When trying to get pregnant, it helps to understand the science behind how it works. For those of you who weren’t paying attention during health class in high school, here’s a quick run-down of the birds & the bees, PediaWise-style.
In a Nutshell
In high school, they made it seem like we could get pregnant if someone merely sneezed on us, but there’s actually an intricate process that has to take place in order to become pregnant.
For a pregnancy to occur, a sperm needs to fertilize an egg.
How Does This Happen?
- Midway through your menstrual cycle, one of your ovaries releases an egg. This is known as ovulation.
- Millions of sperm (40-50 million swimmers) rush towards the egg, trying to be the first to reach it. This is truly survival of the fittest.
- The lucky winner (if there is one) fertilizes the egg in the fallopian tube (the tube joining the ovary and the uterus) and you’re off to the races.
- When the egg is fertilized, it starts producing hormones that lead to pregnancy symptoms right around the time of your expected period.
- If the egg isn’t fertilized, it simply passes out of your body with your next period, and you experience the usual PMS symptoms.
The Bottom Line
Simply knowing the science behind how a baby is made can boost your chances of getting pregnant.
