is formed, which is not capable of development and growth, since its genetic set will differ from the normal set of 46 chromosomes. Genetic pathologies can also develop if fertilization is performed by a sperm with altered morphology - a deformed or forked head, with a damaged acrosome, with mutations and deformities of the tail.

Such an embryo will develop as much as the specific genomic abnormality allows. Most often, such a pregnancy ends in miscarriage, spontaneous abortion in the earliest stages, less often - during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Unforeseen difficulties may also arise at the stage of transporting the zygote. The movement of the egg into the uterine cavity is ensured by special villi inside the tube; the egg itself is the largest and most immobile cell in the human body.

If the mobility of the villi is impaired due to inflammatory diseases of the female reproductive system, if the patency of the lumen of the fallopian tube is impaired, the zygote can remain in the fallopian tube and become fixed in it for lack of an alternative for 7-8 days after conception. Then an ectopic pregnancy develops. After its discovery, the embryo is removed surgically, since it poses a serious danger to the life of the mother - rupture of the fallopian tube leads to severe internal bleeding, which quite often leads to the death of the woman even before the ambulance arrives.

It happens that, without sufficient full contact after descent into the uterus with the endometrium, the fertilized egg can migrate to the isthmus or cervix. Such an ectopic pregnancy has a more dangerous prognosis; in most cases of cervical pregnancy, the situation can only be corrected by removing the entire uterus, which leads to subsequent post-traumatic infertility.

However, such a frightening scenario for the development of the situation is quite rare. Most often, if implantation processes are disrupted, the egg simply dies before attachment and is released along with menstrual blood after some delay.

Sometimes the fertilized egg dies after implantation. The cause may also be chromosomal abnormalities, non-viability of the embryo, as well as hormonal deficiency. With a low amount of progesterone and hCG, the fertilized egg can be rejected by the woman’s own immunity. The endometrium of the uterus will not thicken and cover the fertilized egg from all sides with progesterone deficiency.

Harmful effects - contact with varnishes, paints, chemicals, pesticides and toxins, drinking alcohol and drugs, smoking, viral diseases of a woman at this stage can also cause early rejection of the fertilized egg from the uterine wall and its death.

If death occurs even before the missed period, they often talk about biochemical pregnancy. With it, there will be a delay, tests will show a second weak line, identifying traces of human chorionic gonadotropin in the urine, but menstruation will still occur after several days of delay.

After a biochemical pregnancy, there are no contraindications to planning a pregnancy. However, it is still advisable to take a spermogram and donate blood for hormones in order to exclude the causes of biochemical pregnancy, which may happen again.

How to increase the likelihood of conception?

Those planning a pregnancy are always interested in knowing whether they themselves can do at least something that can affect the likelihood of successful conception. The answer to this question is generally positive; yes, a lot depends on the spouses themselves and their attitude towards their health, including reproductive health.

To maximize your chances of conceiving, it is advisable to first visit a doctor and undergo at least basic tests - for sexually transmitted infections, sexually transmitted diseases, and a spermogram. Men don't like to admit this fact, but About 40% of unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant are associated with male factor infertility.

Planning a pregnancy is not only a decision to have children together, it is also targeted actions. 3 months before conception, a man should start taking vitamins A, C, E, D, preparations containing zinc and selenium, and folic acid. Such substances are contained both in special men's vitamin complexes and in dietary supplements, for example Selenzinc, Spermaktiv and others. Three months is the period required to complete one cycle of spermatogenesis, during which time the composition of the seminal fluid is completely renewed.

It is advisable for a woman to take vitamins and folic acid at least two months before the expected conception. Folic acid accumulates in the body and has a beneficial effect on the formation of the fetal neural tube, its future brain and spinal cord. With a large number of anovulatory cycles during the year, a woman can undergo stimulation of ovulation and subsequent conception.

Hormonal therapy after menstruation will help the follicle to mature, and as soon as its diameter is determined to be sufficient according to ultrasound results, stimulating hormones are used to provoke its rupture and the release of the egg. Stimulation should be carried out exclusively under the supervision of an experienced doctor, because errors in choosing a drug and determining the dosage can lead to premature depletion of the ovaries and their complete dysfunction.

In preparation for conception, men and women should avoid drinking alcohol and nicotine, since these substances have a destructive effect on the reproductive cells, both male and female. As a result, not only can conception itself become a difficult task, but the likelihood of conceiving a baby with chromosomal abnormalities also increases.

Also, those planning to conceive a baby should not eat fast food, canned food, pickled foods, and factory-made sweets, since they contain a large amount of preservatives and dyes that cause mutations of germ cells. Only a complete healthy diet, balanced and enriched with vitamins, will help a couple prepare for conception correctly.

Don't forget about weight. It is much more difficult for overweight women to become pregnant, and for women suffering from thinness or anorexia, conception is sometimes not possible at all.

Weight should be brought into order, as this contributes to changes in hormonal levels. Reducing body weight by just 5% already increases the likelihood of conception by 30%.

A woman needs to know well the features of her menstrual cycle so as not to be mistaken in determining ovulation and the period most favorable for conceiving a baby. Sex should be unprotected. The couple can choose any position, as long as it ensures deeper penetration of seminal fluid into the vagina. Ejaculating close to the cervix shortens the distance sperm need to travel and increases the likelihood of conception.

Intimate gels and lubricants, douching before and after sex can disrupt sperm motility and cause their mass death - the chances of fertilization will decrease tenfold. After sex, a woman should not get up immediately, it is advisable to lie down for about half an hour (we remember that this is the time it takes for sperm to reach the wide part of the fallopian tube where the egg is located. You can make their task easier by raising your legs. Such a half-hour rest after sex increases the likelihood of successful conception rate by 20 percent.

If one of the partners has recently suffered from a viral infection or the flu, it is worth postponing the important moment to a later date. In the same way, you should take a break if a man or woman, shortly before the time planned for conception, took antibiotics, hormonal drugs, anticonvulsants or psychotropic substances.

A woman who dreams of motherhood will benefit from yoga, swimming, and daily walks in the fresh air. Excessive psychological fixation on conception as the ultimate goal usually causes the opposite effect - pregnancy does not occur even with good test results and the absence of objective reasons for infertility.

The fact is that stress hormones, released in considerable quantities, if a woman cannot think about anything other than conception, suppress the production of sex hormones, and pregnancy becomes almost impossible at the biochemical level.

The intensity of sexual intercourse in the month determined for conception should be slightly reduced. Too frequent sexual intercourse makes sperm more scarce in volume, and the concentration of sperm in the ejaculate volume decreases. Doctors recommend the frequency of sexual intercourse - once every 2 days, while after menstruation you should refrain from active sexual activity for 4-5 days.

Women have known for a long time other ways to increase the likelihood of conception - uterine massage, folk remedies, special Kegel exercises. Massage of the uterus is carried out through the vagina and abdominal wall. Its goal is to improve blood circulation in the pelvic organs. Internal manual massage is not performed at home; it should only be performed in a medical facility with the participation of an experienced obstetrician-gynecologist.

