To plan for a baby, a couple goes through various complications, thinks too much, and carefully takes every step. You must be curious about how the process works and how long it takes for the sperm to reach the egg. Hence, this article will cover all the essential details of the fertilization process and how you can plan for a healthy baby.
Fertilization: What is it, and what role does a sperm play in the process?
Fertilization is a process when eggs and sperm combine inside a woman’s body, and without sperm, an egg cannot be fertilized; it will only be shed in each menstrual cycle. Hence, it is evident that sperm, along with the egg, is essential for the reproduction process.
What is the estimated time it takes for a sperm to reach the egg?
Sperm takes 14 hours to 5 days to reach the center of an egg, according to estimates. Following ejaculation, the sperm swims right through the female’s vagina, passing through the cervix and uterus to land in the uterine tube. Therefore, a sperm has to travel an approximate distance of 14 to 18 cm, which is not ideal for any sperm to travel as it would be too long to travel for a tiny sperm. However, not a single sperm begins its journey; millions of sperm enter the uterus in a single instance, and only 10,000 to 12,000 of them make it to the topmost organs, and that's not even half of the picture. From almost 12000 sperms, only 5,000 spins in the right oviduct, and even if that’s not enough for a sperm to reach an egg, only 1000 sperm from the 5,000 mark their presence in the fallopian tube, and only the healthy one makes it to the center of an egg and fertilizes it.
Hence, to complete the cycle effectively, one sperm takes 14 hours to 5 days, depending on your ovulation cycle. It takes an estimated 14 hours to 5 days because of your ovulation process. If an egg is still not produced, a sperm might take longer than expected.
How can you enhance the likelihood of sperm fertilizing an egg?
To enhance sperm quality and conceive, you can make some essential changes in your lifestyle by-
Quitting smoking, alcohol, caffeine, and drugs- Quit all the toxic substances from your life as they decrease your sperm quality, leading to DNA fragmentation and chromosomal abnormalities. Also, they lower your testosterone level and make your life more difficult than ever.
Maintaining a healthy weight: Research has found that overweight men have a lower number of sperm with obsolete quality than those men who have had a healthy weight. Thus, to boost your chances of reaching your sperm to the center of an egg, you must maintain a healthy weight.
Having a balanced diet: Research shows that having a diet rich in saturated fatty acids and low in polyunsaturated fatty acids affects your sperm quality and makes them inferior when it comes to initiating the fertilization process, whereas if you take unsaturated fatty acid foods, then your sperm will be rich in quality.
Get engaged in intercourse during ovulation: To improve your success rate, it is advised to get involved in the intercourse process during the ovulation period. Most successful pregnancies occur at this time, so it is the ideal time for a couple to try to conceive.
Have intercourse 3 times a week- Having intercourse 3 times a week before or after the ovulation period can significantly increase your odds of getting pregnant to start a healthy family.
What to do when you fail to conceive naturally?
If you cannot conceive naturally and have given up hope of becoming a parent, do not despair. Thanks to advances in technology and healthcare, you can now choose the in-vitro fertilization process and plan for an IVF pregnancy in Indore with the assistance of top-tier fertility experts.IVF is a process made up of two words; "in-vitro," outside the human body, and "fertilization," when eggs and sperm combine in a petri dish. Hence, we can say that IVF treatment has made sure not a single couple remains infertile and gets lost when planning for a baby.
