One of the features of the female body is a peculiar mechanism of the reproductive system. So it is arranged by nature that being in the womb of the mother, in the girl's body the number of incorporated follicles reaches half a million. When reaching puberty, their numbers decrease significantly - up to 40 000. Only 400-500 follicles reach full maturation, and the rest are exposed to the process of atresia.
Maturation of the follicle in the ovary
Maturation of the follicle is a complex biological process, influenced by many factors. It begins in the first phase of the menstrual cycle. Under the action of the follicle-stimulating hormone, about 10 follicles start to mature at the same time, but in the future one dominant follicle is formed , from which the egg will emerge. The remaining follicles stop in development and eventually dissolve.
For many women it is of fundamental importance to know on what day the follicle ripens, since this information can be used as a method of contraception, and also in order to determine the most favorable days for conception of the child. Maturation of the follicle on days is much easier to track with a regular menstrual cycle.
If everything is in order in the body, then most often there should not be any delays in the maturation of the follicles. For example, on the 7th day of the menstrual cycle, follicles measuring 5-6 mm are visualized using ultrasound. With further monitoring of maturation of the follicle, one can note their growth and clearly define the dominant one.
After full maturation of the follicle, its dimensions reach 21 mm in diameter - this indicates the imminent onset of ovulation. Normally, the egg yield is 13-15 days. If the menstrual cycle of a woman is irregular or there are any violations of the hormonal background, diseases of the genital area, then it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer how many days the follicle will ripen.
You can try to track the maturation of the follicle by characteristic symptoms. Objective and subjective signs of ovulation include:
- pain in the abdomen with the maturation of the follicle;
- a characteristic symptom of maturation of the follicle is an increase in mucous secretions before ovulation ;
- decrease in rectal temperature on the day of ovulation, followed by its increase;
- increase in the amount of progesterone.
Why do not the follicles ripen?
Often women, having a desire to conceive a child, face the problem of disturbed maturation of follicles. In such cases, it is important to determine the reason why the follicles do not ripen, and ovulation does not occur. Deviations may be due to:
- dysfunction of the ovaries and parts of the brain;
- disorders of the endocrine system;
- neoplasms of the pituitary and hypothalamus.
- inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs;
- increased intracranial pressure;
- stressful situations and depression.
Consequently:
- absence of follicles in the ovary;
- disturbance of the development of the follicle, when it stops at a certain stage of maturation and regresses;
- unattainable size of the follicle;
- absence of rupture of the follicle.
Also a deviation from the norm can be considered a delay and early maturation of the follicle. In any case, it is necessary to conduct a complete examination, to pass tests to determine the etiology of the problem for further solving it.
How many follicles should ripen?
Basically nature stipulates that one follicle can ripen during one menstrual cycle. However, if two follicles mature, this is not considered a pathology. On the contrary, it increases the chances of conception, and perhaps not just one kid at a time.