Massage does not cause pain to a woman if it is performed correctly. Several such sessions can solve problems with menstrual irregularities, adhesions, and minor inflammatory processes, increasing the chances of conception.

Among folk remedies, a decoction of boron uterus, which is taken in small portions throughout the entire menstrual cycle preceding the month of planning, is especially popular among women. The grass with the interesting name “red brush” has also proven itself well. A water decoction is prepared from it and drunk in courses. Sage works real miracles for female reproductive health.

Kegel exercises are a very popular set of exercises for the pelvic muscles. At the pregnancy planning stage, it will help a woman get more pleasure from sex, and will also bring many pleasant moments to her partner. Then such exercises will help strengthen the pelvic muscles and prepare them for labor. After childbirth, the Kegel complex will promote a speedy recovery.

Conception - in facts and figures

The probability of conception in each menstrual cycle, which is accompanied by full ovulation, in young men and women is 11%. As partners age, the quality of their reproductive cells and genetic material deteriorate. So, the chances of conceiving a baby in one menstrual cycle for a 30-year-old woman are 7%, for a 35-36-year-old woman - only 4%, for a woman 40 years old - no more than 2%.

If you cannot conceive a baby within one or two cycles, you should not despair. According to statistics, approximately 60% of married couples of reproductive age become pregnant after regular unprotected sex for six months. Another 30% of families manage to conceive a child within a year of planning. If, after 12 months of trying, pregnancy does not occur, you should definitely consult a doctor and undergo an examination.

If a woman who dreams of motherhood is over 35 years old, then the likelihood of conceiving not just one child, but twins or triplets, increases by 25%. Unfortunately, after 35 years of age, the likelihood of conceiving and giving birth to a child with chromosomal abnormalities increases; this is due to the natural aging of eggs.

Most people are still confident that conceiving a child is directly a sexual act between a man and a woman. In fact, the birth of a new life occurs somewhat later and only under certain conditions. Let's open the curtain and find out what path each of us overcomes in the very first moments of our intrauterine existence.

Cell cycles and life

The process of fertilization of an egg is one of the most mysterious and complex in science. A fertilized egg is a great success.

Although millions of women get pregnant at will and without it, without thinking about all the “tricks” that occur in their body.

To find out how conception occurs day by day, let’s turn to women’s cycles, on which almost everything depends.

From the moment of birth, every girl has more than a million eggs in her body. No more than half of them survive until she reaches puberty, that is, until her first menstruation.

These cells grow to incredible sizes and are therefore considered the largest in the human body. Once a month, one of them leaves its “shelter”; this process is called ovulation. He, in fact, plays a key role in the question of how conception occurs.

Approximately 14 days before the onset of menstruation, the egg is released from the ovary. This process lasts about 15 minutes, and some women even feel a slight pain and tingling in the abdominal area. It is the moment of ovulation that is the most cherished time when conception occurs if the sperm reaches a mature egg.

In turn, the male seed is a substance very durable. In the female body, sperm can live up to 9 days, waiting for the release of the egg for further intercourse with it. This is the answer to the question of what conception is and at what stages of the cycle it is possible. Well, now let's find out what happens to male and female cells in the future.

How two cells form one

As we have already said, sperm, of which thousands enter a woman’s body, live there for a very long time. They “wait” for their time, and if they don’t wait, they die. The egg is not so “patient”. After its release from the ovary, it lives from 12 to 35 hours, and after this time it dies and comes out with menstruation.

If, after ovulation, she meets one of the thousands of sperm, a process called fertilization occurs.

The sperm breaks through the walls of the egg and penetrates inside, strongly changing its composition. In this way, a zygote is formed - a completely new cell in the body with its own set of chromosomes and personal DNA.

This is how fertilization of the egg occurs, moreover, it is at this stage that it is formed.

If the sperm carried Y chromosomes, it will be a boy, and if X, it will be a girl. However, the intercourse of two cells and the formation of a fundamentally new “organism” inside a woman is not pregnancy.

How long does fertilization of an egg last, that is, the process that we described above, is a purely individual question. Doctors note that on average it takes 18-20 hours, taking into account the speed of the sperm. The newly formed zygote, after its final formation, begins its movement along the fallopian tubes.

Pay attention! The formation of a zygote does not depend on the specific moment at which the male seed entered the female body.

The egg is fertilized only after it leaves the ovary, that is, on the day of ovulation. And this only happens if the sperm “wait” for her.

Let's start counting down the days

After fertilization of the egg occurs, which lasts about several hours, you can move on to a detailed consideration of all processes day by day, up to the onset of pregnancy. It is worth remembering that until the zygote reaches the uterine cavity, the woman is not pregnant, moreover, this whole process is very dangerous. But the most insidious thing about all this is that there is no way to know for sure what happens after a specific ovulation, whether the future fetus has started or not.

Educational!: Is it possible to get pregnant during menstruation?

• day one. We have already described above where fertilization occurs and how exactly the sperm penetrates the egg. Actually, these are the events of the first day of a future pregnancy.
• second day. The newly formed zygote begins its journey. It moves through the fallopian tube and in the process divides into blastomeres. At the 48th hour of conception, these cells surrounding the zygote are still large, but their number is small.
• day three after conception. The number of blastomeres increases, and their size decreases. Gradually they form into a single cellular structure. It is also important to note that on the third day the genome is formed future child.
• the fourth day is the beginning of the most dangerous journey. The zygote with its blastomeres begins to actively move towards the uterus along the fallopian tubes. All stages of this path help her overcome the “hairs” that are located inside the pipes. They seem to push the cells to their destination.
• fifth day. The most dangerous stages in the fertilization process are over. On this day, the zygote with blastomeres, which have already turned into a full-fledged embryo, “walks” around the uterus, looking for the most comfortable place for further implantation.
• sixth to seventh days. At the moment, the size of the embryo does not exceed half a millimeter. Let us also note that it feeds on the corpus luteum, so the mother’s lifestyle at this stage does not affect the development of the fetus.
• eighth to tenth day. This is the very time when the embryo is implanted into the wall of the uterus in the very place where it will stay until it is born. Implantation lasts for 40 hours, and from this moment the pregnancy countdown begins. It’s funny that it is almost impossible to determine the presence of a baby in the uterus by sensations at this stage, there are no symptoms yet, no toxicosis, and the belly is not growing. However, the mother’s body is rebuilt to the maximum level of protection of the embryo even at the moment of fertilization of the egg, so all internal organs seem to know in advance about upcoming pregnancy.

Pay attention! From the place where fertilization of the egg occurred, the future embryo must travel a very long way to the uterus in just one day.

If the fallopian tubes narrow for some reason during movement, they will not be able to push out the zygote. As a result, she will have no choice but to be implanted in the tube. This is called an ectopic pregnancy and without timely medical intervention entails disastrous consequences.

How does a woman feel?

