A Beginner's Guide to Fertilisation

 

Fertilization is a natural biological process in which male and female gametes fuse to generate a zygote. During coitus, thousands of sperms are inseminated into the female vagina. Although all these sperms travel to the fallopian tube, only a very small percentage make their way there. The fallopian tube is where the eggs are fertilized. The secondary oocyte exits the ovary's mature graafian follicle and enters the fallopian tube, where it is fertilized within 24 hours before being released.

The oocyte is fertilized by a single sperm, although it may be surrounded by many. The sperm enters the secondary oocyte during meiosis-II, which completes the meiosis process. The egg is the name given to the second oocyte after that. Both sperm and eggs have a limited time to exhibit their viability. In the female reproductive system, the sperm may survive for 48-72 hours, whereas an egg can be fertilized for up to 24 hours before being released.

Binding of the egg and sperm can also be done in the lab. This is made possible using Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), namely the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) method, and is considered as a viable process of fertilization.

Process of Fertilization

The process of fertilization is divided into three primary stages. Chemotaxis, Acrosomal reaction (sperm activation) and Adhesion of sperm to eggs.

Women ovulate once a month during the menstrual cycle, which plays a key role in conception. When this cycle releases an egg cell from the ovaries, the first step of fertilization begins. When a sperm encounters an oocyte, it binds to the zona pellucida, which is a thick coating of a jelly-like extracellular matrix made up of glycoproteins that surrounds the egg. When a particular molecule on the sperm's surface binds to a ZP3 glycoprotein in the zona pellucida, the acrosome reaction is started. Hyaluronidase is produced by the acrosome process, and it ferments the hyaluronic acid surrounding the egg, allowing the sperm to pass through.

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Following successful sperm implantation, the egg's cortical granules fuse with the cell's plasma membrane and are discharged into the zona pellucida, causing the surface to become stiff and impervious. The cortical response guarantees that just one sperm cell enters the egg and fertilizes it.

Once the sperm has successfully reached the egg, the outer coating and tail of the sperm disintegrate. The oocyte goes through meiosis to become a haploid ovum. The genetic material of sperm and egg, each of which has 23 chromosomes, is merged, resulting in a diploid cell with 46 chromosomes, called as a zygote. The zygote then undergoes mitosis, which is the repeated cellular division essential for an organism's growth, to generate a blastocyst. This is then implanted into the uterine wall, initiating the pregnancy.

If you have more questions about the process of fertilization, you can consult a gynecologist. You can also ask about the IVF method. Even the best pediatricians in Hyderabad say that this method has successfully resulted in healthy babies.

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Your Complete Guide to Child Birth

 

Childbirth is when pregnancy ends, and babies are delivered vaginally or by cesarean section. In most developed countries, deliveries occur in hospitals while in the developing world, many births take place at home with the support of a traditional birth attendant, who is also referred to as a doula.

A childbirth class involves teaching about the signs of labor, stages of labour, pain management during labor, stages of childbirth and possible complications. This guide covers everything from the process of fertilization to the end, where we discuss the aftercare of the mother post-birth.

Fertilization

The existence of any form of life is extremely fascinating to humans. Every living being on this planet is a result of sexual reproduction, which means, it is by the fusion of the male sperm and female egg. Fertilization occurs when a sperm fuses with an egg during intercourse which further develops and gets implanted in the uterus.

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The sperm basically travels through the fallopian tubes where it fuses with the female gamete which is the egg to form a zygote. This zygote keeps on taking nutrition from the parent body and grows into the embryo and gets implanted in the uterus, which results in pregnancy. This is the basic process of fertilization.

Labour

The embryo develops in the uterus over the course of 9 months or 40 weeks. After the embryo is a full-grown baby, and is ready to come out, the mother starts entering the first stage of labor which is dilation. Dilation can take place at varying time periods. With uterine contractions, the pain intensifies for the mother. As labor progresses, these contractions become more intense and will increase in frequency till the cervix has achieved 10cm dilation. First-time mothers usually take long to achieve full dilation.

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The second stage is the expulsion, which is when the cervix is fully dilated by the force of involuntary uterine contractions. The mother begins pushing and try to contract their abdominal muscles. The child passes through the birthing canal. The terminal phase of this stage is when the child’s head distends, and maternal tissues are dilated.

The third stage is the placental stage. After the delivery, the site where the placenta is attached becomes diminishingly small with the hope that the placenta detaches itself. After a few contractions the placenta is forced into the vagina from which is it expelled by bearing-down efforts.

After Care

Immediately after the birth, the child is kept on the chest of the mother for a skin-to-skin contact, while doctors examine if the patient has tears in the vaginal wall which might need stitching. At this point women may feel elated, exhausted, emotionally drained, or all at once which is completely normal after birthing.

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The perineum might be swollen for the next 24 hours after delivery. The mother can try to bring this under control by using the rice technique which is: -

R- Rest to help reduce pain and swelling

I-Apply ice pack every 2-4 hours to reduce the swelling

C-Compression wearing firm fitted underwear and 2-3 maternity pads for support

E- exercise, within the first few days.

Now that you are a parent to a gorgeous baby. Be sure to visit the best pediatrician in Hyderabad to get an overall checkup done for the baby and get all doses of vaccinations.  

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