OVULATION

“The Talk”

Have you had “the talk” with your parents?

How old were you? What did you talk about? What questions did you ask?

Ted Talk Video

Female System

Female System

What is the Menstrual Cycle?

Every month, a woman’s body prepares for a potential pregnancy, whether that is the goal of the female and her partner or not.

Menstruation – periodic shedding of the uterine linining Average menstrual cycle is about 28 days

while the average length of menstruation is about 3-7 days

Female System Hormones

There are 4 hormones within the female system. 1. FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) – ripens about 6-

8 eggs in month 2. LH (Lutenizing Hormone) – this hormone triggers the

release of one egg during ovulation (sometimes more than one!)

3. Estrogen – follicle starts to release estrogen as it ripens

4. Progesterone – tells the body not to shed the uterine lining

If an egg is fertilized, estrogen and progesterone levels continue to stay high. If an egg is not fertilized, levels drop and you go through the cycle again.

Phases of Menstrual Cycle

1st Phase (Follicular) Days 1-7 Females have their period in this first phase

2nd Phase (Ovulatory) Starts on Day 14. Also during this phase, there is an increase in

the amount and thickness of mucous produced by the cervix (lower part of the uterus). If a woman were to have intercourse during this time, the thick mucus captures the man's sperm, nourishes it, and helps it to move towards the egg for fertilization.

Phases of Menstrual Cycle Continued

3rd Phase (Luteal) Day 18-25 If intercourse has taken place and a man's sperm

has fertilized the egg (a process called conception), the fertilized egg (embryo) will travel through the fallopian tube to implant in the uterus. The woman is now considered pregnant.

If the egg is not fertilized, it passes through the uterus. Not needed to support a pregnancy, the lining of the uterus breaks down and sheds, and the next menstrual period begins.

Ovulation

Ovulation is when an egg (and, occasionally, more than one egg) is released from the ovary, and it's the fertile time of your menstrual cycle. Each month, an egg matures inside your ovary. Once it reaches a certain size, the egg is released from the ovary and is swept into the fallopian tube toward the uterus.

How can you tell if you are ovulating? Figure out when your next period is due to begin

and count back 12 to 16 days. This will give you a range of days when you will probably be ovulating. For women with a 28-day cycle, the 14th day is often the day of ovulation.

Signs of Ovulation

Change in cervical mucous You are considered most fertile when the

mucous becomes clear, slippery, and stretchy. Normally mucous is a protective barrier, but during ovulation it allows sperm to pass through the cervix (caused by estrogen).

Rise in Body Temperature After an egg is released, you’re normal body

temperature rises (caused by progesterone). Abdominal Discomfort

Some women, not all, experience mild to moderate cramping.

Ovulation

Red = Menustration (Follicular Phase)Green = Ovulation (Ovulatory Phase)

Blue = Fertilization in hopes of implantation (Luteal Phase)

Egg & Sperm

Eggs At birth, there are approximately 1 million eggs;

and by the time of puberty, only about 300,000 remain. Of these, 300 to 400 will be ovulated during a woman's reproductive lifetime. The eggs continue to degenerate during pregnancy, with the use of birth control pills, and in the presence or absence of regular menstrual cycles.

Sperm The average male will produce roughly 525 billion

sperm cells over a lifetime and shed at least one billion of them per month. A healthy adult male can release up to 250 million sperm in one ejaculation.

Fertilization

Implantation

Ovulation & Reproductive Review Ovulation Video

Individually, complete the Ovulation and Reproductive Worksheet.

When everyone is finished, we will go through the answers together as a class.

Infertility

On the back of your worksheet, create a chart covering at least 5 methods for dealing with infertility. You can choose what criteria you want to cover in the headings (you need to have at least three). For this part, you can work with a partner (no more than 3 please!), you can use prior knowledge, the book, the internet (on phone or iPad), or books in the back of the room. Method Description ??? ???