During the first ten days, that is, until the moment when the fetus is fixed in the wall of the uterus, there can be no talk of any signs of pregnancy.

Although certain changes in well-being and sensations can still be traced. If the child is the first, the expectant mother often chalks it all up to illness, and a mild one at that.

You may feel dizzy, tired and lethargic, and your enthusiasm and ingenuity may wane slightly. Basically, this is everything that happens after the moment of conception in the days leading up to pregnancy.

However, those women who have previously experienced the joy of motherhood will be much more attentive to such changes in the functioning of their own body, especially if in addition to them there is a delay. Nowadays, pregnancy tests have appeared that determine the woman’s position exactly on the 10th day from the moment of ovulation, that is, on the first day of conception.

Pay attention! There is such a thing as implantation bleeding, which has much in common with ordinary menstruation and most often occurs when a woman is waiting for the delay to end.

The bloody discharge lasts only one or two days, and it is not profuse. If the bleeding is severe and ends within 7-10 days, you should urgently consult a doctor.

Spiritual and physical

Women often face the phenomenon of unwanted pregnancy.

If the expectant mother did not plan the birth of the baby at all and did not even think about it, and does not intend to continue her family at the moment, there may be only one answer to the question of why she became pregnant.

Her body turned out to be healthy, strong, all organs are working fully, they are full of energy and strength.

It is these criteria that the female body takes into account before it takes on the responsibility of bearing a new generation.

If the body is weakened, it lacks vitamins and minerals, and a woman often experiences fear and fatigue, then her reproductive system is unlikely to take on such great responsibility.

This is amazing, but in fact, thoughts about the desired pregnancy and the desire to conceive a baby with all your might do their job. All that remains for future parents to do: stick to healthy lifestyle, wait for the moment of ovulation and think only about the positive outcome of the matter.

Useful video: conceiving a child by day

Conclusion

We examined how conception occurs day by day after ovulation, and also learned in detail about all the processes that take place during this shortest period. For the further success of the event, a woman can only listen to her body and maintain her strength and health.

Specialist help

Feel free to ask your questions and our staff specialist will help you figure it out!

Pregnancy is a difficult period during which unique processes occur in a woman’s body. Expectant mothers want to know more about the development of their baby, from the mystery of fertilization to the process of childbirth. A closer look at how the process of conception proceeds day by day is useful for those who are planning a pregnancy or trying to avoid it.

The movement of the egg through the fallopian tube, its fertilization and implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine mucosa.

Normally, the maturation and release of the egg from the follicle occurs in the middle of the cycle (day 15-16). This process is called "ovulation". Usually this stage of the menstrual cycle is asymptomatic, but some women report mild pain and a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen.

An interesting video about how to determine the day of ovulation.

During ovulation, 2 or 3 eggs can mature simultaneously, in such cases the woman will give birth to twins or triplets. However, anovulatory cycles are also possible, when, due to various pathologies, female cells are not produced. This may cause the development of infertility, and therefore requires monitoring and timely treatment.

The emerging egg is viable for 12-36 hours, depending on the individual characteristics of the female body. It enters one of the fallopian tubes, which expands under the influence of estrogen. The villi lining the organ contract rhythmically, which prevents the penetration of the egg into the abdominal cavity.

If a female cell does not meet sperm within 36 hours, it dies, leaving the body with menstrual flow.

After ejaculation, sperm have a long journey to travel to meet the egg. Considering the average speed of a male seed, it will take 3 to 6 hours for it to reach its target. Only one sperm can fertilize an egg if it manages to break through the membrane of a female egg. The remaining male reproductive cells die.

Fertilization of an egg by a sperm.

There is a theory that if fertilization occurs within 24 hours after intercourse, a boy will be born. This is associated with increased activity of sperm that carry the Y chromosome. If conception occurs 2-3 days after intimacy, then the woman should give birth to a girl. After all, sperm carrying the X chromosome retain their viability for a longer time.

The egg and sperm contain only half the set of chromosomes, so after fertilization they can form a new cell. Such a zygote has new unique genetic information.

How does an embryo develop?

The next day, the fertilized egg begins to move through the fallopian tubes, whose width is normally 0.5 cm. The villi of the fallopian tubes facilitate the movement of the zygote towards the uterus, preventing its reverse movement.

An amazing video about how a child is conceived and develops.
On day 4, the fertilized egg is shaped like a blackberry, which is why the period is called mulberry. The zygote continues to move towards the uterus. From this moment, an important process begins - embryogenesis, which consists of the development of the internal organs and systems of the fetus.

Sometimes on the 8th day after fertilization, the fertilized egg may split in half. As a result, 2 zygotes appear, from which identical twins develop. Doctors have not yet established the cause of this phenomenon.

Initially, the corpus luteum serves as the source of nutrition for the zygote, but it does not contain enough nutrients. Therefore, the fertilized egg needs to attach to the prepared uterine mucosa to ensure further development of the embryo. This process is called implantation. It occurs on days 5-12, its duration is 35-40 hours.

The process of implantation of a fertilized egg into the uterine mucosa and the development of the embryo.

Cells inside the embryo continually divide, resulting in the formation of blastomeres. They are able to synthesize enzymes to dissolve the uterine lining, which allows the embryo to implant. The blastomeres are covered on top with trophoblast, from which the amnion, placenta and chorion will develop. During this period, the fertilized egg is called a blastocyst. Implantation involves attracting the embryo to the wall of the uterus and fixing it. At the site of the branches, new vessels appear, which by the 12th week form the placenta.

How do you know if you are pregnant?

After the implantation process, the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) increases in the woman’s bloodstream, which indicates the development of pregnancy.

The process of attachment of the blastocyst is often accompanied by slight bleeding, which a woman may mistakenly recognize as the beginning of menstruation.

During this period, the following first signs of pregnancy may appear:

• Pain in the lower abdomen;
• Aversion to certain smells;
• Drowsiness;
• Increased fatigue;
• Pain in the mammary glands;
• Nausea;
• Increased basal temperature;
• Vomiting in the morning;
• Increased amount of mucus discharge.

At this time, during an ultrasound examination, the doctor will be able to notice a small point in the uterine cavity. And most pregnancy tests will show the coveted 2 stripes.

How to accurately determine that pregnancy has occurred? The specialist says.
Pregnancy is an amazing period, because it involves the birth of a new life. From the moment of conception to the birth of the child, many complex processes occur that are aimed at the development of all organs and systems in the fetus. Therefore, it is so important for a pregnant woman to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and regularly visit a gynecologist.

Discussion: 12 comments

Hello, I want to know whether there is an incubation period after fertilization of an egg? Menstruation passed on January 7th and it was from January 7th to January 8th. Then from January 20 to 21. The ultrasound set the deadline for fetal development from January 21, and labor took place on October 25. According to gynecology, it is diagnosed from the last day of menstruation. Would you like to understand when conception occurred?

