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The Significant Role That Ovulation Plays in Fertility & Infertility Blog Feature
Lisa Rosenthal

By: Lisa Rosenthal on November 10th, 2016

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The Significant Role That Ovulation Plays in Fertility & Infertility

Ovulation | ovarian reserve | Fertility Treatment

Ovarian Reserve & FertilityAn ovarian cycle follows a natural progression, from the very beginning of the egg growing in its follicle to actual ovulation that releases, typically, one egg from one follicle.

Ovarian Cycle Explained

There's an expression that a picture is worth a thousand words. It's from a Chinese proverb. Below is a picture that shows a healthy ovarian cycle. One thing to note is that there are often many secondary follicles, containing eggs that do not mature. In a typical ovarian cycle, (not a medicated or fertility treatment cycle) one egg matures and is released. The secondary follicles, where eggs do not mature, are reabsorbed by the body.  And although women are born with all the eggs that they will ever have, about two million eggs, in each menstrual cycle there are many eggs that start to develop and then are no longer viable for another ovarian cycle.   

Ovarian Cycle Explained

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

This process, along with eggs aging, are reasons why even with hundreds of thousands of eggs left, it can be difficult to stimulate and grow mature eggs. Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is often a shock to a woman, particularly in their 20's or 30's as it is assumed that there are plenty of eggs and of good quality.

Fertility treatment is designed to stimulate and retrieve mature eggs (oocytes). Even if you are not menstruating regularly, which is often an indication that you are not ovulating regularly, eggs can often be stimulated and retrieved.

Treatment for Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Better understanding your menstrual cycle, as well as your ovarian cycle, can help put trouble conceiving into perspective. And hopefully allay your fears as well. Infertility would be better termed sub fertility as so often with appropriate fertility treatment protocols, even women who are not menstruating or ovulating regularly will become pregnant successfully.


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