First Trimester 2^nd Trimester     3^rd Trimester

Ovulation

Cilia (small hairs) lining the fimbriae produce currents that help move the egg into the fallopian tube.

Inside the ovary, the empty egg follicle produces the hormone progesterone, which stimulates the lining of the uterus to thicken.

Fimbriae, the fingerlike projections at the end of the fallopian tube, reach for the egg and sweep it gently into the tube.

Fluid from the egg follicle is released with the mature egg.

The mature egg is released from its follicle and breaks through the surface of the ovary. To meet a sperm, and be fertilized, it must enter the fallopian tube.

The wall of the fallopian tube contracts and relaxes to draw the egg into the tube for its journey to the uterus.

Toward the end of this week, one of the eggs in your ovaries is likely to have reached full maturity. Ovulation occurs as the egg, under the influence of hormones, bursts out of its follicle. If it meets a sperm, you may become pregnant. Now is the time to enjoy lots of sex with your partner, so go for it-as often as you like. If you have any anxieties about fertility, try to put them aside and relax.

Excerpted from Pregnancy Day by Day.
Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley Limited.
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