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Here's what happens every month or so: |
| Every month, the pituitary gland in the brain signals the ovaries to produce follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and lutenizing hormone (LH), which stimulate at least one follicle to develop a mature egg. As the egg matures, the follicle releases the hormone estrogen, which causes the lining of the uterus to grow and thicken. |
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| OVULATION. When it is ripe enough, the egg is released from the follicle in the ovary, drawn into the funnel-shaped end of one of the fallopian tubes, and starts heading for the uterus. It takes the egg a few days to get there. Most women do not notice when they ovulate, but some do feel a bit of abdominal discomfort. Around this time, estrogen levels are high, causing your vaginal discharge to be copious and watery. The follicle now releases the hormone progesterone, which nourishes the uterine lining. |
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| After ovulation, as progesterone levels rise, your vaginal discharge becomes stickier and scanter. If sperm is present when the egg is traveling down the fallopian tube, fertilization or conception can occur. If it does, the uterine lining should be ready to accept and nourish the fertilized egg. If the egg is not fertilized, it disintegrates and flows out the vagina (usually before your period). The follicle decreasingly continues to produce estrogen and progesterone for about 12 days. |
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| MENSTRUATION As hormone levels drop, the lining in the uterus stops being nourished and finally sheds itself--your period. Most of the lining is shed. The bottom stays and is the foundation for the next month's lining. Once you get your period, the cycle starts all over again. |
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