Answer

1. Hello, Yulia. Conception occurred in the middle of the month during ovulation, it could not be otherwise!

   Answer

Hello!! Please tell me, a couple of days ago I lost my virginity, the next day after intimacy, I have pain below my stomach, the pain is not severe and not constant. What should I do? Is this normal?

Answer

1. Hello, Julia. The first thing you need to do is visit a gynecologist. Pain below the abdomen after deflowering is normal, but you need to get tested to find out exactly why. You may be prescribed some medications or painkillers if necessary. Be healthy!

“Children are nature’s desire to prolong the race”

So wrote Kahlil Ghibran in his work The Prophet. Nature wants us to have children. However, it does not need unhealthy or weak ones, and therefore there is a long path of selection of the strongest genes, with a greater likelihood of survival.

One of the Eastern philosophies says that the soul of a child chooses its own parents. The more physically healthy and psychologically calm the parents are, the more likely it is that the souls of children will compete in choosing such parents and, through natural selection, the healthiest and most psychologically adjusted child will develop in such a parental union. From an ordinary point of view, and not from the point of view of philosophical ideas, the healthier the parents and the more psychologically prepared and harmonious in their union, the greater the chance of the child being born healthy.

CHOOSING A SPOUSE

There are two extreme opposites in choosing a spouse. On the one hand, this is the philosophy of the East with a marriage of convenience, on the other, the romantic idea of ​​falling in love. On the one hand, this is conscious approval by elders of future relationships between young people, on the other hand, emotionally intense love. As you might expect, the balance is somewhere in the middle.

I don't want to change religious or ethical rules, but I do believe that choosing a spouse is an important decision that should not be made by one person or subject to the whims of our emotional states.

On the following pages you will find a list of questions that should be answered by a future married couple who has decided to have a child.

ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF UNSUCCESSFUL CONCEPT

The reasons that people have sexual relationships are numerous. Sexual intercourse gives each partner a feeling of pleasure and relaxation. Most people enjoy sex, but there are others who often use sex for other purposes to gain respect and confidence.

Most women wonder at some time whether they want to get pregnant. The decision will be positive when the woman reaches a certain age and development and it is clear that she is ready to become a mother.

More than 750,000 babies are born every year in the UK, and 5 times that number in the United States.

However, it is estimated that two out of every five pregnancies are not carried to term. Most conceptions are not even noticed. The fertilized egg does not enter the uterus or dies due to gene defects in both the sperm and the egg. The fertilized egg is then released quietly, usually during the next menstrual cycle. The problem of conception, however, is not associated only with these reasons. Many couples cannot conceive a child because there is no interaction between the male and female reproductive organs. letok. Infertility can also be caused by the ovaries not producing eggs, or by a lack of sperm, or by non-viable sperm.

What advice can you give and how should you treat those women who cannot get pregnant?

Approximately 30,000 women in the UK, with or without a spouse, visit specialists each year due to infertility problems. At the same time, it can be assumed that only one third of women who cannot get pregnant consult a doctor. Thus, if you take data from any year, you can calculate that in the United Kingdom 90 thousand women cannot get pregnant.

At the beginning of this decade, medical institutions found that only 15% of women suffering from infertility, conventional treatment methods lead to positive results. It is likely that this figure could double due to advances in science. In addition, it has been found that various alternative techniques can also lead to good results. Holistic medicine uses traditional and alternative healing approaches. Holistic medicine is believed to double the chances of a couple wanting to have a child.

The problem of infertility, like other problems, should be studied and solved; find a way Treatment methods are necessary on three levels of human existence: body, mind and spirit, and at the same time remember that the causes of infertility can be in both a woman and a man.

HOW TO CORRECTLY DETERMINE THE TIME OF CONCEPTION

The average length of the menstrual cycle is 28 days. Of course, there are different deviations: for some women this cycle can last up to 40 days, while for others it is only three weeks. Typically, the egg is ready for fertilization about 14 days before your next period. For women who have a regular menstrual cycle, it is easy to calculate this period. Others determine it using a urine test or vaginal discharge. Such tests can be purchased at any pharmacies in the city. Another way is to measure body temperature. Typically the temperature rises by half a degree. That is, measure and record your temperature. Record the results in a temperature map and find out when this rise occurs (see example).

Partners should remember that an egg is not released every month or every period. They should not be discouraged when tests do not show the desired results for several months.

Name ______________________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Whatever differences or opposing views a married couple may have, these issues should be discussed by themselves or with their friends and family. If they have not come to any mutual resolution, then I suggest seeking help from a marriage counselor or, in the case of religious differences, a spiritual director.

PREPARATION FOR CONCEPT

All followers of Eastern philosophies categorically state that taking drugs, drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco, which affect the nervous system, can change energy levels. These levels travel through meridians, or energy channels, and any change in them can affect pregnancy.

Toxic substances specifically reduce the qi energy in the human kidneys. This place is believed to be the body's energy storehouse and its main supplier during conception and pregnancy. Each person has his own special likes and dislikes, intolerances and even allergic reactions. All this should be provided for before conceiving a child (see chapter Chinese and Oriental Medicine).

For conception to occur successfully, two factors are needed: healthy sperm and a healthy egg. Their meeting is the key to successful conception. Nutrition for both partners is also of utmost importance. Toxins that affect both sperm and eggs include tobacco, alcohol, drugs and medications (including birth control pills).

Tobacco

It is known that tobacco is capable of changing the structure of cells. Many studies have confirmed that mothers who smoke are more likely to give birth to babies prematurely and with low birth weight. If you smoke, your baby is exposed to tobacco components at various stages of pregnancy or conception. A smoking father who is about to have a child is more likely to cause various abnormalities in his unborn child than a smoking mother, since changes in his sperm may occur. Sperm may lose their motility.

A woman should not smoke at least one month before trying to get pregnant, and a man should not smoke for at least 10 days.

Alcohol

In 1984, I published a study that described fetal alcohol syndrome as causing death or detrimental effects on the fetus. This syndrome is often underdiagnosed, but it can be caused by even small amounts of alcohol. Throughout this book I will touch on the topic of alcohol. If you are planning to become pregnant or are already in the early stages of pregnancy, I advise you to avoid alcohol. As for your partner, explain to him that alcohol also has a negative effect on sperm motility.

Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages for at least 10 days before you expect to conceive.

Medicines

Medicines are harmful in any case, but especially during pregnancy. Very few medications prescribed by doctors are safe enough for mother and fetus. In addition, there are very few examples proving the positive effects of medications during conception. Changes at the genetic level are possible, in addition, sometimes the mother cannot feed her child. Medicines, like tobacco and alcohol, negatively affect sperm motility in men.

Unless absolutely necessary, do not take medications for at least a month before conception.

DETOXIFICATION PROCESS BEFORE CONCEPT

If you have established the ovulation period and the days of expected fertilization, I would recommend that you follow the following diet during these days.

See the 3-Day Detox Diet and the 7-Day Semi-Fast Diet in Chapter 7. Follow these diets for at least one week before your period and continue for 10 days before your next period. You can follow the Hai diet (see chapter 7), it will help keep the body free of alkalis and toxins.

