Understanding our menstrual cycle is key to knowing ourselves better as women, and especially if you are looking to get pregnant .
The luteal phase, which is closely related to fertility, is the second part of the period of a woman’s menstrual cycle, which runs from ovulation to the day that menstruation begins and the new cycle begins again. We explain how to recognize it and know what happens in this phase of your menstrual cycle , as well as the symptoms that allow you to recognize your fertile days.
What is the luteal phase?
Throughout the menstrual cycle (let’s say we are talking about a 28-day menstrual cycle) the woman has two well-differentiated phases: the follicular phase and the luteal phase. Between the two, ovulation occurs.
- The follicular phase occurs between the day menstruation begins (day 1) and the middle of the cycle (approximately day 14), when ovulation occurs . In this phase, also called estrogenic, the follicle that will give rise to the ovum develops.
- The luteal phase is the period of the cycle that ranges from ovulation until the next menstruation occurs (day 28-30 in regular cycles) and the next cycle begins. Or, if you have unprotected sex, it is the period when you can get pregnant .
In this phase, the corpus luteum (also known as the yellow body), which is the structure that develops inside the ovaries and is responsible for supporting the ovum, begins to produce progesterone. This hormone thickens the uterine walls so that the fertilized egg can implant properly.
If fertilization does not occur during the period of time in which the ovum is ready, the woman’s body prepares to eliminate the ovum and the lining of the uterus with the following rule.
How to recognize if I am in the luteal phase
Not all women have regular cycles, so it is important to know the symptoms of this phase:
- Changes in vaginal discharge : During ovulation, cervical mucus increases and its consistency becomes increasingly sticky and elastic, similar to that of egg white, to help the sperm reach the egg.
- Mild or moderate pelvic pain during ovulation.
- Elevation of the basal temperature : the basal temperature remains low until ovulation occurs, but when ovulation occurs, due to the effect of progesterone, the basal temperature rises between two and five tenths . This increase is maintained until the end of the cycle, when the next menstrual period begins.
How to get pregnant
At the beginning of the luteal phase ovulation occurs which lasts two or three days. During this phase there is an increase in progesterone, which can cause nervousness or irritability until the arrival of your next period, unless you have become pregnant.
It must be taken into account that sperm can last alive inside the woman’s body between 48 and 72 hours. Therefore, if you have intercourse two or three days before ovulation, when the ovum descends, it could be fertilized by a sperm that has remained alive.
In short, if you have frequent sexual intercourse from day 12 or 13 of your cycle (for regular cycles of 28-30 days), for about five days , we encourage fertilization to occur.
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