Fertility problems

Getting pregnant: the woman's role

The diagram shows the parts of your body that are involved in getting pregnant.

Your ovaries make your eggs. Inside your ovaries are millions of pre-eggs, called follicles. Only some become full-grown eggs.
Your fallopian tubes carry full-grown eggs from the ovaries to your womb. The tubes are lined with tiny hairs to push the eggs along. If an egg joins a sperm in the tube, this is called fertilization.
Your womb is where the fertilized egg starts growing. The lining of the womb is called the endometrium.
Your cervix is the neck of your womb. Sperm have to pass through it to get to the egg.
Your vagina is the passage leading up to your womb.

To get pregnant you need to release an egg from your ovary. This is called ovulation. This normally happens every month as part of your menstrual cycle.

Eggs released by the ovaries travel down the fallopian tubes and grow in the womb.

Your menstrual cycle begins during puberty. It lasts about 28 days, but it can be shorter or longer. It's controlled by your

hormones
Hormones are chemicals that are made in certain parts of the body. They travel through the bloodstream and have an effect on other parts of the body. For example, the female sex hormone estrogen is made in a woman's ovaries. Estrogen has many different effects on a woman's body. It makes the breasts grow at puberty and helps control periods. It is also needed to get pregnant.

hormones. Certain hormones tell your ovaries to release an egg and help your body prepare for pregnancy.

To read more about what happens during your menstrual cycle, see What happens every month.

This information was last updated on Mar 06, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
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