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The menstrual cycle has four distinct phases, each playing a crucial role in fertility:
Your period begins. The uterine lining sheds, and hormone levels are at their lowest. This marks the start of a new cycle.
Overlaps with menstruation. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) prompts follicles to develop in your ovaries. One becomes dominant and prepares to release an egg.
The dominant follicle releases a mature egg. This is your most fertile time. The egg survives 12-24 hours, but sperm can live 3-5 days, creating a 5-6 day fertile window.
After ovulation, the empty follicle becomes the corpus luteum, producing progesterone to prepare the uterus for pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs, hormone levels drop and menstruation begins.
Most couples conceive within 6 months of trying, and 85% within one year. If you're under 35 and haven't conceived after 12 months, or over 35 and haven't conceived after 6 months, consult a fertility specialist.