Menstruation inside the body. Bleeding between periods is not a problem. Dark or brown blood during your period doesn't mean you're dying

There is an opinion that five days before menstruation and the same number after it is a safe period during which conception of a child will not occur. But in fact, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to get pregnant immediately after your period will be in the affirmative.

What happens in a woman’s body during menstrual cycle

The menstrual cycle is controlled by several hormones. They are produced in different parts female body:

• Gonadotropin is responsible for the release of the egg. This biologically active substance is formed in the hypothalamus;
• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are secreted by the pituitary gland;
• Estrogens and progesterone are produced in the ovaries.

During the first, follicular, phase of the menstrual cycle, the hypothalamus produces gonadotropin, under the influence of which FSH is released from the pituitary gland. The latter substance is carried through the blood throughout the body and stimulates the onset of egg maturation in the ovaries.

Follicles are sacs, each containing one egg. Under the influence of FSH, about twenty such elements of the female gonads begin to mature. In this case, one follicle (rarely two) grows faster than the others. FSH also stimulates the production of estrogen. Under their influence, the inner lining of the uterine cavity, the endometrium, thickens.

Then comes the second, ovulatory, phase of the cycle. At this time, luteinizing hormone is released, the follicle wall ruptures, and a mature egg leaves the ovary and enters the fallopian tube.

The third phase is called luteal or secretory. It includes the period of time after ovulation and before the start of new menstrual bleeding.

In the ovary, the follicle from which the egg is released turns into the corpus luteum. This gland produces estrogens and progesterone, due to which the lining of the uterus becomes thicker and acquires a spongy structure. This structure of the endometrium ensures reliable attachment of a fertilized egg to it if pregnancy occurs. At this time, the pituitary gland temporarily stops producing FSH, and therefore new follicles do not mature.

If conception occurs, the fertilized egg from the fallopian tube enters the uterus and is fixed in the wall of this organ. Progesterone levels remain high.

In cases where pregnancy does not occur, the corpus luteum begins to shrink, and the content of female sex hormones in the blood decreases. The endometrium produces prostaglandins - substances that destroy the lining of the uterus and cause contractions of the organ. The endometrium, along with the unfertilized egg, comes out, that is, menstruation begins.

On what days of the cycle can a woman become pregnant?

With a regular menstrual cycle lasting twenty-eight days, the highest probability of pregnancy occurs in the period from the tenth to the seventeenth day. This time period is called the “fertile window.” On other days, the likelihood of conception is significantly reduced.

But many women experience menstrual dysfunction, so the moment of ovulation can be difficult to determine. In this case, pregnancy can occur on almost any day of the cycle.

In what cases can you get pregnant immediately after menstruation?

There are several reasons for pregnancy during this period. These include:

• Short menstrual cycle. If its duration is less than twenty-one days, then ovulation can occur in the coming days after the end of menstruation. It is important to take into account that under favorable conditions, sperm can remain in the fallopian tubes for up to seven days and wait for the egg to be released there;
• Too long periods. If menstruation lasts more than seven days, then there is a possibility that after its end the egg will already be mature and ready for fertilization;
• Irregular menstrual cycle. In women with such characteristics, ovulation occurs on different days during each cycle, so the egg can become mature both during menstruation and immediately after it;
• Spontaneous ovulation. Moreover, in one menstrual cycle in different times two eggs mature. This phenomenon is considered rare and has not been fully studied. It is assumed that there is a hereditary predisposition to spontaneous ovulation. The likelihood of conception increases significantly at any time of the cycle.

Sometimes pregnancy occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle, during ovulation, as it should be normally. The fertilized egg remains attached to the wall of the uterus, but part of the endometrium is still rejected. At the same time, the next menstruation comes on time, and the woman believes that there was no conception before them. Later, when she calculates the expected date of pregnancy, the girl will decide that fertilization occurred after menstruation.

If you have diseases of the cervix, contact bleeding may begin during or after sexual intercourse. If this happens during the expected period, then the woman is not alarmed. But there is a possibility of conception during this period.

Even healthy women can sometimes experience menstrual irregularities. This is affected by stress, colds or climate change, for example, during a move or vacation. Under the influence of such factors, the level of hormones produced in the pituitary gland and ovaries may change. Therefore, the time of ovulation may shift, and this is difficult to predict. If the egg enters the fallopian tube a short time after the end of menstruation, pregnancy may occur.

The likelihood of conception is always present if the partners did not use protection during sex. This is due to the fact that a woman can ovulate on any day of the cycle, and sperm can remain in her body for about one week. Therefore, if a couple is not planning a pregnancy, they must not forget about contraception.