Vitamins and additional microelements

It is fundamentally important that the diet can provide each partner with the entire set of vitamins and microelements. There is no specific nutritional advice for men and they should only eat healthy foods. On the other hand, women need additional nutritional elements for at least one month before conception.

Folic acid (400 mg per day) has been found to reduce the incidence of neural tube disorders (problems with the formation of the spinal column).

Take multivitamins and mineral complexes to avoid problems with individual deficiencies that we may not be aware of.

Consult a dietitian to help you establish a healthy eating routine after detox diets and fasting diets.

Get a thorough examination from your doctor.

Consult a homeopath to determine your constitutional type (see Homeopathy section).

ENERGY OF CONCEPTION

The Conception Vessel, or Governing Vessel, is a term often found in Chinese medicine and refers to the flow of energy passing through the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, pancreas, and uterus. More complete information will be given in the future (see chapter The Conception Vessel). If a woman who wants to become pregnant has diseases of the uterus, she should consult a Tibetan or Chinese medicine doctor who practices acupuncture in combination with herbal medicine. The weakness of any of these organs indicates the weakness of the energy current. This may mean that a woman has low energy flow and is prone to diabetes and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) during pregnancy.

POSITIONS AND TECHNIQUES OF SEXUAL INTERACT

It should be noted that the art of sexual courtship is of great importance for successful conception. Orgasm in a man is expressed by successful ejaculation (ejaculation), but improper sexual intercourse technique leads to premature ejaculation. Female orgasm manifests itself as increased blood flow to the genitals before orgasm occurs. This is a sign that everything is ready to receive sperm. During orgasm, the blood disperses and congestion in these organs is eliminated, which allows sperm to travel their path faster and easier.

The uterus is normal and the uterus is bent posteriorly

The uterus is in normal position.

Almost vertical position of the uterus.

Therefore, it is advisable when trying to conceive a child that both spouses experience orgasm.

An orgasm experienced by both spouses is not the main condition for successful conception, but it undoubtedly helps this process. Orgasm is a moment of physical, psychological and spiritual bliss. Therefore, if both spouses bring these feelings to each other at the moment of the birth of a new life, then it is better to start from the spiritual, energetic level.

From a practical point of view, position during sexual intercourse also plays an important role. Humans (and some fish) are the only living creatures that copulate while facing each other. Almost all animal copulation processes occur when the female is on all fours and the male is behind. Since the human body has a vertical position, nature had to help him in such a way that the sperm could successfully find its way to the egg. Of all the females, only the female can experience orgasm. This is nature’s plan: to tire, exhaust a woman and force her to lie motionless for some time. At this time, the uterus rises to a horizontal position, and thus spermatozoa are easily
reach the egg. But if a woman gets up immediately after intercourse, then the sperm needs to overcome the force of gravity.

A very common condition is called inverted uterus (retroversion). In this position, the body of the uterus is tilted or directed towards the spine. The cervix and external os can automatically move into the front of the vagina. During sexual intercourse, sperm is ejected from the penis at a speed of 136 km/h. If the sperm lands directly on the cervix, this is the best way for sperm to travel from the cervical os to the egg. If the uterus is deviated and the cervix is ​​pushed forward, then the sperm, erupting, hits the back of the fornix and then has to find a way to the cervix, and thus the length of the path increases. Surprisingly, during a woman’s orgasm, the cervix “immerses” in the sperm, thus helping its progress.

A thorough examination by a specialist is possible! give a clear picture of the position of the cervix. If a woman knows in which direction her cervix deviates, then she should maintain a certain position throughout intercourse so that the cervix moves away from the vaginal wall.

CASE HISTORY

Patient O. addressed my father, who is now deceased. This was 15 years ago. She was from Cameroon. There she underwent various tests in order to determine the cause of her infertility. She also underwent examinations in Switzerland and London, all to no avail.

She eventually turned to a doctor who specializes in alternative treatments. How surprised she was when my father, after conducting a full examination, prescribed her a homeopathic remedy and advised her to lie on her right side during sexual intercourse. Now I am watching this woman and her family with four children. All of them were conceived in the right lateral position.

INFERTILITY in men

The advice given in this part of the book is appropriate only after a year of regular sexual intercourse without the use of contraception. Approximately 30% of infertility cases are associated with sperm deficiency. Sperm are produced in the testicles and pass into seminal fluid, which is produced in another part of the testicles and prostate gland. This fluid helps nourish motile sperm, which carry male genes. In addition, there are other pathological problems such as testicular swelling, hormonal imbalance, and sometimes even infection can cause decreased sperm production and motility.

The first thing required for treatment in case of infertility of a married couple is to do a sperm analysis and make sure that it is normal. These tests are safe and can be performed quickly. The man himself collects sperm for analysis. He may also have a blood test to check hormonal balance if the sperm count is low and sperm motility is reduced. If the results are incorrect for any reason, then you can adhere to the following recommendations.

Having solved the problem of infertility in men, you should pay attention to the causes of infertility in women.

Donate sperm for analysis after three days of abstinence from sexual intercourse

Avoid wearing tight shorts and pants.

Take 2 g of Korean, Chinese or Tibetan ginseng twice a day.

Believe it or not, six oysters, lean red meat and crab can help. The main element they contain is zinc. And zinc promotes sperm motility and production. Alternatively, you can take 5mg of zinc per 30cm of your height before bed.

The following elements can be taken daily with food in divided doses per 30 cm of height: beta-carotene (3000 IU), vitamin C (1 g) and vitamin E (100 IU).

Relieve stress (see section Stress). Adrenaline reduces sperm production.

Try reflexology. Gentle pressure should be applied to the area of ​​the feet, where the points of the testicles, adrenal glands and pituitary gland are represented.

Extend lovemaking before ejaculation.

Seek advice and treatment from an alternative health practitioner if you are unable to conceive after one year.

INFERTILITY IN A WOMAN

As with men, women should not worry about infertility before they have been sexually active for a year, provided they have not used contraception. But if you are over 38 and want to get pregnant, then you should seek medical help after six months. Women have the same problem as men - the production of a viable egg.

Girls are born with a limited number of eggs in each ovary. By the time the first menstruation begins, chemical changes begin to occur in a girl's body. They trigger the process of egg maturation. Due to a special chemical "displacement" mechanism, usually only one egg matures each month in both ovaries, and it travels down the fallopian tube (oviduct). There are many reasons to explain the process of non-ripening of the egg: nutrition, infections, stress, hormonal

changes and pathology of the ovaries. Problems also arise from a practical point of view. Once the egg enters the fallopian tube, it must travel a huge distance, which can be compared to walking from Lodon to Munich. Peristaltic wave-like movements of the tube help push the egg towards the uterus. In most cases, fertilization occurs in the tube, so the sperm needs to be very mobile in order to travel such a long way to the egg. Infections can scar the fallopian tubes, and diseases such as endometriosis can interfere with the movement of sperm and eggs. Now it is clear that there are many problems associated with the structure of the genital organs, which create a barrier between the germ cells.

