Women's bodies are amazing because we have the ability to carry a child and to give birth. However, the decision about when and if a woman has a baby is different for everyone. It is useful to know how pregnancy begins and what affects the chances of getting pregnant to plan for a baby when you're ready. So, how does pregnancy begin? Let's look inside a woman's body to see what happens.
This is the female reproductive system. It is what women use to have sex and to create a baby. It is made up of the vagina, the uterus (sometimes also called the womb), the fallopian tubes and the ovaries. The ovaries hold thousands of tiny eggs but usually only one will be released once a month. This will travel down the fallopian tube.
If a woman has sex with a man who is not wearing a condom, he can release a white fluid from his penis into a vagina. This white fluid contains something called sperm. The sperm from the white fluid needs to swim up the vagina, into the uterus and meet the egg that is traveling down the fallopian tube.
If the sperm does not meet the egg then the woman cannot become pregnant and she will get her period. If the sperm enters the egg then it is called a fertilized egg. The fertilized egg needs to travel down to the uterus and stick to the inner side of the uterus for pregnancy to begin. Once this happens the woman is pregnant and she will not have her period until the end of her pregnancy.
How can you improve your chances of getting pregnant?
You can try to be at a healthy weight, have sex at the right time during your cycle, avoid drinking too much alcohol, stop smoking or go to your doctor and get tested and treated for sexually transmissible infections. Speak to your doctor for more information.
Can couples have sex without getting pregnant?
Some women might want to wait a while until they are ready to have their first child. Some women might want to wait before having their next child. Some women might not want to have a baby. It is still possible to have sex without getting pregnant by using contraception.
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