{"id":105188,"date":"2023-03-01T09:00:04","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T07:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ivi.uk\/?p=105188"},"modified":"2023-02-21T21:13:13","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T19:13:13","slug":"how-long-is-an-egg-viable-after-ovulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ivi.uk\/blog\/how-long-is-an-egg-viable-after-ovulation\/","title":{"rendered":"How long is an egg viable after ovulation?"},"content":{"rendered":"
When you\u2019re trying to get pregnant, it can be helpful to understand the basics of fertility beyond the simple fact that you need one egg and one sperm cell, and they need to meet at the right time for conception to occur. If you’re trying to conceive naturally, you may be wondering how long is a woman\u2019s egg viable after ovulation?<\/strong> The fact is, this usually is only a matter of hours. Does this mean you only have a few hours each month to get pregnant? Happily, no. The female body has a few tricks to allow a longer fertile window of up to 7 days<\/strong> each month.<\/p>\n Read on to find out more about ovulation and how the fertility window works:<\/p>\n The whole point of your menstrual cycle is the production of one, occasionally two, mature and viable eggs each month, which is the basis of your fertility. Here\u2019s a run-down of the cycle, which can broadly be divided into four phases: menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase \u2013 although there is some overlap, as we shall see.<\/p>\n How long an egg is viable after ovulation is measured in hours rather than days \u2013 generally between 12 to 24 hours<\/strong>. But that doesn’t mean you only have a 24-hour window to conceive.<\/p>\n What happens to the egg after ovulation<\/strong> is entirely dependent on whether there is sperm present in your reproductive system at that time. If the egg meets with sperm, fertilisation occurs typically in the fallopian tube. The fertilised egg continues on its way down the tube to the uterus, where it will implant in the uterus lining. If no sperm is present during the limited time it remains viable, it simply disintegrates and is shed along with the uterus lining during your period.<\/p>\n Even though your egg remains viable for a relatively short time after ovulation, sperm cells are more durable. Sperm can survive and remain capable of fertilising an egg for up to five days inside your body. It follows that, rather than the short space of time allotted to the egg, your fertile window is more like five or six days in any month. If you have sexual intercourse during the few days before you ovulate or on the day itself, you still have a good chance of getting pregnant.<\/p>\n However, a successful attempt to conceive still depends on knowing roughly when you are due to ovulate. There are several ways you can achieve this:<\/p>\n Each method can help you accurately predict when you are ovulating so you can time sexual intercourse based on how long an egg is viable after ovulation.<\/p>\n If you have a balanced diet, a healthy weight, exercise sensibly and have regular periods, there\u2019s a good chance that you are ovulating and will experience the monthly window of fertility. However, no matter how good your health or lifestyle, there is no known natural method of increasing the length of time that your egg remain viable once you have ovulated. The only way this can be achieved is with the help of the technique known as egg freezing<\/a>.<\/p>\n The\u00a0preservation of fertility<\/a> does not extend the viable life of your eggs during the natural menstrual cycle. But it is a way of extending your fertility over a longer timescale if you think you may want to have children but the time is not yet right. It involves undergoing hormonal stimulation to encourage multiple follicles to grow. Rather than one egg, the ovaries produce several eggs, and when they’ve reached an adequate number and size, we retrieve them in the same way as we do in an In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)<\/a> treatment. But instead of being fertilised in the laboratory, your eggs are frozen and stored for when you decide the right time.<\/p>\n In one sense, this changes the answer to the question of how long a woman\u2019s egg remains viable. With the proper techniques, the answer could be \u2013 as long as you want! If you are interested in freezing eggs or would like more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us<\/a> at IVI.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When you\u2019re trying to get pregnant, it can be helpful to understand the basics of fertility beyond the simple fact that you need one egg and one sperm cell, and they need to meet at the right time for conception to occur. If you’re trying to conceive naturally, you may be wondering how long is… View Article<\/a>","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":105325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[359,243],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
What is ovulation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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How long is an egg viable after ovulation?<\/h2>\n
What happens to your egg after ovulation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What can you do to improve your chances of conception?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Tips to boost your chances of getting pregnant<\/h2>\n
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What can you do to keep eggs viable for longer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n