HORMONAL PROBLEMS

If the general health of the married couple is checked and nothing is found; significant deviations, the doctor may order additional testing. The wife has diseases such as diabetes and disorders:

The functioning of the thyroid gland may change the overall picture, in which case a complete blood count should be performed to check the level of hormones in the body.

If the analysis does not confirm any abnormalities, then blood is taken for it at certain points in the cycle. The content of the following hormones is checked:

Estrogen and progesterone

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)

Luteinizing hormone (LH)

Prolactin hormone

Estrogen and progesterone are very necessary in the process of preparing the uterus for the attachment of a fertilized egg. The role of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is that it helps the egg to fully develop and mature in the ovary, and the role of luteinizing hormone is to release the egg from the ovary and release it into the fallopian tube. Prolactin is formed to prepare the female breast for the process of lactation (milk production). Excessive levels of prolactin, usually caused by a benign tumor in the pituitary gland, can interfere with pregnancy. This is why pregnancies are almost rare during lactation and breastfeeding.

If you have identified problems at the hormonal level, you should not be treated without the recommendation of specialists involved in both traditional methods of treatment and non-traditional doctors.

The gynecologist must know and monitor any changes in hormonal problems.

You may also benefit from herbal medicine, homeopathy or nutritional therapy (see Chapter 9). It is possible for a doctor to prescribe natural estrogens and progesterones.

Visualization (the process of creating a visual image) and meditation can also help you.

If you have a stressful, restless condition, consult a medical consultant.

OBSTRUCTION OF THE FALLOPIAN TUBES

One of the most common causes of infertility is adhesions of the fallopian tubes. Therefore, first the doctor may prescribe laparoscopy (examination of organs using an endoscope). This operation usually requires general anesthesia. A small incision is made under the navel and a thin, flexible probe is inserted through it. This allows the surgeon to examine the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and surrounding structures. A special dye is injected through the cervix, and then the surgeon observes the flow of this dye from the open ends of the fallopian tubes. This process is called hysterosalpinography. If blocked tubes are found, they can be treated with surgery, as can polycystic ovarian disease, a condition in which there are many fluid-filled cystic structures on the surface of the ovary. This disease is usually associated with hormonal imbalances.

Ideally, before undergoing this invasive procedure, I would recommend seeing a doctor who specializes in alternative treatments. If you do not get tested, it will be difficult to diagnose tubal obstruction. The only factor contributing to the diagnosis is the infectious diseases that the woman has suffered. In addition, doctors who can recognize the cause of the disease from the pulse claim that they can help in this case. The obstruction of the pipes can be confirmed using another method - Kirlian photography.

Tibetan and Chinese herbs prescribed by a medical specialist can help you.

Take Silica 30 dilution twice daily for two weeks only*.

Using visualization, create an image of a small person with a pick-hoe passing through the fallopian “tunnel”*.

* There is an urgent need to consult an osteopathic doctor.

* Polarity therapy and the Alexander technique can affect the position of the tubes and relieve obstructions.

TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND INFERTILITY TREATMENT

You should not rush to conclusions, but patiently wait for the results of any analysis. If a married couple cannot have a child, then they should seek help from a doctor who uses traditional methods of treatment. These methods have some success, while all holistic medicine methods automatically improve the overall condition of the person or the area of ​​the body that needs to be treated either with drugs or surgery.

Any structural difficulties, such as scar changes in the tubes or other adhesions, disappear as a result of surgical intervention. Recently, scientific methods have been more and more carefully developed, and therefore they contribute to more successful unblocking of the microscopic lumens of the fallopian tubes. Hormonal imbalance can also be corrected by using chemicals and medications such as clomiphene to promote fertilization. But these drugs usually have side effects, although they provide a relatively favorable outcome. Most women are unhappy with such medications. I see them as a last chance, and not as the first step in treatment. In any case, to reduce unwanted side effects, you can use the recommendations of unconventional methods.

If you are going to take medications prescribed by a traditional doctor, also consult a naturopathic doctor who can give you advice on how to avoid side effects.

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

If none of the treatment methods leads to positive results, experts in this case consider it possible to use a special technique of artificial insemination. This is how the term “test tube baby” came about. With this method, a child develops from an egg implanted in the uterus, which was artificially fertilized in a test tube. To do this, a mature egg is taken from a woman’s ovary using a special laparoscopic procedure. It is performed after medication is injected into the ovary to produce eggs. The mature eggs are then fertilized with the sperm of the spouse or donor in a laboratory setting. After this, the fertilized eggs are placed in the uterus and nature begins its process. At this time, the uterus is prepared for implantation using a specially prescribed program of taking hormonal medications.

There is another method called “gamete transfer into the fallopian tube.” In this case, the egg is also extracted from the ovary. It is then placed into the fallopian tube with donor sperm. If fertilization occurs here, the fertilized egg moves naturally through the fallopian tube to the uterus for implantation.

The results of such methods of fertilization are not the same in different clinics. A positive result occurs only in 20% of cases. One in seven pregnancies is carried to term and the baby is born alive. I hope these numbers will increase as fertilization techniques improve. It should also be noted that there is always a risk when performing any procedure.

Before deciding on artificial insemination, consult a doctor who uses alternative methods of treatment.

Before performing invasive procedures, read the Operations and Surgery chapter.

PSYCHOLOGY OF CONCEPT

If you decide to have a baby, you should know that there are many psychological factors that you will encounter. For both men and women, the decision to have a child and a family is an age-related phenomenon. We are no longer the children of our parents, but we ourselves become the parents of our child. We will all have to face increased responsibility, reduced freedom, loss of choice and financial problems. We must also understand all the responsibilities and obligations not only towards our child, but also towards our spouse.

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), which control the process of ovulation, are produced by a small nut-sized gland located next to the pituitary gland. It is therefore anatomically possible that the emotional centers surrounding this gland produce chemicals that can block the production and release of FSH and LH. Feelings of unhappiness due to a dysfunctional relationship or marriage can continually affect this gland and interfere with its normal functioning. Stress in men can also cause various problems. Therefore, feeling happy in your married life can affect your blood chemistry and increase your chances of successful conception and pregnancy.

What force exists that gives life to any special cell? Hindus believe that the soul chooses its future parents or, more scientifically, that the life force enters the fertilized egg. I often see couples where one or both spouses are angry or unhappy with each other. Sometimes I ask myself this question: “Do I want to be the child of such parents?” I think it is very important when a soul comes into a family with a favorable environment and relationships. I always encourage peace and harmony in a family in which spouses cannot have children. Too many families break up because the spouses are dissatisfied with each other. If you think that the child brings happiness to the house and everything will be fine with you, then this is the correct judgment, which is necessary in order to be happy.

If negative relationships arise between spouses, you should seek advice from a specialist.

Don't try to get pregnant if you are surrounded by negative energy.

Start learning meditation techniques and do it every day.

