To answer your question, it is important that you understand exactly what ovulation is, why it exists, and how it works. In the simplest terms, ovulation refers to the process by which a mature woman produces an ovum (egg), which is required for human reproduction. For a few days every month, her body contains a mature ovum that can be fertilized by a healthy male sperm. In some cases, she may have two mature eggs (the reason for twins) or multiple ova (usually seen in women undergoing fertility treatment). To understand how a woman's ovulation process works, we need to understand the menstrual cycle.
The average time for a woman's menstrual cycle is typically depicted as 28 days. However, this cycle can vary in individual women from 25 to 35 days. This menstrual cycle is a complicated process that is regulated by several hormones and can be affected by unexpected physical exertion, stress, or illness. The first day of a menstrual cycle is considered to be the day when her menses (period) starts. At this point, the female hormones estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest levels. The uterus begins to shed its inner lining, which is then expelled from the body in the menstrual blood. Under normal circumstances, a woman's period lasts about 5 to 7 days, with a volume of 50-80ml. Meanwhile, the levels of female hormones begin to rise and the ovaries get ready to begin the process of ovulation.
In general, a woman's body will take another 9 days to produce a mature egg, which is released around 14 days before the next menses. During these 9 days, the uterus grows a number of ovarian follicles. When these follicles are mature, there is another surge in hormones, causing one 'dominant' follicle to rupture and release a mature ovum after around 10 hours. This is the point of ovulation, when the mature ovum is ready for fertilization by a male sperm. If fertilization occurs, the egg attaches to the inner wall of the uterus and an embryo begins to develop. At the same time, the woman's body releases a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone is seen only in pregnant women and acts to stop the next step of the normal menstrual cycle, which would normally cause the uterus to shed its lining, leading to the menses. If the mature ovum is not fertilized, the regular menses occur and the menstrual cycle repeats itself to get ready for next month's ovulation.
answered by G M