VESSEL OF CONCEPTION

All philosophical trends in medicine that present the concept of energy inevitably give a description of the channel, or meridian. The Chinese call it the “vessel of conception.”

This is an energy line that runs through the thyroid and pancreas to the uterus.

I believe that pregnancy transfers energy to the uterus, thereby reducing the vital force needed to properly maintain the thyroid and pancreas.

iron This is how the conception vessel receives energy from the person closest to you. Parents primarily transfer energy to their children from their conception vessels. This energy is transferred to both lovers and best friends. Weak relationships between loved ones, spouses and parents lead to weakening of the fertilization vessels. And if the conception vessel is not supplied or filled with energy along its entire path from the very beginning, then the pregnancy will deplete the parental meridian, leading to problems with subsequent conceptions.

It is important that your relationship with your spouse if you want to get pregnant is strong and favorable.

Clarify all the misunderstandings that have arisen between you, resolve all disagreements and ask your parents, especially your mother, to help resolve issues related to pregnancy.

STATE OF MIND

Whether this is a "life force" or a state of consciousness that can enter the fetus at the last stage are all philosophical questions.

In any case, it would be prudent to meet certain conditions if both spouses want to have a child:

Do not consume alcoholic beverages or medications.

There must be a mutual desire to have a child.

Love each other.

These are the three conditions that, according to Eastern philosophy, the human soul can fulfill. To this you can add the beliefs and beliefs of the religion to which you belong.

Talk to your spiritual guide.

Those who do not have such a teacher should find a specialist in Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine to find out all the medical aspects for correcting spiritual training.

Eastern philosophy relies more on the state of mind of a woman during pregnancy. Many techniques are used, including acupuncture, to remove energy blockages that in turn interfere with the fertilization process. Western philosophy, due to its dependence on science, has lost touch with the spiritual aspect of fertilization.

Mr. Bennett, a philosopher and student of Gurdjieff, discussed the existence of spiritual genetics. He defended the idea that existing energy is immeasurable in space and moves with a person. At the moment of fertilization, this energy passes along with the physical and genetic material into the embryo.

ASTROLOGY

After all, why not turn to astrology? If the Sun and Moon can move huge masses of water for miles, as sea tides around the world prove, why shouldn't the small influence of Pluto and Jupiter cause changes in the microscopic amounts of fluid in the egg and sperm? It's worth checking to see if your astrological charts align and when is the best time to have a baby. Interestingly, the time from conception to childbirth is similar to the time of revolution of the planets in the sky. It may be better for you to schedule at the time of conception rather than during labor.

Of course, we do not choose the day we conceive our baby - it largely depends on chance. But we have the power to influence this day to come sooner or later. To do this, you don’t need much - just following simple rules and basic knowledge of physiology.

Many women begin to panic if pregnancy does not occur within two to three months after they stop using contraception.

However, for healthy married couples with regular sexual activity, the typical picture looks like this:

• 60 out of every 100 couples can conceive within six months;
• 80 out of every 100 married couples can conceive a child within one year;
• 90 out of every 100 married couples can conceive a child within two years.

Despite the fact that any of these three situations is the norm, we can speed up conception somewhat by following certain rules.

How does conception occur: a little physiology

In order for a little person, a boy or a girl, to be born, two cells must meet: a male cell - a sperm cell and a female cell - an egg cell. When they merge, a fertilized egg is formed - a zygote.

Every month, under the influence of hormones from the pituitary gland (an endocrine gland located in the brain), a tiny follicle vesicle matures in the ovary, which contains an egg. The walls of the follicle produce female hormones - estrogens, due to which the follicle grows to the size of a small cherry and bursts in the middle, releasing the egg. This process is called ovulation. Having left the ovary, the egg is “captured” by the villi of the fallopian tube and, thanks to its contractions, moves towards the uterus. The egg retains its ability to fertilize for an average of 24 hours.

Sperm are produced in paired male gonads - the testicles. The cycle of their formation is 70-75 days. During sexual intercourse, 3-5 milliliters of sperm, which contains 300-500 million sperm, enters a woman’s vagina. Only some of them end up in the cervical mucus inside the cervix. Before reaching the egg, sperm! you have to cross the uterine cavity and enter the fallopian tube. They make this journey in 2-2.5 hours, and retain their fertilizing ability in the fallopian tube, according to various sources, from 2 to 7 days. In order for fertilization to occur, the sperm must overcome the barrier of corona radiata cells surrounding the egg and the membrane of the egg. For this, the “strength” of one sperm is not enough - an “attack” is necessary

100 to 400 thousand sperm, although only one of them will penetrate the egg!

During the first 12 hours after fertilization, the male and female nuclei come closer together and the genetic material combines to form a zygote - a one-cell embryo. During fertilization, the embryo begins to move along the fallopian tube into the uterine cavity. As the embryo moves through the fallopian tube, its cells divide, then the embryo falls into the uterine CAVITY, where on the 11th - 12th day after conception it is implanted - introduced into the mucous membrane of the uterus.

So, for pregnancy to occur, the following conditions are necessary:

1. The body’s readiness as a whole to ensure the normal development of the fetus, which ensures the overall level of health.

Even if you consider yourself absolutely healthy, it’s a good idea to verify this again by undergoing an examination with a therapist, gynecologist, dentist, and maybe even a geneticist. It's time to start living a healthy lifestyle: get a good rest (optimally - spend a vacation in nature); “quit” bad habits; limit contact with household chemicals and the use of pharmacological agents as much as possible, because this can negatively affect not only the health of the expectant mother, but also the formation and development of the baby.

2. Maturation in the ovary of an egg capable of fertilization, ovulation, entry of the egg into the fallopian tube.

In order for this complex mechanism to work, a clear functioning of the hormonal system of the woman’s body is necessary. This system works best in women whose body weight is close to the medical norm.

Recently, the press has been persistently advising women who want to give birth to a child of a particular gender to adhere to a certain diet. How effective is this method in floor planning, is unknown, because there are no scientific works on this topic, but one thing is certain; The diet of a woman who decides to become a mother must be balanced. The main guardians of the maturing egg are foods containing vitamin C: vegetable oils, eggs, grain bread, buckwheat and oatmeal, legumes, nuts. Sprouted wheat grains, including flakes and flour made from them, are richest in vitamin E. Another important vitamin is folic acid. 400 mcg of folic acid per day significantly reduces the likelihood of having children with disorders such as defects of the central nervous system and spine. Folic acid is sold in all pharmacies; it is also found in foods: fresh herbs (except parsley), cabbage, beets, carrots, potatoes with skin, bran, seeds and nuts. Taking folic acid before pregnancy significantly reduces the likelihood of birth defects. If you live in an iodine-deficient area, switch to iodized salt or take 100 mcg of potassium iodide per day. All this is only true if you do not suffer from thyroid disease: in this case, the doctor will give you individual recommendations. Without iodine, the thyroid gland cannot function normally; in women with reduced function of this gland, ovulation occurs very rarely. In addition, iodine deficiency can subsequently have a detrimental effect on the child’s mental development.

To protect yourself and your unborn baby, start taking multivitamins 2-3 months before conception. It is recommended to stop using oral contraceptives 2-3 months before planned conception. Sometimes, after long-term use of oral contraceptives, a complication occurs - the absence of menstruation and the possibility of conception for 6 months after stopping their use.

There are other reasons for ovulation disorders in women. Constant stress in a business woman can lead to a complete absence of ovulation while menstruation continues.

Ovulation disorders can also occur due to intense physical activity. There are two reasons for this. The first is the rapid loss of adipose tissue, and the second is an increased release of endorphins - brain chemicals (these chemicals, by the way, are also called pleasure hormones). They can affect prolactin levels in women, and prolactin is a hormone that promotes successful breastfeeding but interferes with egg maturation. Is this why our grandmothers advised women who wanted to give birth to a child to lead a quiet lifestyle, play with children more often, sew beautiful children's things, and read children's books? All this “tunes” the body for conception.

3. A sufficient number of motile sperm and their ability to fertilize the egg.

One of the main myths is the connection between potency and infertility. In reality, a man with very weak potency can have good sperm for conception, but the “sexual giant” may suffer from infertility. Moreover, too frequent sexual intercourse does not increase a couple's ability to conceive. The likelihood of conception during repeated sexual intercourse is reduced due to the fact that the second portion of sperm contains fewer full-fledged sperm, and the excess volume leads to its leakage from the woman’s vagina. When ejaculation occurs at long intervals, this is also bad. It is not so much the number of sperm that decreases, but their mobility - they no longer rush to the target so quickly. The optimal rhythm for the full maturation of sperm is the rhythm of sexual activity every other day (3 times a week) during the period of probable ovulation with desirable abstinence for 4-5 days the day before.

Of course, the likelihood of pregnancy depends on the quality of the sperm. And the main risk factor is a man’s lifestyle. Thus, low physical activity, sedentary work and excess weight, as well as smoking can lead to stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs of a man and inflammation. Spermatogenesis (maturation of sperm), like the female menstrual cycle, is regulated by the body's hormonal system. Therefore, if a man takes anabolic steroids (these hormones can be used to treat some diseases, but more often - to build muscle mass in men involved in sports), then the natural balance of hormones in the body is disrupted and leads to male infertility.

There is one more factor, characteristic only for men, that influences reproduction. This is overheating. The number of sperm produced in the testicles increases at temperatures that are slightly lower than general body temperature. It is known that those who visit the sauna twice a week have a statistically higher risk of developing it compared to those who steam once a week. For the same reason, a man who wants to become a father should not wear tight underwear made of synthetic materials and tight trousers, as this can increase the temperature of the testicles. Any febrile conditions (high temperature) lead to a deterioration in the quality of sperm, and such a decrease in sperm quality can persist for up to three months - that is how long the maturation of each sperm in the testicle continues.

Weight and pregnancy

A sharp decrease in body weight by 10% per month, as well as a weight less than 45 kg with average height, leads to the cessation of menstruation. Researchers have found that body fat can actually produce and store estrogen, a hormone that prepares the body for pregnancy. But not only low levels of this hormone are bad, but also high levels. Therefore, if you are overweight, try to lose weight, but only gradually, no fasting!

Another common and quite dangerous risk factor for infertility in men is chronic stress. From a biological point of view, offspring should be born in the most favorable environmental conditions. Such regulation is ensured by the close relationship between the reproductive system and all other systems of the body, primarily the nervous system.

4. Normal environment in the vagina, uterine cavity and fallopian tubes, ensuring active movement of sperm.

If you want to get pregnant, do not use vaginal lubricants. They sometimes contain substances that change the acid-base environment of the vagina and destroy sperm. If you can't do without them, try using egg whites during those few days a month when conception is possible, unless, of course, you are allergic to chicken eggs. Egg white has the least effect on sperm motility and survival.

Any infection in a woman’s genital tract, as well as the use of various vaginal medications, antibacterial and scented hygiene products, and douching also disrupts the acid-base environment in the vagina, which also reduces the chances of pregnancy.

5. “Meeting” of the egg with sperm and optimal conditions for the fusion of germ cells.

The most favorable time for sexual intercourse for the purpose of fertilization is when ovulation is about to begin, because the mucous lining of the cervix becomes extremely sensitive, and sperm have enough time to enter the fallopian tubes, where they wait for the moment of ovulation. With regular sexual activity and a regular menstrual cycle, there is no need to specifically calculate this moment. However, there are times when it would be nice to know the exact date of ovulation. The simplest and most accurate method is to use special test strips to determine the level of luteinizing hormone. Modern tests look and use the same as pregnancy tests. The test strip must be placed under a stream of urine; the appearance of two stripes indicates ovulation. In addition, the day of ovulation can be tracked by ultrasound, changes in the body (temperature measured in the rectum), using a special device based on the pattern of saliva crystallization, or by the calendar method.

Another important point for the “meeting” of the sperm and egg is the position during sexual intercourse. There is no connection between the gender of the unborn child and the position during conception, no matter how much we would like it, but you can increase the likelihood of conception with the help of position. The mechanics of sexual intercourse determine which part of the vagina the sperm reaches. In some positions (for example, a woman on top or a standing position) it can be difficult to achieve deep penetration of the penis, so some of the sperm will simply be lost. The “man on top” or “man behind” position will be optimal. It is better if a woman lies on her back with her legs raised for 20-30 minutes after intercourse. Laziness in this case may be more useful than any position during sexual intercourse.

Of course, the most important thing is that sex gives you joy and pleasure. If a woman reaches orgasm, the likelihood of conception is higher: due to the contraction of the cervix during orgasm, sperm are literally drawn into the uterus.

6. The unhindered passage of the embryo through the fallopian tube and its entry into the uterine cavity, the readiness of the uterine mucosa to “accept” the embryo.

In addition to the anatomical features in a woman’s body, the use of intrauterine devices on the eve of conception can have a negative impact at this stage. After removing the IUD, it is recommended to refrain from conceiving for 2-3 cycles to restore the functioning of the uterus and fallopian tubes and, therefore, reduce the risk of spontaneous miscarriage and.

Planning the time of conception

As for the time of day, it is believed that the best chances of pregnancy are for couples who make love in the afternoon (around 5 p.m.). At this time of day, the number of active sperm in a man’s body is maximum.

As for the season, most doctors agree that the optimal time to conceive a child is the beginning of autumn. The fact is that in every woman with a normal menstrual cycle and fairly good health, in 10% of cycles the egg does not mature and fertilization is impossible, i.e. There may be no ovulation 1-2 times a year. These cycles are more likely to occur during harsh winters with short daylight hours and unusually hot summer months.

The Czech doctor O. Jonas went even further. He argues that, along with the menstrual cycle, there is a second, individual, cycle of the greatest predisposition to conception, set already from birth and with incredible accuracy accompanying the entire reproductive period of a woman’s life.